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The Wesley United Methodist Church in Parsons recently expanded its Thursday night free dinner ministry. The church is serving free to-go dinner meals from its van on the second and fourth Thursdays of the month, 5:30-6:00 p.m. in the King Cash Saver parking lot.

The next free dinner meal will be August 27, 2020. Church officials hope to expand the free meal program further if funding is awarded.

Have you been counted yet? The U.S. Census Bureau’s 2020 Census remains underway. I proudly filled out my 2020 Census form and hope you have or will do the same, either a paper form, online or via telephone.

Why? Because the numbers of people the Census Bureau counts determines vital funding for our communities, including schools, hospitals, roads and other necessities that help maintain the greatness of America. Billions of federal dollars trickle down to the states and local communities based upon Census data. The less people are counted, the less money flows into our communities. Census data is also used to determine the total number of seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and to draw boundaries for both our Congressional and our state legislative districts.

Having a disability gives us a lot of rights. But we also have a responsibility, not just for ourselves and our own lifestyles, but for each other and the communities we live in. We’re all relying on each other, to represent the disability community via accurately and completely providing 2020 Census information.

Please go to https://2020census.gov to learn more about the Census, and to be counted if you have not yet been. Please contact us at SKIL, at 1-800-688-5616 M-F 8-5 p.m. if we can be of help to you in providing this vital information to the U.S. Census Bureau. I challenge you to help keep our communities strong and our nation great by participating in the 2020 Census.

Love, Shari

SEDAN, KS.— The SKIL Resource Center in Sedan will hold its free annual customer appreciation picnic August 21, 2020. The public is invited to attend.

The free picnic will be held from 5:30-7:00 p.m. at the Sedan SKIL office, 124 E. Main St. in Sedan. In keeping with Coronavirus safety measures, the event will be a drive-up, walk-up, roll-up event with social distancing, said SKIL President/CEO Shari Coatney. There will be hot dogs, chips, drinks and dessert served.

“SKIL appreciates all of the support we receive from our customers and the community,” said Coatney. “The community is very supportive of SKIL and our work. We’ll be excited to see you, so please come by and pick up your free meal.”

SKIL holds the picnics every year, to thank its customers and to further introduce the public to SKIL, a local non-profit independent living center. The picnics are held in towns where SKIL has a branch office.