Seven-year-old Ivori Jones holds up a birthday cupcake as she is surrounded by the presents donated

Ivory,
You are an angel. We want you to know that your contribution could not have come at a better time. Our food and diaper pantries are very low, and you have stepped up to the plate to ensure our services continue. We applaud your contribution. Thank your parents as well, they are obviously doing something very right. A thousand happy birthdays and a warm welcome to the Lawrence community!

Love,

The Ballard Family

February 3, 2013 at 10:17 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Longtime employee Linda Lassen 1 of 2 laid off at Penn House on Friday

I welcome any of you with discomfort regarding this situation to walk into my office, 1035 Pennsylvania, and have an honest discussion about the recent changes at Penn House. I will be there Monday morning, continuing our mission of serving low-income residents of Douglas County.
Kyle Roggenkamp- Director of Human Services- Ballard Community Services.

January 6, 2013 at 1:35 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Longtime employee Linda Lassen 1 of 2 laid off at Penn House on Friday

To my beloved community,

I cannot express how much pain is felt by us all with the fact tha Linda will not be at Penn House moving forward. I love Linda, with all of my heart, and always will. If she calls any time-needing anything, I will be the first one there. She will always be a part of my family, my thoughts, and my efforts to assist the community. We fought for this community together and we also cried together when we met and discussed financials over two months ago, when she was told that recent funding cuts would not support current agency salaries in 2013.

To our wonderful donors,

Please keep our community in your hearts and thoughts when deciding to continue or not continue your support of the roughly 7,000 low income community members we serve annually. As an advocate for social justice, I understand that our efforts are for a cause greater than myself, greater than my agency and greater than my peers. We advocate for positive change on a macro level; change that increasingly moves the needle forward on socioeconomic gains for those who need it most. Penn House and every other low-income serving agency in Douglas County is about the people of this community, not one single person. Please consider joining us on the continued journey of fighting for those who need us most; our neighbors, our community members, our friends.

To Lawrence Journal World,

I humbly invite you to sit down with myself and every other deserving agency in Douglas County to consider the drafting of materials that will result in truthful and community minded materials that are focused on the advancement of social justice in our community.

Linda, thank you for your class and dedication. I love you forever,

Kyle Roggenkamp- Director of Human Services - Ballard Community Services

January 5, 2013 at 10:31 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Just Food prepares 916 Christmas food baskets; demand up by more than 20 percent from last year

Ballard Community Services, along with Penn House, is excited to partner with Just Food in 2013 in efforts to move the needle forward on food security in Douglas County. Through our collaborative efforts, clients of each agency will have greater access to the necessary resources that help stabilize times of crises. Together, we hope to become more efficient at appropriately serving the clients we share.

Love ya Lawrence,

Kyle Roggenkamp- Director of Human Services- Ballard Community Services & Penn House

December 21, 2012 at 11:33 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )