KSHB 41 News anchor Lindsay Shively offers coverage on a wide variety of topics, including stories of interest to consumers. Reach out to Linsday via email.
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We have discovered so many great stories at our Let's Talk events!
When we came to Parkville, I met Molly Maher. She wanted us to know about the group she started, KC Advocacy Group.
I went to hear more about this group and discovered the place where they meet and a growing community.
On Wednesday nights, in a space in Zona Rosa, you can feel the energy. You'll find cards, coloring, conversation and connection. Neuro Diverse City (NDC) is a free social recreation center for teens and adults who are neurodivergent.
"Neurodivergent is kind of a broad term for a range of different ways that people think and interface with the world, so anything from autism to Down syndrome to developmental disabilities, low intellectual functioning. And so it encapsulates that whole wide-range population," said Jeffrey Janey, executive director of Northland Connections, which runs NDC.
Lara Noack told me she likes that she gets to meet new people.
"You can make friends, and you can have a community of your own that you didn't know you could have," Noack said.
When I asked Gary Scott Jr. what he loved about NDC, he said, "Talk to people, and I talk to people every week."
Maher explained NDC works to provide a space where "people with disabilities can come and just relax and just be themselves," enjoying the company of one another.
The NDC staff say you can see the community growing beyond the four walls.
"This is a really good place, and they'll meet me as a friend," Scott said.
Janey believes the beauty of NDC is that it's all about being yourself.
"A lot of these folks had a history of not being understood by the general population, by society," Janey said. "A lot of them have experienced rejection at school, bullying at school, rejection at the workplace, and so this is a place they can come and just be themselves and be accepted for who they are."
Maher comes to NDC for KC Advocacy Group, which meets the first Tuesday of every month. She started the group about a year ago for people with developmental disabilities.
"This place is like family, and you're always welcome here with open arms," she said. "We'd love to have you and be a part of our group."
Maher said she was inspired to create KC Advocacy Group to help others speak their minds and speak from their hearts.
"It's just advocating and supporting one another and teaching them how to advocate for themselves," she said.
As KC Advocacy Group continues to grow and help more people, the group feels more like family — much like NDC.
"We all feel safe with each other because we're all like each other, and it does feel like friendship and family, even if we've never met each other," Noack said.
NDC is open Tuesdays through Saturdays. You can check their calendars for different activities. Again, it is free!
KC Advocacy Group meets there on the first Tuesday of every month from 5-6 p.m.
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