Aristocrat Motors Official Blog

For almost 50 years, the Metropolitan Organization to Counter Sexual Assault (MOCSA) emergency crisis line has offered support to sexual assault and abuse survivors and the people around them 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
It’s part of an extraordinary legacy for the organization, which got its start in 1969 as an effort between criminal justice,
health, mental health, and other professions that came together to address the needs of those that had been sexually
assaulted. “Today, MOCSA continues to be the sole rape crisis center serving the greater Kanas City metro area, and we have a unique service model that focuses not only on advocacy and response and support, but also education and prevention, as well,” explains President and CEO Julie Donelon. “We look at it from a very holistic point of view to impact the issue and change the culture in our city.”

SERVING THE COMMUNITY

MOCSA serves Kansas City through three major programs: advocacy, counseling, and education and prevention.
In addition to the emergency crisis line, which is always answered by a live person, MOCSA also provides hospital
advocacy, sending a staff member or volunteer to offer support or intervention while survivors undergo sexual assault
exams at area hospitals. The organization’s advocacy efforts continue, whether a survivor goes through the criminal
justice process, wants help navigating a school’s Title IX procedures, or needs assistance breaking a lease to get out of
an unsafe situation. “Survivors often feel like they’re to blame, like they’ve done something wrong,” Donelon says. “They’ve seen how other survivors are treated when they come forward, through the news stories or the media or from reactions from friends and family that they’ve heard, and so a lot of times, they’re just very uncertain of what to do and who to tell, because they’re very vulnerable. They understand that likely their character will be attacked, but not that of the perpetrator’s. We want to make sure that we do everything to allow the victims to come forward and get the support that they need while they work their way through that whole process.”

MOCSA offers counseling programs for those 4 years and up who have been impacted by child sexual abuse, as well
as adult survivors of child sexual abuse, and adult and adolescent survivors of sexual violence. Additionally, the nonprofit works in more than 30 area school districts providing education and awareness programming for preschoolers through college students, as well as to community and professional groups. MOCSA also delivers Safe Bar training in bars and restaurants throughout the community to help educate staff about how to respond when they see dangerous situations.

The organization’s impact is considerable. The education and prevention department serves 65,000 annually. In 2019, MOCSA saw 1,500 individuals for counseling services, and it assists 1,400 annually through advocacy efforts, in addition to answering about 5,500 calls per year on the crisis line.

During the pandemic, MOCSA shifted to offering services remotely, including counseling and hospital visits. Donelon
says her team has also noticed a shift in community need during this unprecedented time: More people are dealing
with relationship violence as sheltering in place is encouraged and access to social support systems is limited. Sadly,
child sexual abuse cases are also on the rise, since many children don’t have the access they once did to trusted adults
outside their home they can confide in.

CHANGING THE CULTURE

Despite the troubling times we are in, there is cause for hope. Donelon says she has seen a dramatic shift in attitudes
regarding sexual assault during her 25 years working in the advocacy space. “It has gone from people not talking about it, people keeping it a secret and being ashamed and embarrassed about it, to having open conversations,” she says. “I’m just so optimistic because we’ve come some far in those 25 years I’ve been in the field, and I’ve been able to see the progress. I’m really eager for the next 25 and to see what more progress we can make.” Unfortunately, Donelon says myths about sexual assault are still pervasive in our society: That the victim was “asking” to be assaulted because of how she/he was dressed or behaving; that rapists are strangers that strike in isolated locations; and that only women can be victims. “I think the biggest challenge is changing the community’s perception about sexual violence,” Donelon says. “People often think sexual violence is something that happens to other people. But we know that sexual violence can happen to anyone, and does. The people that we work with, these survivors, are children, are mothers and fathers,
are brothers and sisters, are family members, are friends and colleagues. Nobody is immune from it, and I think it’s
really important that people understand it’s not just something that happens to other people. Because of that, we
all have a role to play in preventing sexual violence and responding to it.”
To learn more about MOCSA, access the organization’s services, or offer financial or volunteer support, visit
mocsa.org.

When the Maserati Levante Trofeo launched in 2018, it sent a shockwave through the segment as the most extreme Levante to ever see the street. This year a legend becomes a collection as Maserati places the Trofeo badge on what we can confidently call the fastest, most powerful versions of the iconic Quattroporte and Ghibli sports sedans.

At the crossroads of power and Italian craftsmanship, the Maserati Trofeo Collection is a refined declaration of performance. Each entry in the Maserati Trofeo Collection is engineered for driving perfection, pairing massive power with a driver-centric technology package. Features are designed to engage and excite the senses with the Launch Control electronic aid, Integrated Vehicle Control (IVC), Level 2 Advanced Driving Assistance Systems, and a “Corsa Mode” that enables faster throttle response, instantaneous gear shifts, and a powerful exhaust soundtrack.

Quattroporte Trofeo

3.8L V8 Twin Turbo  

580 hp @ 6,750 rpm 

0-60 mph in 4.2 sec. 

Top speed of 203 mph 

Levante Trofeo

3.8L V8 Twin Turbo  

580 hp @ 6,750 rpm  

0-60 mph in 3.7 sec. 

Top speed of 187 mph

Ghibli Trofeo 

3.8L V8 Twin Turbo  

580 hp @ 6,750 rpm 

0-60 mph in 4.0 sec.
Top speed of 203 mph  

The entries of the Maserati Trofeo Collection are masters of the pavement, and they look just as stunning as they perform. Each design is inspired by the concept of speed through the lens of timeless Italian beauty. In nature, some animals have flashy traits that signal a warning to potential challengers. There’s no need to hide if you can fight, after all. The details of the Trofeo Collection confirm what you already know to be true – these are sports cars of the highest order. There are aerodynamic details in high-gloss carbon fiber, dark finish taillights, race-inspired wheels, and air vents accentuated by red accents.  

The Trofeo Collection may be inspired by the world of racing, but it is uncompromising when it comes to luxury and comfort. Each interior in the collection features sculpted natural leather sports seats, carbon fiber patterns, a Trofeo-specific instrument cluster, cutting-edge technology, and a concert-hall sound system.  

Schedule a test drive today!

When Growing Futures launched in 1965, it was one of the
first Head Start programs in the country. More than 50 years
later, the Johnson County nonprofit is still providing early
education opportunities and family support services to the
community – and the job is only getting bigger, says Director
of Development and Community Relations Jessica Hoffman.
“Poverty has continued to increase,” she says. “Right now,
there are over 32,000 people in Johnson County who are
living below the poverty threshold.”
More than 3,000 of those Johnson County residents are
children 5 and under, according to United Community Services
of Johnson County data, and thousands more people
earn just over the threshold, which is $21,780 for a family of
three. During the past decade, Johnson County’s population
grew by 20 percent, but the number of people living in poverty
increased by 134 percent. While Growing Futures started
by serving 17 preschoolers in 1965, today it serves over 222
kids annually and maintains a waitlist filled with other kids
and families who have need of the nonprofit’s services.

A HELPING HAND

Growing Futures is one of several Head Start programs
serving Johnson County. President Lyndon B. Johnson announced
the Head Start program in the same year Growing
Futures was founded, and although offerings have evolved
over the decades, the nationwide program aims to promote
the health and school readiness of infants, toddlers, and preschool-
aged children from low-income families in communities
around the country.
Growing Futures offers numerous programs to address
those needs. Home-based Early Head Start serves pregnant
women, infants, and toddlers up to age 3, providing home
visits and group socialization activities that promote secure
parent-child relationships and supports parents in offering
quality early-learning experiences. Children 6 weeks to 3
years old can participate in the Early Head Start, a program
based on site at Growing Future’s Early Education Center.
An on-site preschool program is also available for kids 3 to
5 years old.

Staff members observe children for mental health or behavioral
concerns and work closely with parents to support
children through consultations, counseling, and play therapy.
Additionally, Growing Futures’ disabilities and school readiness
specialists identify kids with disabilities and coordinate
services to help them be successful.

But the organization doesn’t just work to help kids – it can
connect participating families with community resources
and support systems, whether they’re facing food insecurity
or want help reviewing a resume. Comprehensive family
services also ensure families receive dental exams and vision
screenings.
“They’re essentially getting their head start, as well,” Hoffman
says of parents.

ADAPTING TO COVID-19

Already contending with increased need in the community,
Growing Futures has been further challenged by
COVID-19. In the spring, the nonprofit shifted its programming
to offer remote virtual learning opportunities to children
and families. Children came back to school in early
September to a hybrid virtual and in-person model.
“We have a phenomenal staff, and they have been very
flexible and very able to pivot on very short notice in these
ever-changing times,” Hoffman says. “They’ve been so
creative and so adaptive.”
But the program experience is far from the only facet
of operations affected by the pandemic. Hoffman says
an increasing number of families have been applying to
Growing Futures programs this year as households lose
sources of income. Meanwhile, funding options are becoming
more limited.

Although Growing Futures receives federal funding,
they’re responsible for raising more than $400,000 annually
through monetary donations, in-kind donations, or
volunteer hours, which requires support from community
partners, corporate sponsors, and individuals. Grants the
organization normally could have applied for have shifted
to provide more targeted COVID relief, and individual
donors and community partners may be hesitant to make
a donation during a period of such economic uncertainty.

Help is needed now more than
ever as new families continue to apply to Growing Futures’ programs, Hoffman says. “We have a waitlist we maintain
of at least 100 children at
all times, so the need is definitely there, and that’s leading us to try to grow and expand, as well,” she
explains. “We’re hoping to launch a capital campaign soon for a new facility.”

To learn more about Growing Futures, including how to help, visit growingfutureseec.org.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kelsey Cipolla is a local writer, editor, and social media specialist. Kelsey has covered
everything from the Kansas City culinary scene to home design, health, fitness trends,
hidden gems, and nonprofit in the Kansas City community.

The phrase “man of the world” could have been coined with Julián Zugazagoitia in mind. He was born in Mexico City into a family steeped in history, creativity, and culture. He has lived in Paris, Rome, and New York. Since 2010, when he was named director of the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Julián Zugazagoitia has called Kansas City his home.

What is it about Kansas City that has made it feel so much like home for you?

The most beautiful surprise that this city has given me is to have the murals at UMKC by Spanish painter Luis Quintanilla. He was exiled because of the Spanish civil war and he ends up in Kansas City painting some murals. He dedicated them to my grandfather. [Julián’s grandfather fought the Fascists in Spain of the 1930s. He was eventually captured by the Gestapo and executed.] Those murals make me feel that this is really home.

Does your family’s amazing history impact you and what you do, on a daily basis?

It’s different moments of consciousness in which you start realizing the complexity of your own identity. Growing up in Mexico City there were not a lot of questions, but I left for the UK for the first time when I was 12 and that was the first big shock. It was the beginning of my understanding that we’re all immigrants all the time. Identity is such a complex thing.

As we speak, the museum is closed due to COVID-19, and the world is also seeing protests demanding equal treatment and opportunity for all people. What does a place like the Nelson-Atkins mean in times like these?

When society and humankind come to moments that really challenge us, humankind needs to express itself. Art has found ways to tackle even these things. We have had pandemics in the past. Our collections have examples of artists creating art during very difficult moments. What I see is art that goes beyond the forms we normally celebrate. New generations expressing so much through social media and digital form. People can connect with us in the digital world.

The inside part of the museum is closed but people can still come and enjoy the landscaping and the sculptures. I trust that just being in the environment, in front of the art, is inspiring.

Some may look at places like the Nelson-Atkins and think, ‘Well, that isn’t really for me because of my socio-economic status or education or skin color.’

I know you and your staff work hard to make this a place for everyone.

We have made a lot of efforts to be a place of openness, of inclusivity, of making sure that everyone feels ownership of the museum’s legacy. Today’s events call for more effort.  I would say from the moment we opened this building in 1933, the first speech at that time said this place is for all groups, all races, all creeds. This is work that has to be done by society at large and work that we have to do together. We have a wonderful and wide diversity of people enjoying the museum and that is something we need to continue to foster.

We are using this time to look at ourselves as staff, look at our history as an institution, to reassess our collections, how collections have come to be. We need to be more cognizant, more attuned to our times. We also need to understand that we are part of a stream of history, knowing others have also faced times like these. Society today is waking up to many things. The younger generations are making us more aware of where we should be going.

In these uncertain, unsteady, unchartered times, should we look to art and places like the Nelson-Atkins as some sort of constant?

The nature of expression is always going to be there and museums like ours provide the ability to travel, not only the geographies of distant cultures but also in time. To see how time and different cultures and different civilizations and different ways of thinking are represented through art. A museum like ours can teach you that there’s hundreds of ways of thinking. That should give us a sense of awe. A museum like ours gives you a variety of possibilities. You see that humanity has so many ways of expressing and being. We can engage in dialogues that enrich and enlarge our perceptions and make us have more points of view than one.

Article taken from Fall 2020 edition of Today Kansas City Magazine, a publication of Soave Automotive Group. Interview by Joel Nichols.