Dear Friend,
Welcome to the October newsletter of the Deaf and Disabilities Ministry of Catholic Charities/Kansas City-St. Joseph!
Down Syndrome Awareness Month
In October 1984, President Ronald Reagan signed a proclamation declaring October as Down Syndrome Awareness Month. This was a culmination of staunch advocates lobbying and asking for the condition to be more widely recognized and celebrated. In this issue, we honor this commemorative month with an interview with Chris and Carissa Ringot of Platte City, Missouri. Also in this edition, we’ve highlighted the National Catholic Office for the Deaf in our Resource Corner.
St. Charles Place
On October 1, Catholic Charities KCSJ held a ribbon-cutting for Saint Charles Place. Saint Charles Place is an affordable senior independent living community intended and operated for occupancy by persons age 62 or older. It is located at 3240 Pear Street, St. Joseph, MO. Tenants are subject to income restrictions and all interested persons who are in need of affordable housing are encouraged to complete and submit an application.
Ten of the units are designated to be occupied by “special need” tenants. For St. Charles Place, “Special Need” is defined as a person who is “physically, emotionally or mentally impaired or suffers from mental illness; developmental disability; homeless, and survivors of domestic violence.”
If you are interested, have any questions or wish to request an application, please email: saintcharlesplace@dalmarkgroup.com or leave a message at (816) 298-4673.
Finally, if you have ideas for future articles or individuals to interview for Together, please let us know! To share your thoughts, please contact  Lisa Wagner-Carollo, Deaf and Disabilities Ministries Coordinator, at (816) 659-8262 or lcarollo@ccharities.com.
In Christ,
Lisa Wagner-Carollo, Deaf and Disabilities Ministries Coordinator
& Linda Hopkins, Department Supervisor
Please know that you are in our prayers as you continue to navigate the COVID-19 Crisis.