Joy and Triumph: A Year of Advocacy and Progress
For many, the holiday season is filled with gatherings, meaningful traditions, and moments worth celebrating. At the heart of it all are shared experiences of joy and triumph—reminders of what’s possible when people are supported, included, and connected.
Joy
Joy is a powerful sensation that goes beyond mere circumstantial happiness. In fact, joy is something much more akin to satisfaction or fulfillment. The holidays are for many a time of joy, as one year concludes and another soon arrives. It is a time to reflect on that which we have to be grateful for from the prior year.
Individuals in the Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (I/DD) community are the vanguards of joy. I/DD citizens in Jackson County, for whom eitas has the privilege to advocate and empower, have reminded us once again this year how worthy they are of our advocacy.
One needs to look no further than Gabriel Savage, the eitas Advocate of the Year, who serves as the Kansas City Vice President for People First of Missouri. Gabe participated in the 2025 Disability Rights Legislative Day, one of over 500 Missourians who traveled to Jefferson City to advocate for I/DD citizens at the State Capital. Gabe anticipates returning to DRLD 2026 in order to assist in Breaking Barriers & Building Dreams.
Angel Tree hosted its 2nd annual bake sale in October, raising nearly $1,000 in donations. Proceeds directly helped children on the Angel Tree list. The goal for 2025 was to support 100 children. Thanks to the generosity of the eitas community, Angel Tree was able to reach 50 families resulting in 107 children being provided with Christmas gifts. This event ensured that every family seeking assistance will be blessed with Christmas joy this holiday season.
Triumph
Another common element of the holiday season is triumph. Our human ability to overcome. Hardship and headwinds are certainly part of the human experience. However, the holidays remind us of the power of perseverance.
While our I/DD friends provide the joy, eitas continued to triumph on their behalf in several ways throughout 2025.
One standout highlight was the 2025 eitas Leadership Academy, where Tammy Ogren led leadership development for individuals representing half a dozen local organizations. Building on that momentum, eitas hosted its first Provider Partnership Forum last month, welcoming providers together to dream, collaborate, and prepare innovative ways to further empower and support individuals with I/DD in Jackson County.
This past year, eitas funded 22 different agencies including but not limited to Down Syndrome Innovations (DSI), the Center for the Developmentally Disabled (CDD), Developing Potential, The Children’s Center for the Visually Impaired (CCVI), Exceptional Humans, Farmer’s House, Firefly, Mattie Rhodes and Transition Academy.
We awarded over $5M to agencies providing services to Jackson County, and allocated another $4.8M toward providing transportation services to the I/DD community in Jackson County. And with nearly $6M in funding passed for 2026, eitas will continue to empower our I/DD friends who utilize the services provided by several local organizations virtually every day.
Plans are also being made to increase the number of trainings provided in 2026. Also, eitas is preparing to offer new trainings on topics ranging from accessibility, benefits planning, person-centered approaches to staff development and leadership.
Our 2026 conference, scheduled for April 15th, has announced the topic for the event:
Safe, Seen, Supported: Trauma-Informed Approaches in I/DD Care
The conference will be held in The Pavilion at John Knox Village in Lee’s Summit. When registration becomes available you will be able to find it here.
The ongoing efforts of eitas will continue to be carried out until our I/DD residents in Jackson County enjoy the full inclusion into society that they inherently deserve.
Holiday wishes
For some, the holiday season can be complicated and heavy—but that’s exactly why organizations like eitas exist. Through advocacy, connection, and empowerment, we work year-round to help create moments of belonging and hope, so the season can hold light even when it feels hard to find.
As a new year approaches, eitas extends warm wishes to all of Jackson County—and especially to our friends with I/DD—for a holiday season filled with joy, connection, and renewed hope.