Welcome to Johnson County
Human Services !
We're glad you stopped by to see how we fulfill our mission to provide essential human services that support the independence, dignity and self-sufficiency of Johnson County residents. We invite you to click around and discover what services and opportunities await our target population of older adults, people with a disability, low-income families, or anyone who might benefit from the work that we do.
Deborah Collins,Director
Front Page News
- Johnson County Human Services & Aging has a new name
- New "My
Story” feature tells our story!
- CHAMPSS Program Receives National Award
- Human Services' Programs Receive NACO Awards
- Nominations sought for COA's Leadership in Aging Award
- DTV converter box help offered 'til June 30
- More News to Know
Johnson County Human Services & Aging has a new name.
Johnson County Human Services & Aging has a new name.
The department is now known as Johnson County Human Services.
The
name change, along with a new logo, will help raise public awareness of all
programs and services that the department provides: Accessibility, Area
Agency on Aging, Housing Services, Information, and Outreach.
Along with the new name, Johnson County Human Services
is unveiling a new logo developed by in-house graphic designer Jaclyn Co.
A sunflower, human silhouettes, and the five
program names will help the department achieve its marketing and branding
strategic goal, which is to increase the public visibility of each program.
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New "My Story" feature tells our story!
Along with our new name and logo highlighting what we
do, Human Services begins a series of stories about the people of Johnson
County who participate in our services, volunteer their time in contribution
to our causes, or have tuned in and connected to the resources our
department has to offer.
Read about Mary Engelken and the
Roeland Park Community Center
CHAMPSS Program Receives National Award
The National Association of Nutrition and Aging
Services Programs has recognized the Johnson County Area Agency on Aging
CHAMPSS Program as a Star Award winner. Each year, the association
recognizes individuals and agencies for outstanding contributions in the
field of aging nutrition. The award will be presented in late June in
Atlanta.
CHAMPSS is an innovative dining program for adults 60 or older and their
spouses. CHAMPSS, which stands for Choosing Healthy Appetizing Meal Plan
Solutions for Seniors, is offered through the Older Americans Act, a
federally funded nutrition program. CHAMPSS is offered in the food courts of
select Hy-Vee groceries in Johnson County.
Participants must attend an enrollment session and a minimum donation of
$2.50 is encouraged. Through the program, seniors may receive a nutritious
meal between 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. Monday through Friday at the groceries,
as an alternative to congregate meal sites at various senior centers
throughout the county. The participants choose their meal from specified
offerings in the five food groups. Healthful dietitian-approved choices are
identified by the CHAMPSS logo.
Three Area Agency on Aging staff members developed and implemented the
program: Nancy Tanquary, Nutrition Program manager; Connie Stankewsky,
Nutrition Centers Coordinator; and Debbie Summers, Nutrition Data
Technician.
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Human Services' Programs Receive NACO Awards
The National Association of Counties (NACO) has recognized
the Johnson County Area Agency on Aging CHAMPSS Program (see CHAMPSS story above)
and the Human Services “Seeds That Feed the Need Garden” Project as
Achievement Award winners.
In this 40th year of the Achievement Award
Program, NACO recognized the high caliber of county programs and projects by
spotlighting those that promote quality, efficient, and responsive
management and administration.
The “Seeds That Feed the Need Garden” is a volunteer-based effort at the
Roeland Park Community Center to help families and individuals who are
struggling in these tough economic times to get by. The community center,
operated by Johnson County Human Services, has seen a steady
increase in requests for food from its food pantry.
In 2008, in anticipation
of ever-greater need, Human Services teamed up with the city of Roeland
Park, Johnson County K-State Research and Extension, the Youth Volunteer
Corps of Greater Kansas City, community volunteers, area churches, and a
local garden club to break ground for a garden that provides fresh produce
for families in northeast Johnson County who are living on a tight budget.
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Nominations sought for Commission on Aging's Leadership in Aging Award
The Johnson County Commission on Aging (COA) is seeking candidates for
its annual Leadership in Aging Award, which honors individuals, groups, or
organizations making outstanding contributions to the quality of life for
older adults and their families in the county.
Appointed by the Johnson County Board of County Commissioners, the COA is an
advisory body to the Johnson County Area Agency on Aging and advocates for
senior adults in the county. The COA will present the Leadership in Aging
Award in the fall.
To request a nomination form, call 913-715-8860 or click here to
open a form
for printing.
Nominations must be submitted by Saturday, Aug. 1, to: Sevy
Madrigal, c/o Area Agency on Aging, 11811 S. Sunset Drive, Suite 1300,
Olathe, KS 66061.
DTV converter box help offered 'til June 30
The June 12 transition to digital TV has passed and the nation has
transitioned to digital broadcasting. In the wake of the transition, some
senior adults need assistance if their TV screens went blank.
Some stations will change their channel numbers and rescanning is needed to
locate the new numbers. See www.dtv.gov
for a listing of stations and channel numbers.
The FCC has provided grants and contracts around the country for in-home
installation assistance and second-level troubleshooting. You can find out
what installers are in your area at
www.dtv.gov/map.htm.
Best Buy’s Geek Squad is available to help in Kansas, Missouri, and 29 other
states through Tuesday June 30, but do not call your local Best Buy.
Call 877-229-3889, daily from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Central Standard Time,
to request free assistance for DTV converter box installation or with
reception problems.
Free of charge to the household, Geek Squad Home Theatre Installers will
connect up to two of a household’s DTV converter boxes to existing broadcast
antennas and analog TVs. Installers will also adjust existing antennas, scan
and rescan converter boxes to locate the maximum digital broadcast channels
available, integrate an existing VCR, and provide guidance on the operation
of the converter box.
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More News to Know!
Click on these links to read more about these past
Front Page stories:
Senior Quest coming Tuesday,
October 27th.
Kansas
City's Medicine Cabinet provides emergency assistance for medical needs.
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Human Services
11811 S. Sunset Drive, Suite 1300
Olathe, KS 66061-7056
(913) 715-8800 : voice
(913) 715-8825 : fax
(913) 894-8822 : TTY
E-mail