Serving on the Jo Zakas Legacy Foundation Board brings satisfaction to us. Through collaborations, we see firsthand how small donations can help bring on large changes in people’s lives.
We want thank everyone who has helped to make this year’s grant awards a success.
First, we thank the following organizations who provide support to youth and adults. Because of you, many people find success in their lives. We applaud you.
As to our loyal donors, your financial support helps us better reach hundreds of people wanting to make a better life for themselves and their families. Your support counts.
The people served through these 2023 organizations will improve our Wichita community. Thanks for reaching out and asking for help.
Local Nonprofit Organization Grants
Youth Horizons Inc | $10,000
Youth Horizon helps at risk youth through three primary ways – matching adult volunteers with students. They help youth through their mentoring program, managing group homes for boys and girls with severe individual and family challenges, and providing public awareness.
This grant to Youth Horizons will help pay off the two vans purchased in 2023 for the Wren House for Girls. These vans transport the girls to public school, medical and dental appointments, various planned off-campus activities, and home visits.
On January 5, 2023, the Wren House for Girls opened on 40-acres as Youth Horizons’ newest residential facility. Their campus contains a large multi-purpose building and two group-style homes. Each home has a capacity to foster five girls (10 total). It is located two miles from Youth Horizon’s residential boys’ program, the Kinloch-Price Boys’ Ranch, which has operated since 2007.
This is our fourth year supporting Youth Horizons’ mission to help at-risk youth live in a safe and stable environment.
Wichita Indochinese Center | $3,865
The Wichita Indochinese Center serves refugees and immigrants in Wichita by teaching them English as a second language along with other skills. They now offer classes on-line for students unable to attend in-person. Online learning needs a large enough screen to adequately deliver class information and access to affordable internet services.
This program expands the scope of the Center’s online program by loaning an iPad equipped with internet access to students for free.
The Center will purchase 15 iPads through a special government program. These iPads will have built in Wi-Fi provided by T-Mobile at a substantially reduced rate. The Jo Zakas Legacy Foundation funds will purchase one-year of internet service for all 15 iPads.
This is our fourth year supporting Wichita Indochinese Center’s mission to help refugees and immigrants in Wichita.
Legacy Works Youth Development (Legacy Ministries) | $5,000
The Legacy Works Youth Development program provides “opportunities to at-risk youth, ages 14 to 19, with social support, life skills training, and workforce development.” Legacy Works is on a mission to break the cycles of generational poverty. During a student’s time in the Legacy program, they earn their own wages, develop employable skills, and build job longevity. These teens also experience a healthy community where they belong. By the end of their first year, some students have held a job longer than their parent or guardian. Many of these teens contribute their earnings to their household.
Legacy Works provides these programs for free to the youth they serve. The Jo Zakas Legacy Foundation funds will be leveraged with other donations to purchase the supplies needed for their social enterprises and youth development.
This is our fourth year supporting Legacy Works and their programs helping at-risk teens experience employment.
Juniper Arts Academy, Inc. | $4,300
Juniper Arts Academy’s Music Club and Visual Arts Camps bring fine arts education to young people in the juvenile justice system and foster care.
Music Club is a mobile music education program that travels to area youth residential facilities and the Sedgwick County Juvenile Detention Facility. Juniper Arts teaches group and individual music lessons. Visual Arts Camp offers a one-week immersive class. Juniper Arts academy offers these programs at no cost to youth, their families, or facilities.
Funds provided by the Foundation will purchase drums, keyboards, classroom needs, and art supplies. Funds will also pay for stipends to a music teacher and an art teacher.
This is our second year supporting Juniper Arts Academy’s programs for these at-risk youth.
Holy Family Medical | $4,024
Holy Family Medical’s commitment focuses on providing quality health care for all people regardless of their ability to pay.
Funds provided through the Foundation’s grant program will help purchase a Titmus vision screener. With this purchase, Holy Family will expand their eye exam program into the three schools where they already have school nurses – Holy Savior, St. Anne, and St. Patrick. These schools overwhelmingly serve students from low-income families. The portability of the vision screener allows them to take it to area health fairs in addition to their school clinics. This vision screening program enables Holy Family to identify people needing an eyecare specialist for further evaluation.
This is our first year proving funds to Holy Family Medical.
Family Promise of Greater Wichita | $6,990
Family Promise of Greater Wichita’s mission is “to empower families with children to overcome homelessness and housing insecurity.” They offer emergency services, shelter for transitioning families, and ongoing support to help families stabilize their lives.
A Graduate Advisory Council will be established this year. Family Promise graduates who have experienced homelessness in the past and now enjoy independent living for at least one year will serve on this Council. These individuals will have worked through the their programs. This council will help them continue their tradition of offering relevant services and programs for homeless families in Wichita,
Funds from the Jo Zakas Legacy Foundation will compensate Council members with a stiped for their expertise. Funding will also go to remove any barriers that might prohibit participation on this panel including meals, childcare, and transportation. Additional funds will combine with AmeriCorps and Wichita State University to pay the salary for a VISTA staff member to establish and maintain the Graduate Advisory Council.
This is our second year of proving funds for Family Promise to help families out of homelessness.
Breakthrough (Episcopal Social Services) | $4,349
Breakthrough serves as a broad-based social services organization. Their mission is to help people in poverty and others living with mental illness.
Breakthrough owns a box truck that picks up monthly donations from the United Way. These donations include basic household items and furniture which Breakthrough delivers to clients’ new homes. In addition, they share the box truck with community partners. The truck picks up and delivers donated food, furniture, and more helping to uplift people out of poverty.
Funds provided by the Legacy Foundation will support the operation of their box truck. This includes general maintenance, fuel, insurance, and tags. In addition, some of the funds will purchase moving equipment like a hand truck, moving blankets, etc.
This is our third year helping Breakthrough meet some of the basic needs of community members.
Cricket Alley Ministries | $5,000
Cricket Alley Ministries serves at-risk women in Wichita. They provide clothing, supplies, fashion, and beauty/hygiene guidance to assist women in the recovery process. Through long-term mentoring, the Ministry nurtures confidence and helps to build hope.
Funds from the Jo Zakas Legacy Foundation will help to provide clothing and supplies for 25 women to start the next chapter of their lives.
This is our fourth year of helping Cricket Alley Ministries fulfill their mission of helping women in recovery.
Children First CEO Kansas Inc. | $4,940
Children First CEO Kansas’ mission supports “students to feel safe and empowered, so they can learn and thrive, by staying in school.” Their Project Starfish provides basic needs for students and their families, as well as family advancement.
As part of their family advancement offerings, Foundation funds will pay for one Getting Ahead class for 10 to 12 people. This includes Getting Ahead workbooks, incentive gift cards for fuel, meals, and childcare during classes.
This is our fourth year helping Children First with their mission to help students stay in school.
Ascension Via Christi Foundation | $5,000
The Via Christi Foundation serves “the Ascension Via Christi mission of providing healthcare to all, especially to the poor and underserved.” Their pediatric therapy program serves all ages of children from infant to adolescents. Patient diagnoses include autism, cerebral palsy, burns, muscular dystrophy, and failure to thrive. Many patients live in foster care due to non-accidental trauma and medical neglect. This program serves 30-40 patients per day. They purchased some of their pediatric therapy equipment a good 40 years ago. Therapists believe new equipment will help motivate more children to stay engaged with their therapy.
Funds provided by the Jo Zakas Legacy Foundation will upgrade th helpeir physical therapy equipment for children.
This is our first year in helping the Via Christi Foundation to better serve children’s physical therapy needs.
American Heart Association | $7,500
Through their Ambassador Program, the American Heart Association works with 15 high school sophomores who participate in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion educational and social programs throughout the year. Ambassadors gather monthly, starting in August to train on various leadership topics. These include Hands Only CPR, values of community service, mentorship, and professional networking. Their annual Heart Ball celebrates the lives impacted by the Heart Association, as well as highlights of the student Ambassadors’ investment in their leadership skills.
The Foundation provides two scholarships for underserved high school students in Wichita.
This is our third year working with the American Heart Association to provide scholarships for students who, due to circumstances, are unable to pay for this educational and social leadership program.
Total Distributed: $60,968 in 2023
Educational Art Grants
City Arts | $2,000
CityArts offers people of all ages and cultural backgrounds the opportunity to participate in diverse art programming throughout the year. Each year City Arts offers Art Camps to area youth. The Foundation decided in 2022 to offer scholarship funds for underserved populations as an annual donation. This is the second year of this funding.
Wichita State University School of Performing Arts | Musical Theatre Incubator Program | $20,000
The Musical Theatre Incubator Program is a three-week mentoring program offering music theater students an opportunity to work closely with industry professionals. Each year, the School of Performing Arts invites guest artists to campus with the end goal of performing a staged reading of a musical at the conclusion of their workshop experience. Each artist will interact with students in-person at least two weeks each year.
This is the second year the Jo Zakas Legacy Foundation has helped to fund this program for enterprising theater students.
