Central Kansas Military Community Foundation on the GMCF Community Hour Show Episode - 250

We sat down with Central Kansas Military Community Foundation director Ruth Dupree to unpack how a 2004 grassroots effort grew into a fast, reliable safety net. Ruth shares moving stories, a temporary fence so an autistic child can play safely, emergency help for a new arrival who received no pay due to a system error, and support for parents making repeated medical trips when the Ronald McDonald House is full. The pattern is clear: quick relief, simple process, and deep respect for the realities of military life. With most grants between $500 and $1,000, impact comes from speed and precision, closing the gap exactly where benefits and insurance stop.

CKMCF runs with no paid staff and a volunteer board, so donations go straight to the point of need. We dig into how leadership at Fort Riley streamlines referrals, why a one-page form and supervisor sign-off keep cases moving in 24–48 hours, and how community support from Match Day to a long-running pewter ornament series keeps the mission funded. Ruth’s own military family roots underscore the foundation’s empathy for families facing deployments, holidays apart, and sudden expenses that can upend a tight budget.

If you or someone you know needs help, start with your first-line supervisor to connect with CKMCF quickly. To support the mission, share this episode, donate during Match Day, or spread the word about the ornament fundraiser. Subscribe for more stories of practical generosity, leave a review to boost our reach, and tell us: which moment moved you most? Ruth explains simple steps to request aid, real stories of impact, and how community donations fuel rapid help.

• Purpose of CKMCF and who it serves
• Examples of small grants solving urgent problems
• Process for applying through a first-line supervisor
• Typical needs during pay glitches, moves, and medical travel
• Volunteer-led structure and donation-based funding
• Pewter ornament fundraiser and Match Day support
• Support for families during deployments and holidays
• Where to connect on Facebook as CKMCF

GMCF

CFAs

Episode Transcript

SPEAKER_01 (00:00):
Philanthropy Today is brought to you by the Greater
Manhattan Community Foundation.
In this episode, we feature arecently broadcast segment of
the GMCF Community Hour, asheard on News Radio KMAN.
Segment number two of the GMCFCommunity Hour here on News
Radio KMAN.
Ruth Depree is our guest, andRuth has been in here before

(00:23):
representing the Central KansasMilitary Community Foundation,
where she serves as a director.
And Ruth, welcome to our show.
Good morning.
Thank you for having me.
Let's talk a bit about thefoundation because I want to
make sure that the people dounderstand because we do have an
Armed Services Foundation, ArmedForces Foundation at the
Community Foundation, and youare different.

(00:45):
Correct.
So let's talk about what your uhwhat your organization does.

SPEAKER_00 (00:50):
So our organization was um established in 2004 when
some people from the community,Junction City, Manhattan, and
Fort Riley, determined there wasa need to uh give financial
assistance to soldiers,veterans, and their families
when sometimes they encounter anemergency that can't be covered
through traditional avenues.

SPEAKER_01 (01:11):
Okay.
And what are some of thoseservices that you help help sue
people through?

SPEAKER_00 (01:15):
Um most recently we had a service member who had an
autistic child, and they askedto have a fence put up in their
backyard so that the child couldgo out by himself without the
parents constantly monitoringhim.
Um, and he that child then wouldbe safe with a fence.
So we gave a grant to have thatfence installed and for one
year's rental of that fence.

SPEAKER_01 (01:38):
I I would suppose that you have a number of
stories that you can share aboutdifferent things that uh
different people that you havehelped and with a multitude
really of different um differentways of helping.

SPEAKER_00 (01:52):
Yes, absolutely.
So especially right now, um eventhough soldiers are being paid
this this month, we're not surewhat's gonna happen.
We recently had a soldier cometo the area and there was a
glitch in the system, and shewas not in the military system,
and so she could not receive anypay at all.

(02:12):
So we were able to give her agrant to help her with uh
immediate financial needs.
Um deposits on different things,um, gas.
She uh was staying in a hotelfor three weeks before housing
became available for her.
So we were able to help withthat as well.

SPEAKER_01 (02:33):
At her cost?
Yes.
Oh goodness.
Yes.
Yeah.
How many do you have an idea howmany people you've helped over
the years?

SPEAKER_00 (02:40):
Oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_01 (02:42):
That's a loaded question, isn't it?

SPEAKER_00 (02:43):
It is, because we've been around for 20 years.
So um I would say a few hundred.
I know that we have given outabout$35,000 in grants, and most
of our grants are not huge.
They're about$500 to maybe$1,000.
So that's quite a quite a fewpeople that we've been able to
help.

SPEAKER_01 (03:02):
But it's pretty impactful when you need it.

SPEAKER_00 (03:04):
Yes, absolutely.
Um, the majority of the peoplethat come to us asking for
assistance are very youngsoldiers with family members.
Um, a lot of times we havesoldiers who have an infant that
might have a medical conditionand they have to go to either
Kansas City or Topeka.
We are able to help with theirexpenses driving back and forth,

(03:27):
extra meals that they need tobuy.
And sometimes they're not ableto get into the Ronald McDonald
house, so then they also havehotel expenses.

SPEAKER_01 (03:37):
What are some of the processes that are involved in
having a soldier or a soldier'sfamily request some request aid
from you?

SPEAKER_00 (03:46):
Yeah.
We try to make it as simple aspossible.
Most of the leadership at FortRiley knows about us.
Um we have one simple form wherethe soldier puts his personal
information, name, address, howmany family members he has, um,
what the request is for, if he'smaybe gone to other uh agencies
asking for help, and then hisimmediate supervisor signs off

(04:08):
on that saying, yes, I supportthis request.
We get it.
Within 24 to 48 hours, we areable to provide uh money to that
soldier then.

SPEAKER_01 (04:19):
It's got to be rewarding to be able to help
them in their time of need.

SPEAKER_00 (04:23):
So rewarding, so rewarding.
Um, even though I know it's asmall amount,$500 to$1,000, that
can help when you're reallystrepping.

SPEAKER_01 (04:32):
Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 (04:33):
And so, yes, the stories that we have, and
there's so many of them, it'sbeyond rewarding.

SPEAKER_01 (04:40):
What is the foundation's staffing,
volunteers, et cetera, composedof?

SPEAKER_00 (04:46):
We have absolutely no paid staff.
We have a board of directors.

SPEAKER_01 (04:49):
You're doing this out of the kindness of your
heart.

SPEAKER_00 (04:51):
Yes, we are.
We have a board of about 12 to15 people.
Um, we are all volunteers.
We um uh I lost my train ofthing.

SPEAKER_01 (05:02):
That's all right.
Those things happen.

SPEAKER_00 (05:05):
Yeah.
So so we meet um about everyother month.
We look at the cases that havebeen brought before us asking
for financial assistance, and weum operate completely based on
donations.
We have no regular funding.
So when we do the match day forthe Armed Services Um Community

(05:27):
Foundation, it is a wonderfulhelp to us.
We also um each year commissiona pewter Christmas ornament that
has some historical significanceto either Fort Riley or the
First Infantry Division, and fora small donation, you can
receive one of those ornaments.
We now have 16 in our series.
Goodness.
Yes.

SPEAKER_01 (05:47):
Do you have all of them still at your uh
availability?
Yes, yes.
Yes.
You know, that's a pretty goodtiming thing.
Where can we find those?

SPEAKER_00 (05:54):
Um, we will be at the match day um event, and we
will have those ornaments withus on the 11th of November.

SPEAKER_01 (06:03):
And that's the Armed Services Foundation, so you'll
be helping them out.
And so there will be a table um,I suppose, out where the the
parade, the official paradelookout is there, right in front
of Manhattan City Hall.

SPEAKER_00 (06:20):
I believe so.

SPEAKER_01 (06:20):
Yeah.
So okay, great.
I know that uh, you know, thethere's a lot of neat things
that um you know the the ArmedServices Foundation is obviously
involved in.
And they have otherorganizations like yours that
they assist.
And so that is a key factor intrying to get some people to
help so that you can help thosein need.

SPEAKER_00 (06:41):
Absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 (06:42):
Yeah.
What's the favorite thing thatyou like about what you do?
Loaded question, I know.

SPEAKER_00 (06:51):
That it's rewarding to be able to help someone who
has a need, a financial need,um, that they didn't expect.
I mean, who who expectsemergencies, um, and that we are
able to help in in almost allinstances when we're asked for
assistance.

SPEAKER_01 (07:07):
What inspired you to get involved?

SPEAKER_00 (07:10):
Because I had seen some of the things that this
organization was doing.
Um, and I wanted to be a part ofthat, to be be a part of
something that is bigger thanmyself that helps others.

SPEAKER_01 (07:22):
Aaron Powell Do you have a military background in
your family's history?

SPEAKER_00 (07:25):
I do.
I have a huge militarybackground.
My dad was in the army, mybrother, my sister, my husband,
my daughter, my son.
Uh they've all been in themilitary.

SPEAKER_01 (07:33):
Is there anybody in your family that has not been
just one.
Just one.
You.
No, that's not to discount, youknow, the fact that uh, you
know, uh uh a spouse is notsignificant in that regard.

SPEAKER_00 (07:47):
Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 (07:48):
Yeah.
Yeah.
That's uh, you know, and I knowthat there's just uh, you know,
we have soldiers that are, youknow, in the process of of going
overseas and and servingwherever and and the strain that
that puts on families.
And and I would suppose,especially during the holidays,
that that probably, you know,that strain has probably

(08:08):
increased a bit.

SPEAKER_00 (08:10):
Yes, it is.
Um and we don't just helpsoldiers, we also help veterans,
family members.
So if a soldier is deployed anda family member encounters a an
emergency of some kind thatrequires financial assistance,
we are um very happy to help.
We make sure that all the reardetachment people have our name

(08:30):
and our number, and um we'rewe're there to help.

SPEAKER_01 (08:34):
Mm-hmm.
It sounds like you make thatprocess as easy as possible in
order for some of these peopleto receive those grants.
Well, what's the first step forthem to take?

SPEAKER_00 (08:45):
The first step is to go to their immediate for first
line supervisor and um let themknow that they they have a need.
And like I said, most of theleadership at Fort Riley, from
first sergeants on up, um, evenput some platoon sergeants are
aware of who we are and what wedo, and so they then uh get in

(09:05):
touch with us.

SPEAKER_01 (09:06):
Okay.
Well, we'll hopefully uh getthat word shared here live or
through the podcast and and uhtry to communicate that with
everybody.
Anything else you'd like to add,Ruth?

SPEAKER_00 (09:17):
No, thank you for having us here and letting us
tell our story.

SPEAKER_01 (09:20):
Yeah, well, thank you for sharing.
Thanks for the work that you'redoing.
It uh takes a person with aspecial heart to to give that
amount of time to to a causesuch as yours.
So, you know, and I think it uh,you know, we uh look at uh
American Pride from a lot ofdifferent respects.
And American Pride also meanshelping out those who are

(09:40):
serving in their time of need.
So Ruth, it's a delight to haveyou in again.
Good to see you.
Good luck with the rest of yourefforts this year.

SPEAKER_00 (09:49):
Thank you very much.
Appreciate it.

SPEAKER_01 (09:50):
Ruth Dupree is the executive director of uh the
Central Kansas MilitaryCommunity Foundation.
Do you have a website?

SPEAKER_00 (09:57):
No, we don't.

SPEAKER_01 (09:59):
Facebook page?
Yes.
Okay.

SPEAKER_00 (10:00):
Yes, it's just Central Kansas Military
Community Foundation or theletters CKMCF.

SPEAKER_01 (10:07):
CKMCF.
Yes.
Okay.
Sounds good.
Glad to be able to share that.
Rick Hernandez will be steppingin next.
He is with the Manhattan FreeClinic.
We got a lot of things to sharewith uh the work that's being
done there.
And they have a special eventcoming up, and uh, we'll talk
about more of that when wereturn.
The GMCF community hours heardevery Monday morning at 10 here

(10:27):
on News Radio KMAN.
You can always find out moreabout the work that we do here
at the foundation at ourwebsite, which is mcfks.org.