SUPPORT YOUR COMMUNITY

At the end of May, we wrapped up our 2024–2025 campaign year with a wonderful luncheon celebrating community, leadership, and impact.

During the 2024-2025 campaign year, we were able to bring in a total of $510,000! This would not have been possible without the support of our donors, volunteers, Board of Trustees, and most importantly, our community.

A few awards were also given out to celebrate success. Emporia State University was the recipient of the Lynn Cunningham Spirit Award for their embodiment of walking alongside United Way and being so supportive. Simmons Pet Food was the recipient of the "Give Until it Feels Good Community Impact Award". Simmons Pet Food had a tremendous increase in its workplace campaign because they chose to come together as a team and to act. Lastly, Deb Crowl was the recipient of the Hometown Hero award. Deb has dedicated decades to supporting children in the community and United Way's mission, and to that, we say thank you.

We said a heartfelt thank-you to our incredible Campaign Chair, Tagan Trahoon, for his dedication and enthusiasm, and officially welcomed our new Chair, Yahaira Ibarra!

Yahaira Ibarra has been named the 2025-2026 Campaign Chair for United Way of the Flint Hills. A proud Mexican American and lifelong resident of Emporia, Yahaira brings a dynamic combination of community insight, leadership experience, and a deep commitment to equity and service.

Currently serving as the Marketing Event Coordinator at Emporia State Federal Credit Union, Yahaira leads large-scale campaigns and public engagement efforts that connect people to meaningful causes. She is known for her strategic mindset, collaborative leadership style, and her ability to bring people together across cultures and generations.

At 27, Yahaira is a part of a rising generation of leaders shaping the future of the Flint Hills. Bilingual in English and Spanish, she is dedicated to expanding access, amplifying community voices, and ensuring that every person feels invited to be part of the impact. She looks forward to leading a campaign rooted in purpose, partnership, and possibility.

She invites you to join her in building a stronger, more connected community – because lasting change starts with all of us.

Daphne had the opportunity to attend the United Way Worldwide Together We Thrive Conference at the beginning of June. She got to meet United Way Worldwide CEO Angela F. Williams! What a cool opportunity for growth, learning, and networking.

We added a new team member at the end of May!

We want to introduce Maddie Craig as our new Community Impact Manager. Maddie is from Clay Center, KS, and just recently graduated from Emporia State University with her bachelor's degree in Business Administration. She has really enjoyed her time in Emporia and is looking forward to continuing that!

She has been busy throughout the onboarding process. She has been trained on CRM Lite, OneEach Technologies, Dolly Parton Imagination Library, and Brandfolder. Maddie is looking forward to contributing to the UWFH team as we gear up for the 2025-2026 campaign!

United Way of the Flint Hills applied for & was awarded $10,000 from Evergy. An additional $1,230 came in from a community donation. With support from a grant from the Kansas Department of Health & Environment, United Way’s Healthier Lyon County program will continue efforts to enhance Quaker Park.

Over the next year, we will:

• Host community events such as cookouts, play days, and activity-based gatherings

• Collect resident input through a brief neighborhood survey

• Pursue funding for distinctive, engaging park equipment not found in other Emporia parks

With these projects, we hope to bring new and unique features to the park and invest in the people of the community who use the park. This is an amazing opportunity, and we are excited to be a part of it! 

We’re excited to share that Jessica Reth traveled to St. Francis to represent United Way of the Flint Hills at the latest Rural Champions quarterly convening. While there, she accepted a $25,000 implementation grant check that will help move our local projects forward.

We’re truly thankful to be part of the Rural Champions program, which brings together passionate leaders from across the state who are working to strengthen rural communities. The opportunity to learn, collaborate, and share ideas with others in this network is invaluable.

Thank you to the Office of Rural Prosperity and all the partners who make this program possible. We look forward to continuing this important work together.

Learn more about the Rural Champions program HERE

Literacy Program

The end of the school year marked the powerful culmination of a 10-week literacy journey led by Linzi Garcia of House of Morrow, where Walnut Elementary 5th graders became published poets and illustrators.



Over the past two years, this initiative has proudly helped 85 new Kansas authors find their voices.

Safe Sleep Community Baby Shower



Maddie and Jessica attended the Safe Sleep Community Baby Shower in Woodson County and got to share Dolly Parton Imagination Library Books with the attendees as well as "Read to Your Bunny" bunnies.

Summer Climbin'

Throughout June, Summer Climbin' books have been passed out at Riverside and Village Elementary in Emporia. The children and parents have enjoyed this. We have had the privilege of passing out 215 books to kids from Pre-K to 8th grade.

The Built for Zero initiative is being launched statewide in Kansas to help communities work collaboratively toward ending chronic and veteran homelessness.

You can learn more about the Built for Zero movement at the button below.