Women of Distinction

The Pittsburg Area Chamber of Commerce's Women of Distinction honorees for 2017 have been announced.

The chamber announced the recipients of its 2017 Women of Distinction honors earlier this month. The 12 women were chosen from 33 nominations and will be showcased in the chamber's Women of Distinction Calendar.

"The calendar provides an excellent opportunity to recognize outstanding leaders and women in our community and the things they've done in their field or through community service," Chamber Vice President Devin Gorman said, adding it also serves as the chamber's community events calendar.

I was humbled by the nomination and selection as one of the twelve Women of Distinction for 2017. When I moved back to Pittsburg, I had made it a personal goal to become like the women honored in that calendar. I wanted to help make  my community the place I wanted to live in. The best honor, however, was the pride my family showed for me at the ceremony.

Click here to read the entire article.

Click here to read my personal write-up in the Morning Sun newspaper of Pittsburg, KS.

Healing through the Arts

Why is Healing Through The Arts necessary?
We don’t plan for cancer, sickness or injuries. Often these experiences catch us by surprise and can dramatically change our lives.

Through Art we gain a sense of life’s meaning. When we create art, we make something that did not exist before and can preserve it to enjoy. To learn more about healing through art, click here.

Join the Hope for MS Foundation and Nicole Meyer-Foresman of ArtForms Gallery as we have a Day of Art to benefit those living with Multiple Sclerosis. November 12, 2016. Reserve your spot today at HopeforMSFoundation@gmail.com

Friends Bring Back Alice

Source: Pittsburg Public Library
Thanks to a large anonymous donation to the Friends of the Library, Alice Through the Looking Glass painting is returning to the library after nearly a year and a half long restoration project.

Alice, painted by Oakely E. Richey, was presented to the library in 1941 - in memory of Marcia Ethelwyn Mendenhall Snedden, daughter of Edgar and Marsha Mendenhall. Edgar Mendenhall was a professor at Pittsburg State University.

The Alice painting has been a cornerstone of the children's department for 75 years. Thanks to the Friends, Alice was cleaned, repaired and reframed by Mary Schafer, Conservator of the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.

Click here to read more.

Art for MS at ArtForms

Hope for MS Foundation and ArtForms Gallery are hosting three art classes to raise funding and awareness about Multiple Sclerosis.

Click here to read about Healing through Art.

Parents University 2016

Crawford County Parents University is a collaboration of local health, education and service entities, and serves as an informational resource for area parents and guardians who have preschool to elementary school-age kids.

The 2016 Parents University will be held at Meadowbrook Mall on Tuesday, September 27th. Car Seat Safety Checks will be provided by the Pittsburg Police Department from 5 -6 p.m. the "Family Fun Night" will be from 6 - 7:30 p.m. and will include a photo booth, obstacle course, tumbling mat, snack activity, sensory station, and crafts.

The event is open to the public but focuses on families with children under the age of 7. There will be door prize drawings.

Organizations present at the event include K-State Research & Extension, Via Christi Hospital, Headstart, Kiwanis, Parents As Teachers, Early Steps, Pittsburg Public Library, Mother to Mother Ministry, and Pittsburg State University Nursing Department.

Veterans of Southeast Kansas

In February, 2015, SEK-CAP formed the Veteran’s Leadership Advisory Committee. The committee is comprised of active duty military personnel, veterans, and/or people who work with veterans on a regular basis. The purpose of the committee is to discuss current resources available to veterans in Crawford County, identify ways to increase public awareness of those resources, and offer suggestions for future opportunities and programs.

The goal of this initiative is to ensure that the 2,685 veterans living in Crawford County have support with any reintegration challenges they may face and have meaningful ways to connect with and serve other veterans and the community. For more information about this organization click here. 

Frontenac Rotary Club

Frontenac Rotary Club is a civic organization. Rotary International consists of 1.2 million neighbors, friends, and community leaders who come together to crate positive, lasting change in their communities and around the world.

Frontenac Rotary Club was established in 1979. As one of the smaller clubs, what Frontenac Rotary lacks in size, they make up for in heart. The service projects that the Frontenac Rotary have participated in, include Adopt-A-Highway, 3rd Grade Dictionary Project, Little Free Library, RYLA (youth leadership camp), Frontenac Rotary Park, Interact Sponsor (Frontenac High School Club), Festa Italiana cook and 5K host.

To learn more about the group, like them on Facebook.

Pittsburg Mother to Mother Ministry

Mother to Mother Ministry (MtMM) of Pittsburg, Kansas promotes Family Growth through Friendship. MtMM provides opportunities for individuals of different racial/ethnic, religious and economic backgrounds to gather in friendship. By offering support with family struggles or simply sharing life experiences, people learn from each other. These new friendships empower participants to nurture healthy families and to grow as both individuals and members of society.

To learn more about Pittsburg Mother to Mother Ministry, visit www.pittsburgmtmm.org.

Friends of the Pittsburg Public Library

The Friends of the Pittsburg Public Library (FoPPL) is a non-profit organization that supports the Pittsburg Public Library. By hosting two used book sales per year, the Friends are able to donate all proceeds to the library. Annually, the Friends give the library $10,000. These funds allow the library to provide numerous free programs to the public. Depending on the success of the sales, the Friends will donate an additional annual gift of $2,000 for special projects.

To learn more about the Pittsburg Public Library and the programs the Friends support, visit www.pplonline.org.

Hope for MS Foundation

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neurological disease, which means it affects your nerves. A substance called myelin wraps around your nerves to protect them. MS is the breakdown of myelin as your body attacks itself. The word “sclerosis” refers to the scar tissue or lesions that appear as the myelin is damaged. The unprotected nerves can’t function as they would with normal, healthy myelin. The damaged nerves produce a wide range of symptoms that vary in severity.

The Hope for MS Foundation is a 501(c)3 organization that provides grants for those in the Four States area (Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma & Arkansas) living with Multiple Sclerosis to help improve their quality of life. The Foundation hosts an annual Zumbathon, Move & Shake for MS, to raise funds for the grants.

To find out more about the Hope for MS Foundation, visit and like their Facebook Page.

Philanthropic Sorority - Phi Tau Omega

I am a member of Phi Tau Omega, a philanthropic and social sorority for women. We have chapters in five states. Our national philanthropic projects include Coupons for Troops, Box Tops for Education benefiting our local community schools and Ronald McDonald Houses.

Our local chapters work to help their communities in various ways including adopting families at Christmas, volunteering at Special Olympics, serving holiday meals at AMVets, among a long list of other endeavors that benefit causes close to sorority members' hearts.

To learn more about this wonderful organization, click here. Like us on Facebook here.