To the editor:

“Thank you” to Reps. Barbara Ballard, Tom Sloan and Paul Davis along with Sens. Marci Francisco and Roger Pine. Recently, at the annual presession event, community service organizations had the opportunity to talk with state legislators from Douglas County about how Kansas government might better serve or protect its citizens.

On the surface, this opportunity doesn’t seem remarkable, but in 30 years of work in nonprofit organizations, I had never received an invitation to address an organization’s concerns with a legislative delegation.

We, Kansas Advocates for Better Care, weren’t the first to talk with the delegation, but after hours of hearing from other groups, these legislators listened and responded with genuine interest.

On behalf of vulnerable residents of nursing homes and assisted living facilities, we offered proposals regarding protections and services, and were met by a sense of proactive engagement for the good of Kansans.

Public service is sometimes thought of as an ideal, not an action. Being invited to engage in dialogue with these legislators certainly felt like being part of a worthwhile endeavor.

Mitzi McFatrich,

Lawrence