We asked parents and teachers why they chose CLO to serve their loved one.

Marilyn Hammond:

"When it became apparent many years ago that my son, David, wouldd need support services throughout his life, I searched for the best. I wanted David to be able to live in the community, close to his family, with dignity and respect, and in a homey environment. Such a program did not exist in this area, so a group of dedicated professionals created CLO, which has provided David with all that I hoped for him."

CLO Donations

Donate Online! Your gifts make a dramatic, tangible difference in the lives of those served by Community Living Opportunities. Every gift, no matter the size, is greatly appreciated by everyone at CLO.

You can also view our donor edge profile and make a donation using our secure online form by clicking here .
Thank you for your generosity and support of Community Living Opportunities.

            For over a quarter of a century, CLO has specialized in serving adults and children who have the most severe developmental disabilities and although CLO receives government funds, it constantly struggles to find the dollars necessary to meet the true needs of the people it supports.  There are four primary reasons for this:

• Because CLO serves individuals whose disabilities are multiple and very severe, the costs for meeting those needs are much higher than in programs that serve a milder range of disabilities.  The individuals served generally require 24-hour supervision, a rich staff to persons served ratio and an extensive range of expensive support services.  These supports are needed in order to safely and effectively support the individuals served to live full and satisfying lives in the community.
• There are many “unfunded” services, supports and living expenses for persons served within Kansas’ primary service funding program.  Some examples of unfunded services include dental services, transportation, personal living expenses, most health and therapy services, some medications, treatments and nutritional supplements, and most adaptive equipment.
• The costs of living and for providing services in Johnson and Douglas Counties is approximately 18% higher than elsewhere in the state – yet the funding provided is the same across the state.  And, to make matters worse, this funding has not increased for five years!
• Unlike many of the other large agencies in our area serving people with developmental disabilities, CLO receives zero ongoing support from a county mill levy fund for these services.  This forces CLO to work even harder to stretch insufficient state/federal funding as far as possible.

CLO has established an Individual Needs Fund to help pay for the un-funded needs of persons served.  Your gift would provide valuable and much needed services and items to those we serve.

If you would like to make a donation to Community Living Opportunities, please contact:

Yolanda Hargett
Senior Administrator
(913) 341-9316 ext. 102

To donate online using your credit card and our secure connection click here.

or write a check payable to:

Community Living Opportunities
P.O. Box 14395
Lenexa, KS 66285

To view a full list of CLO's 2007 donors, please click here.

"Your generosity and support mean so much to us!"
The men, women and children of CLO.