Community Events

EMBRACE's fall fundraiser: Growing Inclusive Catholic Schools. An evening of dinner, open bar, live music, and silent and live auctions — every dollar raised supports students with disabilities and learning differences in Catholic schools across the Kansas City area. Individual tickets are $125; sponsorship packages are also available. Questions? Contact info@embraceks.org.

Free six-part virtual workshop series for Kansas families, offered by the UMKC LifeCourse Nexus with support from the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADS). Identify your goals, strengthen your support network, and build a practical, personalized plan for your family member's future. Attend one, a few, or all six sessions: Getting to Know My Family Member (Aug 11), Planning for a Good Life (Aug 18), Building a Life Vision (Aug 25), Integrating Supports (Sep 1), Mapping Relationships (Sep 8), and Supporting Decisions (Sep 15). An informal Thursday-night Zoom Q&A also runs Aug 13 - Sep 17 at 8:00 PM for questions about the workshops or the Dani Plan platform.

Adapted Mass for children and adults with developmental disabilities and their families. Features R.E.A.C.H. music and Children's liturgy. Hosted by Fr. Bill Bruning and the parish council of Queen of the Holy Rosary. Social follows each Mass. All are welcome!

This is a recurring event. Check for updated dates →

Monthly religious education for all children and adults with diverse abilities and their families. Welcoming, adaptive activities in a Catholic setting. The program can also help prepare individuals to receive the Sacraments of First Reconciliation, First Communion, and Confirmation. All are welcome!

This is a recurring event. Check for updated dates →

Free monthly respite for individuals with special needs of all ages. Simultaneous sibling program (birth-13 years). Activities include games, crafts, sensory activities, movies, worship, and a short devotional. Locations rotate throughout the KC area. Families may attend once per year, then are placed on a waitlist for future events.

This is a recurring event. Check for updated dates →

A virtual space for Kansas families to connect, explore, and plan for the future together using the Charting the LifeCourse framework. Whether you're navigating a new diagnosis, exploring supports while on a waitlist, planning for transitions, supporting an adult child, or simply looking for community, Good Life Groups offer a welcoming space to share ideas, stories, and tools with other Kansas families and explore what a "good life" means now and in the future. Each monthly session covers a life domain — remaining 2026 dates are Sep 25, Oct 30, and Nov 20 (topics to be announced). Register once and Zoom sends the meeting link for every monthly gathering.

This is a recurring event. Check for updated dates →

Respite program for caregivers and parents — a chance to take a break while your child enjoys a fun time with friends. Skilled volunteers and trained staff including nurses, a special education teacher, occupational therapists, a physical therapist, and speech therapists. First-timers are welcome to attend with their child. Final 2026 date: Nov 14 (Fiat Center, 1-4 PM).

This is a recurring event. Check for updated dates →