photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

Many community members attend the ribbon cutting for Elsie's Place on Tuesday, July 28, 2026.

Fifty years after the O’Connell family donated its ranch to serve vulnerable youth, the O’Connell Children’s Shelter marked the milestone by celebrating the completion of a renovated home designed to expand crisis care for children.

The O’Connell Children’s Shelter actually celebrated two milestones on Tuesday: the completion of renovations at Elsie’s Place – the original homestead on the ranch donated by the O’Connell family five decades ago to serve youth in the community – and the shelter’s 50th anniversary for providing youth services to the community.

The renovations to Elsie’s Place were to make it the organization’s “family service center.” It includes an intake space to assist youth and families with emergency needs and an additional three beds for youth in crisis. The new beds that will be added can help youth in the state’s foster care system who have been placed night-to-night, giving them a place where they can stabilize. Those kids could stay for around 30 days, and then could transition into one of the shelter’s other facilities that provides longer-term services.

photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

Staff from the Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center along with other community members attend the ribbon cutting for Elsie’s Place on Tuesday, July 28, 2026.

“We’ve also renovated the space in such a way that we have therapeutic places,” Torrez Dawson, chief operating officer of O’Connell Children’s Shelter, told the Journal-World. “So we have therapeutic rooms just to be able to have families come in and do individual therapy or family therapy type services.”

In addition, Dawson said the organization is planning to expand the family service center to begin offering drug and alcohol services.

Dawson said he thinks the COVID-19 pandemic brought a lot of gaps surrounding mental health services to the forefront, and the state has always looked for innovative ways to adapt to the needs of communities.

As the Journal-World reported, the O’Connell Children’s Shelter received $1 million in funding from state legislatures in 2025. Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly initially vetoed the budget provision that included that funding, but the Legislature overrode the veto shortly afterward.

“I think this is one way that we’re able to address those crisis concerns,” Dawson said.

photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

A meeting room inside Elsie’s Place, which is operated by the O’Connell Children’s Shelter, is pictured on Tuesday, July 28, 2026.

“We’re starting out pretty small with just three beds, but the eventual goal is to be able to provide for that need, which will probably be a lot more than the three beds we’re providing now,” Dawson said. “I don’t know what that number is, but I know there’s clearly a need for it.”

Jim O’Connell, the son of Elsie O’Connell – the original donor of land where the organization’s ranch property sits, praised the work completed on the house. He told the Journal-World he lived in the house from when he was 8 years old until he was 21.

“I hope (the youth) grow up in the right atmosphere that they have planned for out here,” O’Connell said. ” … I’m just glad we were able to donate the land, and … they remodeled the house and they’ve done a wonderful job.”

Gina Meier-Hummel, executive director of O’Connell Children’s Shelter, told the crowd about Elsie’s vision 50 years ago, and she was passionate about helping the young people in the state of Kansas.

Over the last five decades, the organization has served over 15,000 kids.

“At that time, when young people entered the foster care system or got in trouble with law enforcement, they were staying in our county jail system, if you can believe that,” Meier-Hummel said. “So when law enforcement picked up a young person, or they were struggling with things with their family, they would end up in the county jail while we figured out what to do with them.”

photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

Inside the entrance to Elsie’s Place, 1332 East 1600 Road, is pictured on Tuesday, July 28, 2026.

“And she thought that was unacceptable, which it is,” Meier-Hummel continued. “And she gave her land, the beautiful 160 acres we now sit on for the purpose of taking care of young people … and we’ve been taking care of those kids ever since.”

Attorney General Kris Kobach said it’s the job of the attorney general’s office to keep Kansans safe and secure, and while a majority of people think about the office prosecuting criminals and assisting law enforcement, it’s only half of the equation.

“The other half is protecting Kansans who are in, and around, and affected by the criminal justice system, whether it be victims, whether it be juveniles who are on the verge of entering the prison pipeline, whether it be people in crisis, whether it be people fighting addiction,” Kobach said. “And frankly, in comparison, prosecuting people and getting prison sentences imposed is the easy part.”

Kobach said the hard part is helping people feel safe and secure and “not tempted to go into a life of crime.”

“That any addictions or any other difficulties they are facing are resolved,” Kobach said. “And that takes experts. That takes money. That takes people who care. That takes an environment like this.”

Megan Milner, deputy secretary of juvenile & adult community-based services at the Kansas Department of Corrections, said the timing of the crisis beds could not come at a better time.

photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

Many community members attend the ribbon cutting for Elsie’s Place on Tuesday, July 28, 2026.

“It’s really exciting to see these beds coming online as a solution for kids and families to get services early, to get connected to community resources, but also to hopefully encourage stabilization and prevent disruption in a family unit when that’s appropriate,” Milner said.

The renovations to Elsie’s Place were also made possible by the shelter’s capital campaign, “Hope Grows Here,” and the organization is still seeking donations to continue the work in renovating residential homes and other spaces to continue offering services to children and families.

For more information, people can visit https://oconnellchildrensshelter.org/hope-grows-here/.

photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

The O’Connell Children’s Shelter is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2026.

photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

Susan Anderson, volunteer and garden coordinator at O’Connell Children’s Shelter, and Jim O’Connell are pictured at Elsie’s Place on Tuesday, July 28, 2026. Jim is the son of Elsie O’Connell, the original donor of land where the building sits.

photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

One of the three specialized beds for youth in crisis at Elsie’s Place, 1332 East 1600 Road, is pictured on Tuesday, July 28, 2026.

photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

A desk inside a room with one of the specialized beds for youth in crisis at Elsie’s Place is pictured on Tuesday, July 28, 2026.

photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

One of the three specialized beds for youth in crisis at Elsie’s Place, 1332 East 1600 Road, is pictured on Tuesday, July 28, 2026.

photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

Bonnie Lowe, president and CEO of the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce, speaks at the ribbon cutting of Elsie’s Place on Tuesday, July 28, 2026.

photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

Gina Meier-Hummel, executive director of the O’Connell Children’s Shelter, is pictured on Tuesday, July 28, 2026.

photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

Kris Kobach, attorney general for Kansas, speaks at the ribbon cutting ceremony for Elsie’s Place on Tuesday, July 28, 2026.

photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

O’Connell Children’s Shelter staff and community members hold a ribbon cutting ceremony for Elsie’s Place on Tuesday, July 28, 2026.

photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

Many community members attend the ribbon cutting for Elsie’s Place on Tuesday, July 28, 2026.

photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

Many community members attend the ribbon cutting for Elsie’s Place on Tuesday, July 28, 2026.

photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

Food was catered by Maceli’s Catering and Events at the ribbon cutting for Elsie’s Place on Tuesday, July 28, 2026.