Wichita Journalism Collaborative

When DOGE cut $2.3 million from a Kansas state agency, it hit rural communities hard. Housing providers already stretched thin closed their doors while others found temporary life rafts, bracing for what's next.

A growing population in Kansas is falling victim to increasing inflation and rising costs of living, placing them years behind financially and harming their long-term independence. It's the difference between paying rent for the month or having enough food on the table – a reality thousands of Kansas families face. Those who are struggling and the challenges they tackle each day are now being illuminated through tough, intimate conversations.

When Veronica Mireles’ son complained he was in severe abdominal pain, she rushed him to a Wichita emergency room. No interpreter was provided for the...

Robert Carter and his wife Mary Ridenour drove up to an alleyway behind First Metropolitan Community Church on a cold December morning in Wichita. After...