Have you got the 2-1-1?

The United Way of the Plains has a telephone line which facilitates critical connections between individuals and families seeking services, volunteer opportunities, or both, and appropriate human services agencies, including community-based and faith-based organizations and government agencies. To access this number, all you have to do is dial 2-1-1 on your phone or cell phone.

You can also access the 2-1-1 service online at:
http://www.211kansas.org/211findhelp/Program/Search.aspx

When she was a Senator, Hillary Rodham Clinton introduced Senate Bill 211Congress that, if passed, would allow for grants that would encourage expansion of the 2-1-1 service. The full text of Senate Bill 211 and its related House Bill 211 , aptly numbered, may be found at:
http://thomas.loc.gov (type in sb 211 in the field provided to bring up the text)

Your Kansas State Government agencies also have various directories available online:

The Social and Rehabilitation Services (SRS) department has a similar search service to that of 2-1-1 which helps connect Kansans to the various programs it provides:
http://www.srskansas.org/services.htm

SRS also has an alphabetical list of Kansas area phone number hotlines for various services at:
http://www.srskansas.org/800list/A_800_list.htm

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) has a list of phone numbers for their available services:
http://www.kdheks.gov/contact.html

A partnership of state agencies has an alphabetical directory of the services and programs available from several state agencies at:
http://services.ks.gov/

The Dykes Library at the University of Kansas Medical Center teamed up with libraries statewide to provide Kansans with Go Local- a free directory of health facilities, providers and services available in Kansas:
http://apps.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/local/kansas/homepage.cfm?areaid=45

Check out the Kansas Mentoring Program directory of volunteer opportunities listed by county:
http://kansasmentors.kansas.gov/Pages/FindaProgram.aspx

Article Contact: Kim Harp

Only thing certain in life is...

It’s that time of year again, time to file and smile. The Kansas Department of Revenue has many resources that make filing your taxes easy and simple. Use this list as an easy site navigation tool:

Do you need the forms for filing Kansas State income tax? Go to http://www.ksrevenue.org/forms-perstax.htm for printable forms

Have questions that the forms aren’t explaining? Try looking through the FAQ from the Department of Revenue at
http://www.ksrevenue.org/faqs.htm

Don’t want to have to mess with paper forms? Try filing online at https://www.kdor.org/TaxCenter/login.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2fTaxCenter%2fsecure%2fDefault.aspx. If you’ve never filed online before, you’ll need to register and login.


Still a little dizzy looking at tax forms? Need help but can’t afford a professional tax preparer? Try calling the Volunteer Tax Preparation Sites (1-800-829-1040), to find out where you can get help near you.

Resources for sales and other types of taxes:
A list of Kansas cities and their sales tax rates: http://www.ksrevenue.org/pdf/forms/pub1700409.pdf

A list of types of Kansas Taxes and links to resources:
http://www.ksrevenue.org/perstaxtypes.htm

Current tax rates for state taxes:
http://www.ksrevenue.org/pdf/TaxRates.pdf

Have you checked to see if any tax credits apply to you? Take a look at
http://www.ksrevenue.org/taxcredits.htm

Do you want to try using computer software to fill out your forms? Here’s the list of Department of Revenue’s approved software:
http://www.ksrevenue.org/pdf/appvendors.pdf

Do you need to pay in installments? See the requirements for setting up a pay plan with the Department of Revenue at http://www.ksrevenue.org/payplanind.htm

Adult care facilities resources in Kansas

Explore Your Options- a publication on types of services for adults in need of residential care from the Department of Aging
http://www.agingkansas.org/Publications/eyo/eyo_index.htm


Home and Community based care:

Home and Community Based Services for the Frail Elderly
http://www.agingkansas.org/Publications/Other/hcbsfe.htm

Assisted Living:
Kansas Assisted Living Association
http://www.khca.org/

Assisted Living Federation of America
www.alfa.org

Nursing facilities:

Medicare’s site to compare its ratings of nursing homes:
http://www.medicare.gov/NHCompare/Include/DataSection/Questions/SearchCriteriaNEW.asp?version=default&browser=IE%7C7%7CWinXP&language=English&defaultstatus=0&pagelist=Home&CookiesEnabledStatus=True

Kansas Advocates for Better Care- includes nursing home reports
http://www.kabc.org/

Independent Living:

Directory of Independent living centers in Kansas
http://www.kcdcinfo.com/index.asp?nid=114

For Seniors:

Senior Health Insurance Counseling for Kansans (SHICK)
http://www.agingkansas.org/SHICK/shick_index.html

Know your rights in choosing your care
http://www.agingkansas.org/Publications/Other/hcbsfeyourrigtsrespon.htm

Kansas Senior Press online
http://www.agingkansas.org/Publications/KSPS/ksps_index.htm

Listing of area senior centers
http://www.agingkansas.org/SeniorCenters/srctr_index.htm


Resources for caregivers of adults in need

From the Department of Aging:
http://www.agingkansas.org/Publications/caregivers/cg_index.htm

Community Developmental Disability Organizations listing
http://www.kcdcinfo.com/index.asp?nid=111

Assistive Technology helps
http://www.kcdcinfo.com/index.asp?NID=126

Holiday Wistfulness

Do the holidays make you think of family long past or days gone by? Are you interested to see when your great grandmother got married or you think your grandfather was born in White City, or was it White Cloud, Kansas? Have you misplaced your son’s birth certificate? Kansas has resources to help you in your search through your family tree.
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To obtain birth, marriage, divorce or death records, contact the Office of Vital Statistics (a division of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment).You can order records online at http://www.kdheks.gov/vital/index.html . Or you can contact them by phone or email at 785-296-1400 or mailto:Vital.Records@kdhe.state.ks.us?subject=Inquiry%20from%20OVS%20Web%20Site .

Did you hear that great-uncle Larry was once a Kansas representative? Then try looking through Kansas Legislators Past and Present at http://www.kslib.info/legislators/index.html .

Heritage Quest available from the State Library of Kansas is a great resource. Heritage Quest is a database that searches US federal censuses 1970-1930, family & local histories, tax lists, city directories, probate records. You can find it among the other statewide databases at http://www.kslib.info/ (click on “explore our resources”).

The Kansas State Historical Society has a wealth of great family information at
http://www.kshs.org/genealogists/index.htm

Was a relative in the military? You can search military records at http://www.kshs.org/genealogists/military/index.htm

You may want to utilize a Family History Center, available from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (well known for their extensive family histories). Find the one closest to you at http://www.familysearch.org/eng/Library/FHC/frameset_fhc.asp

You could try searching biographical sketches, obituaries, and other short biographies about Kansas people in various publications owned by the Kansas State Historical Society through their Kansas Biographical Name Index at
http://www.kshs.org/genealogists/individuals/nameindex.htm .

Did you see a picture of your relative someplace, somewhere? Then try searching through Kansas Memory at http://www.kansasmemory.org/