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August 30, 2026

Quindaro Elementary School Responds to Storm Damage by Rallying Around Families

People browse through items at an outdoor community yard sale or flea market on a sunny day.

When a violent storm swept through the Kansas City, Kansas, community on Wednesday, August 19, many families were left facing damaged homes, lost belongings, and an uncertain road ahead.

A yellow sign with handwritten 'CHECK-IN HERE' text stands outside on a sunny day.

In the days that followed, leaders at Quindaro Elementary School recognized that supporting their students and families meant going beyond the classroom.

On Friday, August 28, dozens of Quindaro families lined up in the school’s parking lot to receive much-needed assistance, including clothing, hygiene products, perishable food items, and connections to local resource organizations.

People browse through items at an outdoor community yard sale or flea market on a sunny day.

Teachers, staff, parents, and community members came together to organize the special resource event, creating a space where families could access essential supplies, connect with support, and find hope during a difficult time.

The idea for the resource event came from Quindaro Elementary Principal Thomasenia Bouknight and Family and Community Engagement Specialist (FACES) Coordinator Ana Sanchez Acosta.

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“We were able to work together with our community partners, with our P.E. teacher, our school social worker, who had the vision of how we could give back to our families,” said Bouknight.

“From there, we were able to get a lot of donations. It was just a way to say we see you and we know that you have been impacted, and we wanted to help provide families with different resources,” she added.

A table is set up outdoors, filled with brown paper bags and stacked loaves of bread.

Community resource organizations at the event included the American Red Cross, Donnelly College, the Church of the Resurrection, Project Eagle from the University of Kansas Medical Center, and the Kansas City Chiefs, who made a donation through the Hunt Family Foundation.

Love Literacy Life (L3), a nonprofit organization, donated more than $3,000 worth of food and hygiene products.

A neat row of various sneakers lines up outside on a concrete surface.

The staff at Quindaro Elementary School also received assistance from the Facilities Department at Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools (KCKPS) and the KCK Schools Foundation for Excellence.

To help promote the event, a live remote crew from KPRS (Hot 103 Jamz) was in attendance. The station’s DJ interviewed guests, and spoke with some of the organizers of the event. 

Two smiling people stand close together under a blue canopy tent outdoors.

For Quindaro Elementary School, the resource event was about more than providing food, clothing, and hygiene products. 

It was a reflection of the strength of a community that chooses to come together when its families need it most. 

Remnants of the storm are still visible throughout the Quindaro area. Streets remain lined with fallen trees, while homes bear the scars of the damage left behind.

A street scene featuring debris and fallen tree branches scattered across the foreground under a clear sky.

In the aftermath of the storm, Quindaro families were reminded that even in difficult times, they do not have to face the road ahead alone.

“Here at Quindaro Elementary and just the Quindaro area in general, we really do believe in helping each other. We are a helping community, and as the principal, I’m just so thankful to be able to be a part of this,” shared Bouknight.