Nonprofit serving Jackson County seniors grappling with 25% funding reduction

At the South Kansas City Alliance (SKCA) monthly meeting on Aug. 10, 2026, President John Sharp welcomed five guest speakers and heard updates spanning education, community organizations, and public safety. KC Shepherd’s Center executive director Janet Baker said reductions in government funding cut the nonprofit’s roughly $2 million budget by about $500,000; the organization primarily serves elderly residents in Jackson County. School superintendents Stephanie Amaya (Grandview) and Dennis Carpenter (Hickman Mills) outlined 2026–2027 plans. Maj. Kari Thompson, commander of the Kansas City Police Department’s South Patrol Division, discussed violence linked to people who can’t “emotionally regulate,” and said “arguments” have been a main factor in homicides so far this year. She urged early conflict-resolution tools for students starting in second grade.