Two projects are on the way for United Way of the Flint Halls, following the awarding of a $30,000 Chronic Disease Risk Reduction (CDRR) Community Grant. Community feedback continues to be gathered for renovations to Quaker Park, while another project seeks to create a meal share program with local restaurants.
Deon Morrow, Lyon County Healthy Pathways Coordinator, plans to use a portion of the grant to create a community feedback survey for Quaker Park. The park was saved from the city’s negative surplus list in 2024 following extensive community involvement to save the space. United Way also received a $10,000 grant from the Evergy Hometown Grant program to construct a climbing wall, and continue to seek community feedback.
As United Way prepares to renovate the space, Morrow wants to gather more public opinion from the community to shape its future.
“We're trying to figure out what they would like there because you don't want to give anybody something that they don't necessarily want,” Morrow said. “Part of this grant is to survey about 50 or so people. I think we’ll get more, but we're really figuring out what would be great in that park for that community.”
Morrow plans to partner with different entities in the community to host the survey and receive feedback, through community events and participation. An Ice Cream Social is set at Quaker Park from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 25, as another way to receive input.
“After that survey that we get out, we'll figure out how best to move forward,” Morrow said. “The people are going to drive this grant, and we will see what they want.”
Jessica Reth, Community Food and Housing Coordinator with United Way, has been compiling statistics related to Lyon County housing insecurity and homelessness since last year. Her research is funded by two separate grants - the Rural Champions Program and the Kansas Food Action Network. According to 2022 Feeding America food statistics, 14% of Lyon County residents experience food insecurity, as opposed to 13% of Kansas residents.
Throughout Reth’s research, she has discovered transportation barriers, mental obstacles, and social barriers all contribute to homelessness in Emporia and food insecurity in Lyon County. Using the CDRR grant, Reth envisions tackling this issue by creating a meal share program using local restaurants. “Our hope is to work with local restaurants that are currently providing meal share programs, whether that be a bag with a sandwich and chips and water, or if that's a meal item off of their menu,” Reth said. “Our hope is to collaborate with local restaurants to create a unified meal share program.”
Reth will kickstart the programs with two restaurants already providing informal meal share programs. Once the pilot program is started, one or two more restaurants may join the line-up. The program could potentially be replicated across other areas.
“Not only our community, but other communities as well, could essentially replicate this program to benefit their community, with the idea of providing meals to those who really need it in the community, and also giving them a dignified and safe space to access those meals,” Reth said.
Anyone interested in more information can contact Morrow at deon@uwfh.org and Reth at jessica@uwfh.org.
By: Amanda Davis
Date: August 18, 2025
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