Oswald Golf Tournament Scores a 'Hole-in-One"!
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Laurie Oswald Robinson's Lasting Impact
Laurie Oswald Robinson's Lasting Impact Pictured above: Laurie Oswald Robinson with longtime friend and Board member, Gary Rediger. Early on a Monday morning, April 8, Laurie Oswald Robinson was struck and killed by a car as she was walking on a rural road southeast of Newton, training for the Kansas Camino Walk. That evening police arrested Samara Maple, 23, of Hutchinson, on preliminary charges of failure to stop at the scene of a fatal accident. Laurie, 64, was a key part of the work of Peace Connections and will be sorely missed. She worked at fund development under three different PC directors, wrote often for this newsletter and helped coordinate the annual Paul E. Oswald Memorial Golf Tournament, now in its eighth year, in her father’s name. Kendra Davila, current PC director, says she loved how Laurie honored her relationship with her dad. “She involved her family in her work,” says Kendra, and “had a passion for both.” Anyone who met La...
Changing the World, One Person at a Time
(Originally Published Wednesday, September 20, 2023) By Laurie Oswald-Robinson When symbolizing world peace, a global image arises, though you can pinpoint a spot on the prairie on Google Maps where a local non-profit called Peace Connections is based in Newton. It’s not that Peace Connections, celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2023, hasn’t concerned itself with the big issues of violence, poverty, and injustice. It’s just that its way of connecting with the world was from its perch in south-central Kansas, where it’s sought to care about both global and local concerns. The non-profit’s first missions when launched in 1983 focused on the global family – nuclear arms and refugees – from its office above Druber’s Donuts on Sixth Street. Forty years later, Peace Connections makes its home in the Red Door Building on Pine Street where it foremost serves local families and builds relationships across all strata of the immed...
Connecting the Dots of the Past and Future
(Originally Published Wednesday, September 20, 2023) It seems fitting on this 40th anniversary of Peace Connections, Kendra Davila, Executive Director, was one of four winners of the 4 Under 40 award given by Emerge. The organization (formerly Newton Young Professionals) presented Kendra with this honor in early August. For a second year in 2023, Emerge recognized young professionals (18-plus-years-old up to 40) for exemplary service within the community, fostering leaders for the future. This is a community that Kendra knows and loves, given that she grew up in south-central Kansas and is now serving this region in her adult vocation. “I love being in connecting roles – connecting families to resources and making new connections with partner organizations and churches that may not have partnered with us before,” Kendra said during an interview after the award ceremony. “Connecting is in our name and is a big part of what we strive to do in all our programs that engage adults and...
New Associate Director Brings Treasure Trove of Connections
(Originally Published Wednesday, September 20, 2023) When Chris Allen was hired at Peace Connections in early summer, not only did the non-profit gain a talented and insightful staff, it also received a treasure trove of connections that Allen had already forged throughout Harvey County. Allen was well honed as a connector through a variety of prior roles in the past number of years. Those roles included Community Health Worker with COPE (Communities Organizing to Promote Equity) and Community Outreach Advocate for three other organizations- Health Ministries, SafeHope, and Big Brothers Big Sisters. Allen is building on these networks and partnerships, providing a real asset to both Peace Connections and to the families with whom they work. While she held all of these jobs in organizations with different names, the heartbeat behind all of them included the same desire: to help adults and children of all ages and backgrounds to build stronger and more purposeful lives. “I want to ...
Changing Leaves, Changing Staff, Changing Lives
(Originally Published Monday, November 14, 2022) Kendra Davila is the spirited Executive Director of Peace Connections, where she spends her days building relationships, resources, and resilience with a wide variety of people. Kendra is passionate about building a thriving community and loves using stories to better understand the people and places around her. When not in the office, Kendra can be found recklessly sowing seeds in her garden, crafting toys for her nieces and nephews, and meandering the walking trails throughout Harvey County. Bonnie Garcia is the new Associate Director of Peace Connections. Bonnie comes from a legal background, having been a paralegal for the last 14 years. She saw the post for the job and decided to follow her heart and apply for the position. When Bonnie isn't working, she's typically found doing something with her husband, watching a sport that one of her four boys competes in, or visiting with her new granddaughter. Bonnie was born and rai...