Outreach
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in spring of 2020, the Library had just received our shipment of materials for the Book Rich Environment initiative, which brings books and other literacy tools to children and their families who live in HUD-assisted housing. We worried how we would serve these communities during a global pandemic; but today, the relationship we built with the Housing Authority of Kansas City and area families is thriving, thanks to creative community partnerships.
Just before Christmas, a young woman – pregnant and accompanied by her mother – sought out the Library’s Community Resources team for help. She had a new place to live but lacked furnishings and many other everyday essentials. Where could she turn? Hear how the Library helped this individual -- and many more -- through its one-on-one assistance sessions.
Thanks, Kansas City, for stepping up. You responded in record numbers to the annual MLK Day of Service Hygiene Kit Drive conducted by the Library’s AmeriCorps VISTA Project and Digital Corps. Donated personal care items – from soap, shampoo, and deodorant to washcloths, combs, hairbrushes, and hand sanitizer – were packaged into nearly 1,100 kits to be distributed to individuals in the city who are unhoused.
The Library is taking part in local education and outreach efforts to have everyone in our metropolitan area represented in the 2020 Census, helping to ensure Kansas City receives its fair share of federal funding in the years to come. How have the Library's Census outreach efforts changed due to the pandemic? We're meeting people out in the community through our Pop In at the Park series and working with other organizations to encourage participation. Learn more about the Census and why it matters for Kansas City.
Memories are made at the Library each day. Our staff members reminisced about some of the moments from the past year that stood out as unique and notable -- stories and anecdotes underscoring how the Library is a special place that offers so much to our community.
It would be kind of retro-cool to bill the Library’s new outreach vehicle as its first bookmobile in more than half a century. Except it’s more than a bookmobile. The customized, brightly emblazoned cargo van hit the streets Thursday, September 17, 2020, ferrying bags of books, audiobooks, and DVDs to residents of area senior living centers as part of the Library’s Lobby Stops program. It will be a frequent presence at other outreach events and activities, transporting displays, supplies, and other materials and serving as a pop-up gathering place. Equipped with Wi-Fi, it’ll also eventually provide patrons who need it with essential internet access.
In the spirit of the service embodied by Dr. King, the Library’s AmeriCorps VISTA Project is collecting donations of travel size personal care items for a Hygiene Kit Drive. Between January 3-12, 2023, visit any Kansas City Public Library location and bring supplies to drop off in dedicated boxes.
In the spirit of service embodied by the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. the Library’s AmeriCorps VISTA Project is collecting donations of travel-size personal care items for a Hygiene Kit Drive. Between January 2–15, 2020, visit any Kansas City Public Library location and bring supplies to drop off in dedicated boxes. Donated materials will be assembled into kits that will be given to individuals experiencing homelessness.
In keeping with the civil rights leader’s spirit of service, the Kansas City Public Library’s AmeriCorps VISTA Project is collecting donations of travel-sized personal care items for a Hygiene Kit Drive. From January 3-12, 2022, visit any Kansas City Public Library location to drop off supplies in dedicated boxes.
In the spirit of service embodied by the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. the Library’s AmeriCorps VISTA Project is collecting donations of travel-size personal care items for a Hygiene Kit Drive. Between January 2 - 16, 2019, visit any Kansas City Public Library location and bring supplies to drop off in dedicated boxes. Donated materials will be assembled into kits that will be given to individuals experiencing homelessness.
Stop by select Kansas City parks and visit with your Library for this year's Pop In at the Park summer series! We'll be popping up in local neighborhoods between June 1 - August 15, 2022, to provide summer learning resources to families, connect people with services, offer fun kids’ activities, and more!
Stop by select Kansas City parks and visit with your Library for this year's Pop In at the Park summer series! We'll be popping up in local neighborhoods between June 6 - August 18, 2023, to provide summer learning resources to families, connect people with services, offer fun kids’ activities, and more!