Latest news with #HereForYouSpotlight
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Wichita nonprofit helps inspire Hispanic students to dream big
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – Weighing what to do after high school graduation is a daunting task. For Michele Valadez, she already knew her dream by the time she was 15. She wanted to run her own business. 'Being my own boss, just being able to grow my own business pivot as I wanted to create the brand that I wanted,' she explained. Valadez had the drive. She just needed help navigating the path. 'I'm a first-generation student, and when it came to the college process, I really wasn't too sure what to do,' Valadez said. She connected with the Kansas Hispanic Education and Development Foundation. Kayven's Helping Hands aims for more little libraries 'We then become a whole support network for this student, walk them through every step of the process,' explained Pablo Cruz, KHEDF executive director. The nonprofit has seven programs to help Hispanic students through high school and college, preparing them for their future careers. 'When you look at demographics, already in Wichita, you've seen 136% increase in the Latino population, right? When you look at USD 259, there's 40% that are Hispanic/Latino. That's your future workforce,' Cruz said. KHEDF offers scholarships and resources to succeed in higher education. Valadez received two of those, and she says the nonprofit goes beyond providing funds. 'They're putting you through workshops, kind of learning how it's going to be like in my first year of college, and partnering me with a mentor.' Wichita YMCA's Livestrong: Empowering cancer patients It also connects students to professional mentors in their field. 'It's motivational. So being able to be someone that looks like me and is in the workforce, I'm like, okay, if they can do it, I can do, and it kind of fuels that seed of like, okay, you know, it's an opportunity, it's a possibility,' Valadez said. The seeds planted in Valadez are seeing the fruits of their labor. She is nearing her one-year anniversary of opening 'City Girlz Liquor.' She's thankful that her dream has come true and is ready to help others reach theirs. 'That's the beautiful thing about the organization, that there's someone right there willing to hold your hand, and there's a whole community willing to support you,' she said. KHEDF's annual Dream Big Fiesta is Thursday, May 29, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at WAVE. All of the tickets help support their programs. Forty-five scholars will be awarded at the event. If you would like to nominate a nonprofit for our Here For You Spotlight, fill out our online contact form. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Kayven's Helping Hands aims for more little libraries
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – While the concept of a little free library is nothing new, the story behind nearly a dozen in Wichita is special. 'He loved to read. He loved adventures. He loved having friends and buddies,' said Kacey Hopper, Kayven Hopper's mother. Kayven found all those things inside the pages of books. 'We would go to the library at least once a week with Kayven. It would just be a nice little way to get away,' said Steven Hopper, Kayven's dad. AgapéCare Cradle aids grieving parents after child loss Reading is one activity Kayven turned to when he started battling epilepsy. 'We were trying multiple different therapies and medications and devices,' Kacey said. 'Then, you know, on November 30 (2023), he laid down to take a nap and didn't wake up.' A few months later, his parents decided to turn their grief into good. They decided to host the inaugural Celebrate Kayven FUNdraiser, which grew into the nonprofit, Kayven's Helping Hands. 'Our mission is to make adventures possible for all, and he attacked everything like it was adventure like,' Kacey said. The nonprofit does that by empowering people with epilepsy, providing funds for kids to experience camps, clubs, or their little libraries. Wichita YMCA's Livestrong: Empowering cancer patients 'Kids are using the libraries. You know, we were just talking about some of the libraries we've been refilling more often because the weather is getting better, and that's really a good problem to have,' she said. Each book taken keeps Kayven's spirit for adventure alive. Kayven's Helping Hands hopes to have 20 little libraries by the end of 2025. It also wants to train 100 people for the Epilepsy Foundation's first aid training. The second annual Celebrate Kayven fundraiser is Friday, May 23, from 6-9 p.m. at Riverview Park in Derby. There will be a raffle, silent auction, games, and more. Click here to learn more. If you would like to nominate a nonprofit for our Here For You Spotlight, fill out our online contact form. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
AgapéCare Cradle aids grieving parents after child loss
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – One in four pregnancies ends in a loss of some sort. It's an experience that many families don't know how to process until it happens to them. AgapéCare Cradle provides guidance, resources, and support to parents who are experiencing the crisis of losing a child. ReUse It Center's mission is to help the planet grow into much more Shawn and Jeni Lehecka's lives changed in a matter of minutes. 'We're having all these conversations, like, oh, three girls, and like what are we gonna do?' Shawn said. After 20 weeks of waiting to learn their baby's gender, both were blindsided. 'They came in, told us she had anencephaly,' Shawn said. It is a neural tube defect where a baby is born with a missing or underdeveloped brain, skull, and scalp. 'Part of her brain wasn't fully there, and so we didn't know like what to expect of how, like how long we would have with her,' Jeni said. The following five months were a different kind of pregnancy. 'You know, not getting our nursery ready, not getting our baby things back out, but also picking out, like, what is the one thing we want her to wear, to be, to be buried in,' Jeni said. AgapéCare Cradle stepped in and walked the Leheckas through the steps of planning a funeral. 'Having that resource was huge, just to know that you can go through with any type of questions and never be a burden. They were always right there for us,' Shawn said. Youth Horizons provides safe homes for Kansas foster youth The nonprofit supports families as they grieve the what-ifs. 'When you walk down the road and you see a 3-year-old, and you think, well, my baby would have been 3, and then, you wonder what that would have been like,' Lissa Nemitz, executive director of AgapeCaré Cradle, said. Empowering them to make decisions for their baby, like other parents would. 'Naming your child or choosing what outfit your child wears, or when you're able to be a part of that, choosing how your baby's life is honored that, that fills a hole,' Nemitiz said. In September, the Leheckas welcomed Charlotte to the world. 'As I was holding her, just the fact that she was alive, just embracing every moment of that,' Shawn said. Every moment for 84 priceless minutes. 'We were able to read books to her and sing with her and just be close with her,' Jeni said. It is a blessing they will cherish forever. AgapéCare offers a monthly support group for moms on the third Thursday of every month. Find details on AgapéCare Cradle by clicking here. If you would like to nominate a nonprofit for our Here For You Spotlight, fill out our online contact form. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Wichita YMCA's Livestrong: Empowering cancer patients
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – Each step up the stairs represents a bigger success for Miketo Kirk. Before joining the Greater Wichita YMCA's Livestrong program, a flight of stairs could've been a mountain. 'When I first got here, I was just so weak you cannot even imagine,' she explained. 'This chair right here. I couldn't even get up and down out of it.' In spring 2024, Kirk was diagnosed with head and neck cancer. 'I had 37 rounds of radiation and six rounds of chemo,' she said. Once in remission, she joined Livestrong. AgapéCare Cradle aids grieving parents after child loss 'So we're helping individuals regain their strength, their stamina. We work on flexibility and balance,' said Debbie Cruz, Greater Wichita YMCA's Livestrong program director. The 12-week program is free for anyone who has ever received a cancer diagnosis, regardless if they are a member at the Y. 'It could have been 10 years ago. It could have been 10 days ago,' Cruz said. The group meets twice a week for 90 minutes. For the first hour, a trainer helps them build muscle; the second part focuses on building bonds. 'Until you've experienced (cancer), you really don't understand. So as they come together, they can say, 'yeah, I get it. I understand,'' Cruz said. Justice Together offers solutions to help the community Each session is a safe space for survivors. 'In my life, I am the strong person. I am not able to cry around other people, but in here, I've been able to cry and let all that stuff out,' Miketo said. The program sets the stage for a total transformation. 'That was a whole different woman, a whole different woman,' Miketo reflected. She's now a woman who's ready to keep pushing. YMCA's Livestrong is available across Wichita, Hutchinson, El Dorado, Andover and Newton. It's free whether or not you are a member. Once the 12 weeks are over, there is an alumni group that meets once a month. You can sign up by emailing If you would like to nominate a nonprofit for our Here For You Spotlight, fill out our online contact form. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Justice Together offers solutions to help the community
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – Justice Together is a Wichita nonprofit organization that focuses on serving the community and works to bring significant changes and solutions to social issues. 'What keeps you awake at night when you think about what's going on in Sedgwick County,' said Rev Lory Mills, St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church. The group uses research to form goals. 'Put it together, and that's how we kind of land on a solution,' Mills said. AgapéCare Cradle aids grieving parents after child loss A solution to tackle issues like mental health and homelessness. 'Last year, 70 people, 70 people, unhoused people died on the streets of Wichita,' Mills said. The nonprofit is built from 39 congregations of all faiths. 'Sometimes it just means getting in the right crew and gathering of people with the right ideas to make that just next step,' said Rev. Wade Miller, Hillside Christian Church. Once a year, Justice Together hosts a Nehemiah Assembly to present their ideas to city and county officials. 'We try to get as many people here as we can because our power is in numbers,' Mills said. Youth Horizons provides safe homes for Kansas foster youth The hope is that those leaders put plans into action, like Wichita's new low-barrier photo IDs. 'For people who are living on the streets and have trouble getting an ID because they don't have the documents and paperwork that they need to do that,' Mills said. A testimony to the power of numbers. 'We're able to go with options and possibilities instead of saying, well, that's too big a problem for us to handle. There's nothing we can do about it, because everyone of us can do something,' Mills said. This year's Nememiah Assembly is tonight at 6 p.m. at WSU's Hughes Metroplex. It is free to attend. If you would like to nominate a nonprofit for our Here For You Spotlight, fill out our online contact form. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
