HIAWATHA, KS — Local community action non-profit NEK-CAP, Inc. has announced a massive expansion of its service area, stepping in to provide vital community resources across 22 counties in Northwest Kansas following the closure of another regional agency.
The expansion was made possible after the Kansas Housing Resources Corporation—the state’s Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) lead—approved NEK-CAP’s application for expanded funding.
With this approval, NEK-CAP will bring its CSBG-funded programming to a broad new footprint, covering Barton, Cheyenne, Decatur, Ellis, Gove, Graham, Greeley, Lane, Logan, Ness, Norton, Phillips, Rawlins, Rooks, Rush, Scott, Sheridan, Sherman, Thomas, Trego, Wallace, and Wichita counties.
Agency leadership emphasized that this new venture will not impact its existing operations. NEK-CAP intends to fully maintain its current level of services across its original 16-county service area in Northeast and North Central Kansas.
“Agency staff will begin the process of creating partnerships and identifying resources in those [new] counties,” NEK-CAP stated in the announcement. Planned offerings for the Northwest region include Service Coordination, Foundations for Stability, and Filling the Gap programs—all designed to help low-income individuals and families achieve long-term stability.
Board Recruitment Underway
To ensure the new counties are fairly represented, NEK-CAP is immediately opening recruitment for three new positions on its Multi-County Board. The agency is looking for Northwest Kansas residents to fill three distinct roles:
- Public Representative: An individual currently holding an elected office.
- Private Member: A representative from a local community business, church, or community organization.
- Low-Income Representative: A member nominated by the community to advocate for low-income households. This can be someone who is low-income themselves or an individual elected by their peers to represent their voice.
About NEK-CAP, Inc.
NEK-CAP, Inc. is a Community Action Agency dedicated to guiding community members out of poverty and toward self-sufficiency through holistic family support, education, and partnership building.
For more information about NEK-CAP’s services or to inquire about open board positions, residents can visit www.nekcap.org. Regional inquiries can also be directed to Jeanette Collier, Executive Director, at 785-742-2222 (ext. 140) or via email at jcollier@nekcap.org.
