Grocery stores and farmers markets throughout the Kansas City area are providing many families the opportunity to get twice the amount of fruits and vegetables for every dollar they spend.

LINC’s Caring Communities sites celebrated the power of community schools with music, student performances, science shows, art, dance, lots of fun food and more during the month of October. Check out some of the scenes.

“It builds team work. It builds relationships. And it gives kids a sense of belonging to something. We want them to know they are important. We’re putting people in place that are going to teach them those skills of life.”

The Caring Communities Day celebration packs so much fun, LINC is doing it twice, this time heading to Kansas City’s Southland. The Fall Festival, Oct. 19, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., will bring free music, food, games, family resources and more to Longview Shopping Plaza at Blue Ridge Boulevard and Longview Road.

Just a little more than a day before the Chiefs were to kick off the new football season, the NFL came to town to celebrate — and surprise — one of LINC’s partners in the work of spreading healthy, locally grown food.

“LINC is wonderful, it’s a lifesaving program,” said Neeco Sims, a LINC parent and grandparent. “It gives me time to focus while my kids are productive. They can do their homework, have all kinds of activities, and learn things like coping skills, which help them when they get home.”

It was back-to-school week for the LINC Caring Communities sites, highlighting once more the wide array of services standing ready in LINC’s work of making stronger families together.

Caring Communities shined as beautiful as ever. More than 2,000 people joined a community celebration at the third annual citywide fair at 27th and Prospect. It was a beautiful day of “caring, loving and respectful people, all coming together.” See the stories and reactions to the day that tell why we are filled with such joy and gratitude.

LINC students joined groups of youths from across the city who gathered together to share their experiences, learn from each other and to collaborate with youth and adult advocates who are working to end violence in Kansas City.