2020 Jo Zakas Legacy Foundation Recipients
- American Heart Association $5,000 | Funding paid for scholarships which allowed underserved high school students to take part in their Go Red Ambassadors Leadership Council Program for juniors and seniors during the 2020/21 school year. Recipients selected from students whose families cannot afford the tuition.
- Children First: CEO Kansas Inc. $5,000 | $3,500 purchased “basic needs” items and distributed them to their students for free. The $1,500 will be used as seed money to start a leadership training program. This organization focuses on helping students increase their coping skills and mental health.
- Cricket Alley Ministries $2,200 | Funds paid for equipment to set up virtual class studio space in support of their mission of helping women prepare for employment.
- Destination Innovation Camp $5,000 | Funds used to build up intern program for 2021 camp which will include payroll, training, recruitment, and miscellaneous supplies. They designed their programs to expose marginalized youth, ages 14-18, to careers with an emphasis on entrepreneurship.
- Ember Hope Youthville of Newton $3,700 | Sponsored Walk a Mile (in my shoes) program for resident youth. This 8-week program brings in artist and instructor Micala Gingrich-Gaylord. She leads these youth in crisis through 4-weeks of art therapy. They spend the next 4-weeks of making therapy art using shoes.
- Family Promise $8,260 | Used funds to start a new project for the children of clients who are learning. ($3,000 for instructors; $2,000 for curriculum; $1,260 for Kindness curriculum and cards; $1,000 for trauma Informed care-children training; and $1,000 for printing and supplies). They expect to serve 58 children with 10 staff to start. Their mission is to move families from homelessness to sustainable independence. They partner with 47 local congregations that provide overnight lodging, transportation, and meals on a rotating basis. Family Promise staffers provide case management.
- Legacy Ministries $5,000 | These funds helped staff to adapt their programs to better meet the needs of their clients in a pandemic. They serve neighborhood youth and West High school youth in providing employment and job skills training. This year they looked at additional ways to help students learn in a virtual environment for their high school experience.
- Wichita Indochinese Center, Inc. $8,000 | This center helps clients adapt to their new country by learning English and about adjusting to their new social, economic, and cultural environments. Most of the classes and instructional programs have moved online because of the pandemic. These funds will be used to pay for two teachers’ aides. This is their second year of funding.
- Wichita Women’s Initiative Network (WIN) $2,280 | Provided funding for transportation of clients to attend substance abuse sessions. They serve women survivors from domestic violence.
Zakas Estate Recipient
Legacy Ministries January 2020 $37,000 in accordance to Jo’s will
2019 Jo Zakas Legacy Foundation Recipients
- Hope Ranch for Women $5,400 | sponsored a client for one year ($1,800) and provided computer equipment for vocational training. ($3.600)
- Legacy Ministries $5,300 | funded their neighborhood garden ministry and staff.
- Raise My Head Foundation $2,500 | sponsored a client for one year.
- Wichita Indochinese Center $12,000 | funded a part-time teacher, a special curriculum for learning English, and computers.
- Youth Horizons $10,000 | sponsored their mentoring program.
Later years’ recipients can be found on:
