By Joe Jarosz
Northeast News
December 3, 2014

KANSAS CITY, Missouri — The Mattie Rhodes Center helps a lot of families in the Kansas City area, including the Northeast.

But sometimes, those in charge have to take time to thank the ones who are influential with the help that if provided.

The Mattie Rhodes Center announced last month which three community volunteers and two staff members were being honored with the 2014 Mattie Rhodes Spirit Award. The Spirit Award is given to community members/professionals who best embody and honor the spirit of the center’s founder Mattie Florence Rhodes.

This year’s community recipients included Kansas City Councilman Scott Wagner, who has helped leverage more than a quarter of a million dollars to improve the Historic Northeast; Jereme Brueggemann, a Principal at Argentine Middle School in KCK who has embraced school-based intervention services leading to the support of over 800 students; and Roosevelt Dickerson who facilitates impactful programs at Gladstone Elementary such as the Family Health Fair and Bike Rodeo, which serves over 400 families, and the Student Health Councils. The Mattie Rhodes staff recipients for 2014 are Sabrina Harris and Aida Parra de Young.

David Stadler, vice president of administration and community development at Mattie Rhodes, said he first met Wagner when they both served on the board of the Northeast Kansas City Chamber of Commerce. His respect for the councilman and his passion for the Northeast area has grown ever since.

“He’s the one who’s the collaborator and advocate for all thing Northeast,” Stadler said. “The leveraging of dollars and trust in Mattie Rhodes helps the community but furthers the improvements of the [Northeast] area.”

After accepting the award, Wagner said the award is very special to him. He said he originally ran for city council because of what he was trying to do in the Northeast. He thanked everyone at Mattie Rhodes for helping him realize what he wanted to do because they helped him do it. Partnerships, he added, make things happen and people in the Northeast and Westside at Mattie Rhodes all have different gifts to make good things happen.

“I’m part of your constellation of stars now,” Wagner said, referring to the star shaped award. “There are other stars out there who don’t get recognized who continue to advance the spirit of Mattie Rhodes. There’s more work to do and I look forward to working with you to do it.”

Roosevelt Dickerson, LINC Site Coordinator at Gladstone Elementary in the Kansas City Public Schools, said the award really touches him. He said he’s always cared about helping people and it’s something he can’t do alone. Jenny Mendez, director of cultural arts at the center, added Dickerson is always thinking of things that could be done for the students and family of the Gladstone Elemtary community.

“It’s a team effort and on behalf of the Gladstone Caring Communities, I thank the parents for what they’re doing that allowed me to accept this,” Dickerson said.

John Fierro, President and C.E.O. of the center, said Mattie Florence Rhodes’ act of kindness reminds us daily of the value of philanthropy.

“On behalf of the Mattie Rhodes Center, I want the community to acknowledge those individuals who dedicate their time, talents, and energy to making a difference in our city,” Fierro said.

Also at the center’s annual meeting, three new board members were sworn in. The Mattie Rhodes Center’s Board of Directors first recognized their outgoing Board Members; Begonya Klumb, Jan Buerge, and Steve Turley for their years of service to the agency. During their time, Mattie Rhodes expanded their behavioral health services in key neighborhoods, launched new programs such as Soccer for Success, and made strides in community development programs. Moving into 2015, three new directors — Don Saxton, Leo Valdez and Jennifer Mahoney — join the board. The Board Chair for 2015 will be Andrea Gomez.