Urban Neighborhood Initiative Kansas City

"Currently, zip code 64128 has the city’s lowest life expectancy of 68.1 years and the population is 86.1% minorities, according to the 2022-2027 CHIP. Meanwhile, zip code 64113’s life expectancy is the highest at 86.3 years and its population is 13.7% minorities."

We can't wait to welcome our neighbors to the Building Better Blocks Neighborhood Connect Fun Day this Saturday, June 26, 2021! The event will be at Crews Park, 27th Street and Woodland Ave from Noon-4 p.m. There will be free family fun activities, giveaways, B-Block competitions, face painting, balloon artist and more. We can't wait to see you there!

As we mark the 100th anniversary of the 1921 Race Massacre, we stand with all who call out for racial equity in our city and country. No one organization, group or individual will be able to create the world we want to see this is our collective responsibility; but we must not let that paralyze us. We acknowledge that the work is difficult and fraught, but it is essential.

This Saturday, May 22, 2021, Swope Health is hosting a free COVID-19 vaccination event. Walk-ins/Drive-ins welcome, no appointment needed! Metropolitan Missionary Baptist Church 2310 E Linwood Blvd, Kansas City, MO 64109 10 a.m. 1 p.m.... Ages 12 17 now eligible with guardian present! If you need assistance registering, call 816-321-3333 FREE GIFT CARDS, SCHOOL SUPPLIES, ZOO TICKETS, AND SNACKS (while supplies last) Swope Health will offer the Pfizer vaccine to persons age 18+ or 12-17 with a guardian present. A Pfizer booster shot will be scheduled at your appointment.

"Shalaunda Holmes is the community real estate director at the Urban Neighborhood Initiative, a Kansas City nonprofit dedicated to building healthy neighborhoods. She said blight has long-term impact, too. 'It can actually deter investment because it shows that this city doesn’t really value its neighborhoods,' she said."

We are proud to partner with Purpose Built Communities. Watch this 60 Minutes segment to learn more about the organization that helps us pursue a holistic approach to making our neighborhood a great place to live.

"The latest proposal would require that multi-family residential projects seeking incentives have at least 10% of those units be affordable, with monthly rents $1,000 or less, and 10% be extremely affordable, about $500 to $700 per month depending on family income and apartment size. Developers who can’t achieve that housing set-aside would make a payment in lieu of units to the city’s Housing Trust Fund." https://www.kcur.org//councilwoman-calls-kansas-citys-firs

Know someone financially struggling in the CCED Sales Tax District (Ninth Street on the north, Gregory Boulevard on the south, The Paseo Boulevard on the west, and Indiana Avenue on the east)? Limited grant funds are currently available through Community Capital Fund; visit ccfkansascity.org to learn more, or to apply: Residents click here - https://ccfkansascity.us13.list-manage.com/track/click... Neighborhood Organizations click here - https://ccfkansascity.us13.list-manage.com/track/click Printed applications available for pickup and drop-off 8:30a-6p, Jan 11th-13th at Mohart Multipurpose Center at 3200 Wayne, KCMO 64109. Later dates TBA.

There are so many ways you can support UNI, and with programs like AmazonSmile and ShopRaise, all you have to do is shop online!

Are you or a loved one needing access to free COVID testing? Use this link to register for free testing at the Bruce R. Watkins Cultural Heritage Center, Mondays from 9a-3p: https://cb-kc.us18.list-manage.com/track/click

Did you know, in 2016, UNI became the 15th Community Quarterback member of the Purpose Built Communities network? Through this partnership, we joined cities like Indianapolis, New Orleans, and Fort Worth in working to break the cycle of intergenerational poverty by building strong, economically-diverse communities.

The Internet Access Support Program is now open to residents of the KC region. The program helps people living on limited incomes pay for Internet service. If C...OVID has made it harder for you to pay your Internet bill, the program can help you: * pay off an old balance * pay current bills * start new service Funds are limited and will be distributed on a first come, first served basis. So apply today! Visit https://www.connect.me or call (816) 200-0599.

You can turn your Amazon shopping habit into an instant fundraiser for UNI! Just designate UNI as your AmazonSmile beneficiary, and a percentage of your eligible purchases comes back to us! For set-up, visit smile.amazon.com.

In the first quarter of 2020, 44 percent of black families owned their home, compared with 73.7 percent of white families. Today, we did our part to whittle away at those statistics. We broke ground on 30 brand new homes in the Wendell Phillips neighborhood with Habitat for Humanity of Kansas City! Together, we are making home ownership affordable and possible, to 30 Kansas City residents. If you would like to donate or volunteer for this project please visit habitatkc.org for more information.

Watch us today at 1:00 pm as we break ground with Urban Neighborhood Initiative Kansas City on a 30 home project in the Wendell Phillips neighborhood of Kansas City, Mo!

Tomorrow is our last day hosting a COVID-19 testing site at the DeLaSalle Education Center. Be sure to preregister to reserve your spot!

We have two COVID-19 testing sites available today and tomorrow at Operation Breakthrough and KCPD East Patrol Division for those who do not have symptoms and have inadequate access to testing.

We are teaming up with University of Kansas Medical Center and Heart to Heart International to offer free COVID-19 tests for those that do not have COVID-19 symptoms and have inadequate access to testing. Preregister today!

Be sure to sign up for tomorrow morning's Learning Session as we discuss the important issue of historic racial inequities in housing.

Please join us and Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce as we tackle the important issue of historic racial inequities in housing. Join us Tuesday morning, September 1, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. as Dianne Cleaver introduces our free Learning Session about racial inequities in housing.

Please join us on Tuesday September 1 as we tackle the important issue of historic racial inequities in housing. The free listening session is co-sponsored by the Urban Neighborhood Initiative and our friends at the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce.

Thank you to everyone who supported us in the Royals Charities Opening Day 50/50 Raffle! We were able to split funds raised with one lucky recipient. Leslie previously lived in one of our neighborhoods for six years and volunteered with us so we truly hit the jackpot!

For our neighbors in Troostwood:

There's still time to register for this afternoon's "Bridging The Digital Divide for Equitable Education" webinar! As students around the nation shift to virtual learning, digital equity becomes increasingly more important to ensure that the most vulnerable students do not fall behind. The digital divide presents a need for the community to address issues around internet connectivity, cost, access to equipment and training.

Watch our recorded webinar as Gwendolyn Grant of Urban League of Greater Kansas City moderates our fourth panel discussion on the effects of structural racism in our region.

We're bringing another webinar to you with Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce as we discuss the issue of digital equity with education and civic leaders throughout the region. This session will offer pathways of engagement for businesses to help bridge the digital divide in Kansas City. Register today!