Central Highland Park Neighborhood Creating a Healthy Place to Raise a Family

Central Highland Park is home to a lot of people and will soon be home to a lot of orange cones as the city works on implementing a Complete Streets plan to make sure it is a Heartland Healthy place to raise a family. With over 2300 addresses, the neighborhood is the largest in Topeka. It covers a lot of ground in the area west of California and east of Adams, between 29th street and I-70.    

Highland Park has a long history. It was founded in 1886 by General Joseph Kennedy Hudson, who founded the Topeka Daily Capital newspaper. While Hudson’s original plan for the area was for it to be filled with large stately homes on big lots, what the neighborhood is best known for are the affordable, modest sized homes more popular in the late 1940s.  

Neighborhood Improvement Association president Wesley Marshall has lived in the neighborhood his entire life. He says the NIA is excited about a recently completed neighborhood plan that focuses on improving the overall quality of life in the neighborhood. Adopted last fall, the plan calls for building infrastructure changes and examining ways to keep the neighborhood vibrant and growing.

The first project is already underway to improve and install sidewalks, gutters and ditches around Highland Park Elementary School. With the closing of Quinton Heights Elementary, the school expects an influx of students this fall. These new sidewalks will make sure the kids can get to school safely. “Safety of the community is our primary goal,” explains Marshall.

Of course, new sidewalks and street improvements is also a step towards making the whole area more appealing to home owners and encouraging neighbors to take pride in where they live. The improvement plan also is looking at ways to bring more public green-space and parks to their neighborhood. Marshall says these improvements are a long time coming, but will improve the quality of life in the community. “What this means, is that there is improvement coming to Highland Park, where there really hasn’t been new improvement in over 50 years,” explains Marshall.                  

The neighborhood is home to the large Hillcrest Community Center with its large park and pool. That is where the NIA has monthly meetings on the second Monday of the month, hosts an annual Christmas Party for kids, and is planning an upcoming National Night Out Against Crime celebration. The event is on August 6 from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm. There will be hotdogs and hamburgers as well as safety and crime prevention information at the park Gazebo.

HHN Partner: Breakthrough House

By Karen Ridder

Breakthrough House helps make Topeka a great place to live for people with severe and persistent mental illness. The local non-profit helps keep Topekans in their homes and prevent the kind of devastating isolation that many people with mental illness face. Executive Director Danette Tipton explains how their work helps make Topeka/Shawnee County healthy.
  

Who does Breakthrough House serve?           

Last year, the Breakthrough House served over 750 people with mental illness. Active since 1978, the organization has four core services. The compeer program serves children with mental illness by pairing them up with a mentor to learn basic life and social skills. There is a residential program which includes four group homes as well as independent living apartments. One of those group homes serves Veterans. The payee program helps people stay in their own homes by providing assistance to manage the payment of their bills and utilities. The fourth program is the Breakthrough House Clubhouse which is a daytime gathering place. People can learn basic work skills such as clerical, cleaning or maintenance skills. They have a kitchen, automotive and retail unit. Members also go on fieldtrips, and make some vital connections, “A lot of people start isolating when they are mentally ill. The clubhouse breaks that by building friendship and helping them socialize,” explains Tipton.

How does the Breakthrough House help make Topeka a good place to live?           

“I think helping provide a solid positive good quality of life for people with mental illness makes Topeka a better place, particularly for that population. They tend to isolate. We have a lot of things that keep them active and out and not feeling lonely,” says Tipton. From a dollars perspective, the organization also tracks hospitalizations. They feel their program helps keep people out of the state hospital because they are providing services that help keep people from having as many health breaks. Tipton points to the Payee program especially as one that helps maintain people in their homes – directly preventing homelessness. “We make sure the basics are paid so they can manage their money better,” explains Tipton.

Why is the Breakthrough House involved with Heartland Healthy Neighborhoods?           

The Breakthrough House is working to emphasize physical health issues and concerns with their clients. They started a “Walk Kansas” challenge this year, (http://www.breakthroughhouse.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=94&Itemid=73) to remind people to stay physically active.  They have also reworked the meals they serve at the clubhouse and residential programs to try to include more fresh fruits and vegetables. Tipton says this is an issue that often comes up when their clients are struggling with physical illnesses like diabetes along with their mental illness. Other clients, like those with depression may tend to be less physically active as well. Tipton says staying healthy is an important part of keeping mentally well. “Your body and your mental health are so connected,” says Tipton. 

What strengths does Topeka/Shawnee County already have that make it a great place to live?           

Tipton believes Topeka/Shawnee County is a friendly place and feels fairly safe to people. “Just kind of a small big town,” she says. “I don’t see that mental illness is as much of a stigma here, either. It’s a more positive place for someone with a mental illness to live.” There are good agencies that provide a good quality of life for someone with a mental illness.

How can people in Topeka/Shawnee County make this a healthier place to live?           

“I think if they continue what they are doing, even with Heartland Healthy Neighborhoods, promoting Complete Streets and making streets walkable and bikeable,” suggests Tipton.  A lot of the people served by Breakthrough House walk. So, the Complete Streets initiative to build more sidewalks and bikeable roads will help. 

The Breakthrough House Clubhouse has experienced a 10% increase in attendance this year.

Rossville: a community that plays together stays together

By Karen Ridder

When you visit the new playground in Rossville, you immediately know there is something different about this town. As more of a creative fantasy world than a mere play-set, the new playground area makes you look around and wonder what kind of unique community that would create a place like this.

The city park playground you see today in Rossville started when four moms got tired of trying to play a balancing act between two, out-of-date, play areas awkwardly placed on either side of a park pavilion. Before the project was over, hundreds of people had put in thousands of volunteer hours to create a playground which has built community pride and proven that Rossville is a Heartland Healthy Neighborhood.

Christi McKenzie with Rossville PRIDE was one of the people who spearheaded the playground effort. When asked why they didn’t just install updated equipment like what can be found in 1,000 other parks, she explained it had to do with a “can do” sprit in the community. “If you’re going to commit that much time to something, then it needs to be special and feel special. There’s a can-do spirit in Rossville. People really believe they can do all this. That we deserve more than ‘okay.’ We deserve great, and we work together to achieve that,” explains McKenzie.

Rossville Elementary School kids were consulted about the kind of things they would like to see in a playground. McKenzie says that was important because kids just see things differently than adults. For instance, the adults thought they should maximize the shade. Kids realized birds, and their droppings, came with shade and would make the slides and swings less than appealing places to play.

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Kids also suggested a lot of the ideas for the art features. While Rossville consulted a national firm to help them plan their playground, the artwork and design that makes it unique is ALL local. They have the Dawg House, a kind of playhouse focused on their mascot the Bulldogs. There is a tree house, a bubblegum machine slide, combine and a bright red barn. There is also a music area that’s even fun for adults.            

When it came to the build it took three shifts of 100 volunteers a day for six days to complete the project. McKenzie says people really came together to make something nice for kids in the community.

Now, the playground has been a place to make connections. She explains, “When you sit in the park you see all these people you don’t know and it’s become a real place to build relationships. When you’re over there and you go and find what you painted or the nails that you put in, you feel good about that and have a story to share for a long time.”

HHN Partner: Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library

By Karen Ridder

Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library

The Topeka/Shawnee County Public Library is a part of a healthy summer plan for local kids and families. The library’s slate of programs in the summer includes special entertainment events, movie showings and of course a summer reading program to encourage kids to hit the books.

Diana Friend, Communications and Marketing Manager of the library, explains that their organization is a place for people to get the information they need and make the connections they seek. It is a community information and gathering place.  

 

Who do you serve?

“We serve everyone.  A public library serves everyone with a need for information for entertainment or enlightenment. A library is the community gathering place.

The library also reaches out into the community with four bookmobiles that make 16 regular Bookmobile stops across the county. We also visit 90 assisted living facilities and go to about 80 day care or preschool locations. We also have 15 free meeting rooms available for educational and non-profit use.

About 95,000 Topeka/Shawnee County residents hold library cards. In 2010, the library circulated some 2.5 million items.”  

 

What does the Topeka Shawnee County Public Library do to help make Topeka a good place to live?

“Making Topeka a good place to live is the primary function of the library. A good public library is a very important commodity for a community. A lot of people actually move to communities that have good public libraries. We are an institution where the public makes the investment. So, services are based on the community needs and wants. We try to have something for everyone.”

 

What are the strengths already in Topeka’s community?

“Right now, Topeka is really experiencing a positive coming together. We have Heartland Healthy Neighborhoods. We have SafeStreets, Heartland Visioning and Think Big Topeka, to name a few. These are all citizen groups working together to make Topeka a better place to live.

We get to see a lot of that front line action because these groups are often meeting at the library. We see people from all walks of life and business that come here. The library is a place where there is no turf.  

Topeka/Shawnee County is a very diverse community with a lot of different backgrounds. That’s the reason people are seeking a place to gather, learn and enjoy. Topeka is really a great place to live.”

 

What would improve Topeka?

“Everyone should have a library card and use the public library. The library is an investment a community makes. When a community invests in a top quality public library, everyone benefits. It doesn’t discriminate by age or economic or education level. Everyone is welcome at the public library to come and discover something that speaks to them.”

 

Why is your organization involved with Heartland Healthy Neighborhoods?

“One of the reasons the library is so successful is that we partner with other organizations like Heartland Healthy Neighborhoods. It allows us to be able to know what’s important to our community. Heartland Healthy Neighborhoods is a win-win situation because you have a lot of people coming together for the good of our community.”

Rossville is all about people.

By Karen Ridder

“Rossville is not a place: It is a people.” That line, delivered by Rossville High School alumnus Brett

Rossville Rain Garden

Eakin at the town’s high school graduation sums up the reason Rossville is this month’s Heartland Healthy Neighborhood of the Month. Eakin’s quote has been quickly adopted by residents of this Shawnee County community west of Topeka to explain what makes their town so special.

With a city population of just over 1,000, Rossville is just far enough outside Topeka to maintain its small-town feel. However, it is close enough to offer residents the benefits and convenience you can find near a bigger city. 

Former Rossville Mayor and Current County Commissioner Shelly Buhler says in recent years the people of the community have come together to build projects making the town a nicer place to live. “I think what has most impressed me is that Rossville has a ‘Gimmie a project and let’s see how we can get it done’ attitude,” explains Buhler.

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The town has always taken pride in its city park, but was galvanized a few years ago to create a new community pool. Buhler says it was a big hurdle and accomplishment that had been on the town’s “wish list” for years before the right combination of people and leadership came together to make it happen. She believes that pool project has inspired people to start looking around and finding other projects that can also make life there better.

Rossville has been a Kansas PRIDE community for several years. The local Rossville PRIDE group focuses specifically on projects that will make the town a better place to live. The program is about communities helping themselves… an area in which Rossville seems to excel.

Buhler explains the most important part of successful community efforts in Rossville has been that a wide variety of people are invited to be involved. She believes that simple invitation makes people feel welcomed and like they have the ability to contribute to where they live. “It takes a little risk to reach out and talk to people who are new. I think we’ve done a pretty good job of that,” she says. Buhler believes the best thing communities can do is to never stop inviting people to participate.

Rossville’s biggest annual event is the Tall Corn Festival – always held the second weekend in August. It features a parade, street dance and every corn contest you could think of. The 75-year tradition recognizes the abundance of corn grown in the Kaw Valley area around Rossville. The city also has an annual Christmas Festival in December, and recently sponsored a site for the June First Friday Art Walks. The event featured local artists and work from artists in the surrounding communities. You can get more information about Rossville and events scheduled in the town at the town’s official website www.rossvillekansas.us.

In our next Neighborhood of the Month post, we’ll look at Rossville’s new city park playground. This amazing community effort brought together hundreds of people focused on making Rossville a better place for kids.

HHN Partner: Washburn Americorps VISTA

Interview with Judy Nickelson

By Karen Ridder

The Washburn Americorps VISTA program is fighting the war on poverty one volunteer at a time. The program places full time volunteers in non-profits that work with poverty alleviation throughout the state of Kansas. VISTAs receive a poverty level living allowance for one year and commit to working full time in community building projects.         

The community service office at Washburn has administered this Americorps program in Kansas for several years. The program places up to 40 VISTAs through the state each year. Currently, there are 11 working in the Topeka/Shawnee County area.

Judy Nickelson describes how the work VISTA volunteers do helps promote the vision of Heartland Healthy Neighborhoods.

Who does your group serve?

We serve the low income community across Kansas. For instance, in Topeka, we have VISTAs with Habitat for Humanity. They have helped with the start of the Restore recently opened in Holliday Square. They have also done a lot of work with Topeka Common Grounds Community Gardening. With the Chesney Park NIA, VISTAs focus on community organizing and working on their summer camp. Other organizations include: the United Way, the Kansas Youth Empowerment Academy, Lets Help, Red Cross, Community Action and the human trafficking division of the Kansas Attorney General’s office.

How does the Wasburn Americorps VISTA program help make Topeka a good place to live?

Through our association with all of these different agencies, we have been able to help them do more for the community. For instance, the Topeka Common Grounds Community Gardens have thrived. When the program’s first VISTA got started there, they had two gardens. Now, they have many more. The VISTAs have grown the education around the gardens as well. They work with the Girl Scouts and community centers to educate about gardening and healthy nutrition.

VISTAs have also helped with the new Habitat for Humanity Re-Store and the capacity of the Re-store to build support. That store will help with the creation of building of affordable housing in Topeka. Another example is a VISTA at Lets Help, who is working to increase that organizations volunteer capacity.

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What strengths does Topeka/Shawnee County already have that make it a great place to live?

The big wonderful thing that we have here in Topeka/Shawnee County is caring people.

We have the capacity to have people who take care of each other, and to take care of each other. I see that in my work every day. Heartland Healthy Neighborhoods is a good example of a group trying to make Topeka/Shawnee County a better place to live. The young people in Topeka/Shawnee County are really exciting. There are just a lot of growth opportunities. I see a lot of caring and desire to make a difference.

How can people in Topeka/Shawnee County make it a healthier place to live?

Get involved. Get involved in community garden. Get a bike from the Topeka Cycle Project. Eat healthy. Help each other. I think we need to have more community organizations where you can help each other out in small ways, like by creating a garden or sharing cooking or nutritional skills. Get to know you neighbors and try to help each other out. That is kind of what VISTA is about – helping each other out.

 

Uniqueness of Collins Park

Scott and Amy Raymond’s idea of a Heartland Healthy Neighborhood has grown along with their family in the eight years since they bought a house in Collins Park. The couple didn’t exactly know what kind of unique community was awaiting them when they chose their new home.

It came as a pleasant suprise.

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Amy had heard about the area’s annual holiday luminaries (an event that’s still her favorite thing about the neighborhood), but said some of the other activities that make Collins Park a great place to live were a complete surprise. The big one came on the 4th of July. “I thought it was going to be a little event. Then everyone was decorating and doing their yards at about 6:00 in the morning to make the lawns look good,” said Amy. By about 10:00 one whole side of the park was lined with scooters, and she knew it was a whole lot bigger deal than she had pictured.  Now, the 4th of July is a highlight of the summer for their family.

The Raymond’s chose Collins Park because they wanted an older home. They also liked the idea of living across from a large park. The one in Collins Park stretches from one side of the neighborhood to the other. It is a central gathering place, someplace where they have met many neighbors and a place where the kids can run and play. The area is also very attractive for runners and walkers, “We have a lot of dog walkers too,” explained Amy.

While the 4th of July parade is the largest, there are several neighborhood events that help make it a healthy neighborhood – a Halloween parade, annual neighborhood picnic and those annual luminaries the Raymonds had heard about before they moved in, and have become their favorite event. Amy says all of those events are a great way to get to know the neighbors and keep the area safe. “I think when you get to know your neighbors you kind of keep an eye on everybody’s house. It helps us all look out for each other. It helps us want to make this neighborhood a safe place to live.” That looking out for each other helps make it feel like home.

Amy is currently the Neighborhood Association president, and says that many of those neighborhood events “just happen.” But they are hoping to host a fund raising Garden Tour soon, and looking at making improvements to the park – giving back to the place that gives so much to their neighborhood.

What about you? Have you lived in Collins Park? What made you want to call it home?

HHN Partner: Topeka Fatherhood Action

Topeka Fatherhood Action serves parents in Topeka. Head “Dad”, Dana Book, says their mission is to promote the involvement of men in the lives of children. Specifically, they hope to inspire fathers to spend more time with their children. The group started as an action team offshoot of the Success by Six program. They sponsor two big events each year, the Fathers and Family Expo which showcases things in Topeka to do with fathers and families and the Saturday in the Park with Dad, which has been held the Saturday before Father’s Day at Gage Park for the last 16 years. This year, it will be at the Gage Park Amphitheater and feature live music as well as games and other activities for the whole family.

Who does your group serve?
 
Topeka Fatherhood Action serves families in Topeka and Shawnee County. Book says their emphasis is on fathers of pre-k children, but they serve dads of all “flavors.” He says good interaction between dads and kids starts, “the earlier the better.” The group has an educational focus, working to raise awareness in community organizations of the importance of Dad’s involvement with a child. A big emphasis currently is getting dads involved in schools. “Even just spending a half hour at lunchtime can make a big difference,” explains Book. He works with teachers to explain the best ways to get men involved in the classroom including how different communication styles motivate dads differently than moms. 
 
How does Topeka Fatherhood Action help make Topeka a good place to live?
 
Topeka Fatherhood action is focused on the mental health of our children. They want to raise awareness that it is important to spend as much time as you can with your children. A lot of dads are still spending a lot of time at work and very little time with their kids. Research indicates when both parents are involved in the child’s life, the results are stronger kids. Their group hopes to provide opportunities and resources for dads to help achieve those stronger families. They connect dads with ideas, “Quite a bit of what we do too is to point out the things that already exist. We let dads know about our parks, trails and places like the zoo or and anything else that we have that can be used for family time. Good father involvement doesn’t mean you have to load your kids up and go to Disney World. We can go to the local park and kick the ball around. Often that means as much to a kid as going to Disneyworld.” Book believes healthy families benefits the community because strong families and strong kids will make Topeka a better place to live. 
 
What strengths does Topeka/Shawnee County already have that make it a great place to live?
 
Topeka has a great park system and trail system that families can use. Book spends a lot of time with his own kids on the Shunga Trail. “There are hidden gems, parks around that people don’t know about. There’s also a wealth of activities for families here in Topeka,” he explains. 
 
How can people in Topeka/Shawnee County make it a healthier place to live?

Book says he would like to see a good central, well organized and well promoted information source for everything that’s out there for families to do in Topeka.  He’s encouraged by groups like Topekaparents.com and XYZ Magazine, who are working towards that goal.

Why Did Topeka Fatherhood Action get involved in Heartland Healthy Neighborhoods?

Heartland Healthy Neighborhoods matches up with the group’s push to make Topeka a mentally and socially healthy community. There are a lot of ties in building healthy activity opportunities like bike paths to developing healthy and happy families. Book says we’re developing the next generation of Topekans. As a lifelong Topekan himself, Book wants to help make Topeka a place that people want to stay. He believes a strong family bond is one of the things that will hold people to community. “I can’t think of anyplace else where I’d want my family to live and I want my kids to grow up here,” says Book. For more information about Topeka Fatherhood Action go to www.fatherhoodaction.org.

Celebrations and Togetherness in the Beauty of Collins Park

If you ask where to find a great Fourth of July parade in Topeka, Collins Park is likely to be the answer. The neighborhood of winding roads and big trees has an old fashioned community feel that makes it a perfect place to start our neighborhood of the month series.

The area, which consists of many picturesque English Tudor, Colonial and Cape Cod style homes, is bounded by Oakley on the west, Randolph on the East, Huntoon on the north and 15th on south. It was developed in the 1920s with about 200 homes. The schoolyard of Randolph elementary school lies just to the east, and on its western corner is the arts and business district of Westboro Shopping Center. The centrally located neighborhood is filled with young families, but also has residents who have made it their home for decades.

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Collins Park itself is a large green-space extending from 15th street four blocks through the middle of the neighborhood to Huntoon. It is the center of life for neighbors and what helps make Collins Park a Heartland Healthy Neighborhood.

The park is the location of many celebrations and events including an annual neighborhood Easter egg hunt, 4th of July Parade, fall pot-luck dinner, a new Halloween celebration and Luminaries at Christmas time.

Many neighbors take great pride in their landscaping, perhaps as a way to pay homage to the large oaks that line their park. Collins Park has hosted several garden tours, and neighbors plan to invite public to tour their yards again this spring.

By far, the most popular event for neighbors and friends is their Fourth of July Parade. It brings former neighbors back and current neighbors together every year to continue a tradition that has lasted nearly 40 years.

Watch the Parade:

HHN Partner Preview: MARIAN CLINIC

The Marian Clinic, 1001 SW Garfield and 3164 E Sixth, is a medical and dental clinic providing services to the uninsured living in poverty in Topeka/Shawnee County. It was founded in 1988 by the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth as a small non-profit faith-based organization. The private not-for-profit has as small staff and over 200 volunteer doctors and nurses who provide services free of charge to their patients. Development Director Ruth Maus further explains the clinic’s mission.

Who does your group serve?

We serve those in the community who have no health insurance and live below 200% of the federal poverty guidelines. In 2010, we served almost 5000 patients. We are not a walk in clinic or emergency room. We provide a medical home, just like someone who has a family doctor. We have an ongoing relationship with a patient. It takes a while to qualify, and provide proof of eligibility. There is a timeframe between when a patient first walks in the door and their first appointment. Some people are referred through social service organizations and hospitals, and we try to talk to clubs and churches to get the word out about what we do. To be a medical patient you must also reside in Shawnee County. You do not have to be a citizen.

How does the Marian Clinic help make Topeka a good place to live?

The clinic was opened by the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth as an act of compassion towards the poor. We provide medical and dental care as a reflection of Gods healing love to people who are poor and vulnerable. We see it make a huge difference in people’s lives. People who have lost hope or been turned down in many places and have no other resources are able to get help here. We work with them to get their needs met. Our logo is: “Healthcare – Hope and Healing” because so many people we serve have lost that hope.

What strengths does Topeka/Shawnee County already have that make it a great place to live?

I think Topeka/Shawnee County has friendly people, compassionate people with a spirit of neighborliness. A lot of our patients have challenges with mental and emotional illness and it makes it difficult for them to seek help. Topekans meet people like that with a lot of compassion.

How can people in Topeka/Shawnee County make this a healthier place to live?

A renewed emphasis on civility and respect for your neighbor is always beneficial in all areas of life – including health. We appreciate all of the support from the community and ask for continued prayers. Thank you.