The July 2025 meeting of the Kansas City Coalition for Digital Inclusion featured powerful presentations from Care Beyond the Boulevard, South Louisville Community Ministries, and Amped. Speakers shared how they’re embedding digital equity into core services like mobile health care, eviction prevention, and paid tech training. The meeting highlighted how digital tools, when paired with wraparound support, can drive equitable access to housing, wellness, and economic opportunity across communities.
Recording TBD
Member Spotlight: Care Beyond the Boulevard
The meeting opened with a compelling member spotlight on Care Beyond the Boulevard (CBB), presented by Jacquie Lamer. CBB provides free medical services to the homeless in Kansas City, founded by KK Ossman who studied medicine. They boast an impressive 12,000 visits a year across their two medical units. Three years ago, CBB expanded its services by establishing “Care House,” a respite center out of an old hotel with 8 operable rooms. The organization is powered by 13 full-time employees and hundreds of volunteers.
CBB is an integral part of the Beehive 7th and Paseo initiative, collaborating with partners like Nourish, Downtown Council, UHealth, Rose Brooks, KC Care, Save Bank, and transitional housing assistance, operating three days a week. A crucial need identified by CBB is digital access. While they have provided some laptops, it’s not enough, and they are exploring a mobile lab and Digital Navigator (DN) support. In a significant development, GFiber has agreed to fund a new computer lab in CBB’s office with 6 stations, which will provide DN support and allow the lab to be open 5 days a week in the fall. The importance of translation services for this support was also highlighted. CBB recently hosted the 25th annual Street Medicine Summit, drawing 500 professionals from around the world. It was noted that many individuals experiencing homelessness possess cell phones due to necessity. An insightful anecdote shared described how they helped someone afraid to live indoors by recording outdoor sounds to bring inside, aiding their adjustment. The discussion also touched upon the need for a site like Telehealth Access Points (TAP), as mobile units often cannot accommodate most Telehealth appointments or schedules.
Featured Presentation: South Louisville Community Ministries
The meeting also featured Clare Wallace, Executive Director of South Louisville Community Ministries. Her organization provides emergency assistance and compassionate advocacy to low-income neighbors in crisis, focusing on immediate needs like hunger and stable housing while fostering lasting community. Their work began with Stopmyeviction.org . A key takeaway from their experience is the significant need for assistance in completing applications for access to federal funds and navigating the inherent human complexities.
Their Reconnect program exemplifies a citywide coordinated entry system, connecting people to resources and helping them overcome barriers. Individuals can access services via their website or a call for initial intake, with next steps communicated via text in less than 24 hours. Last year, they served 2,000 people. Digital Navigator (DN) support is considered huge for assisting with application completion and navigation. Other resources mentioned included louisvilleneighbornetwork.org and a tool used by Jessica Welch at PF: https://empathways.org/approach/bridge .
Featured Presentation: Amped
The final featured presentation showcased Amped, presented by founder Dave Christopher, Sr., and Technology Employer Liaison, Tracy Page. Amped is described as a family-oriented ecosystem that emphasizes creativity and self-sustainability through music, education, technology, and business. Originating in 2014 for music education, Amped received a grant in 2017 to shift its focus to technology. Dave Christopher’s personal journey, not finishing college until age 40, highlighted the challenges of entering tech jobs without prior experience.
Amped is currently building a tech center in west Louisville, intentionally reaching people where they are, in an area with a median annual income of $17,000. A notable anecdote shared was their approach to customer service: after observing that “most tech people are jerks,” Amped took over a customer service business, leading to a significant increase in call volume due to their exceptional customer service.
Announcements
The meeting concluded with several important announcements:
- Scholar Smarts: Highlighted by KCTV5 on July 12, 2025, this Kansas City nonprofit helps high school students learn trade careers and aims to grow the workforce.
- The Scholar Fair is scheduled for October 4 at Municipal Auditorium, with a new addition of focusing on trades.
- Details for the Digital Access Research Forum are available at https://www.kansascityfed.org/events/digital-access-research-forum/ . Registration can be completed here.
The July 18th meeting underscored the multifaceted nature of digital inclusion, emphasizing the critical role of accessible technology, compassionate support, and community-driven initiatives in fostering resilience and self-sufficiency across Kansas City and beyond.
Want to get involved?
Visit digitalinclusionkc.org to learn more, sign up for updates, or watch past meetings.