We are excited to welcome Anna Gordon as our newest Community Health Worker, supporting families in our Healthy Start program. Anna has a passion to serve others. Learn more about her at https://nurturekc.org/team/anna-gordon/. (Click on image to enlarge.)
The Emergency Rental Assistance Program can help families who rent their homes get caught up on past due rent and utility bills. We compiled a program overview for our Healthy Start families, but anyone can access it and benefit from the program … so please help us spread the word!
Program overview in English: https://nurturekc.org/emergency-rental-assistance
Program overview in Spanish: https://nurturekc.org/asistencia-de-emergencia-para-el-alquiler
Thanks to the United Way of Greater Kansas City for working with local organizations to implement the Emergency Rental Assistance Program. Also, a big thank you to these orgs for providing assistance: Economic Opportunity Foundation, Journey to New Life, Metro Lutheran Ministry, Greater KC Housing Information Center, Guadalupe Centers, SAVE and the Community Assistance Council.
We’re #StrongerTogether!
Check out all our latest news — including a sneak peak at our upcoming annual event, legislative wrap-ups for KS and MO, MAIC hosting more COVID vaccine clinics and financial help for renters affected by COVID-19 — at: https://nurturekc.org/news-events/monthly-updates-2/ (click on May 2021).
We continue to bring COVID vaccine clinics to communities that need them most! Here, the Morales family receives their 2nd dose of the Pfizer vaccine. (Their toddler wanted a matching band-aid and did not receive the vaccine.) Thanks to Walgreens, El Centro Inc. and Iglesia Misionera El Verbo de Dios for partnering with us to make this clinic possible!
Thank you to Happy Bottoms for supplying diapers to families in our Healthy Start program on a monthly basis. Our families appreciate it! Nurture KC’s work is made possible by the generous support of our partners, such as Happy Bottoms. Check out all our partners at https://nurturekc.org/about-us/partners/.
It’s Nurse Appreciation Week. Did you know Nurture KC has 2 nurses on staff?
Raechel Blades, MSN, RNC–OB, helps moms in our Healthy Start program who need more specialized care to overcome barriers. Raechel operates out of Truman Medical Centers. Learn more about Healthy Start at https://nurturekc.org/solutions/.
Katherine Campbell, BSN, is our Fetal Infant Mortality Review (FIMR) Program Coordinator. She leads a case review team to improve health delivery systems and save babies’ lives. Learn more about FIMR at https://nurturekc.org/issues/infant-mortality/.
Thank you, Raechel and Katherine, for all you both do!
April has been a flurry of activity! Nurture KC has been featured across KC news stations for our COVID vaccine clinics, Black Maternal Health Week and education on safe sleep for baby. Check out this news coverage + meet our new Administrative Assistant + see where we’re at with key legislative priorities in KS and MO + more — all in our April 2021 Update. As always, thank you for supporting our efforts!
Sweet baby Victor is sporting our trademarked “EAT AT MOM’S®” onesie – touting the benefits of breastfeeding. Order the onesie and check out breastfeeding resources at https://nurturekc.org/resources/#breastfeeding
Legislation: House Bill 37 will be introduced to the Missouri House floor sometime this week (April 26 – April 30). This legislation would radically expand vaccine exemptions to include a conscientious belief exemption and require all public schools to accept vaccination exemptions written by parents without a doctor’s signature. This bill exempts private schools from requiring any immunizations.
HB 37 has also been amended to prohibit entities in the state from issuing or requiring vaccine passports or vaccination records (i.e. COVID-19 vaccination record cards). The addition of this language is intended to garner broader support, even though a vaccine passport has not been proposed or endorsed in Missouri.
Additionally, the language of HB 37 has been amended on to House Bill 682, a bill limiting public colleges from requiring students to live in on-campus housing. HB 682 could be introduced on the Missouri House floor at any time.
Your Action is Needed Now:
MAIC urges you to reach out to your Kansas City area representatives and tell them to vote “no” on HB 37 and its amendments. See the proposed policy changes by clicking “read more” below and reference these in your communication as reasons to oppose HB 37. Each provision would dilute Missourians’ protection from preventable diseases.
