OUR TEAM

FOUNDER / PROGRAM DIRECTOR

Meg launched JoyKC in June 2020.  Ironically when the world shut down, the Lord very radically opened the door for the existence and expression of His heart known as JoyKC.  Meg and her team have been facilitating programs for JoyKC ever since with the strong desire to create environments of friendship and opportunity for individuals with disabilities in the Kansas City area. Meg earned her Masters Degree from Kansas University in Low Incidence Disabilities with a Speciality in Transition Services. Meg has worked in many various settings supporting individuals with disabilities, including Day Service, Employment Services, ministry, and classroom.  Meg currently works full-time for Special Olympics Missouri as the Kansas City Program Director.

Meg's sister, Kait (left in photo), has profoundly influenced Meg's journey of serving and loving people with disabilities.  Kait’s life has radically shown Meg (and so many others) the extravagant love of Jesus and His crazy, unending, limitless JOY. In her free time, you’ll find Meg drinking coffee, potting plants, and spending time with friends and family.  Meg lives in Kansas City, MO.

VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR

Katie is a public school teacher in the Shawnee Mission School District and has been involved in disability ministry for years. Her passion for individuals with disabilities began when she was in middle school while serving at Camp Barnabas. This experience gave her a greater understanding of God’s heart and the significant role of individuals with disabilities in the church.

Katie graduated from K-State with her Masters Degree in Special Education and it was in Manhattan where she saw the great need of disability ministry in the church. This led her to starting a ministry called Reach that hosted monthly respite night for families through themed events. Once she moved to Kansas City in 2016, she started working for Champions Special Ministries where she worked as a Volunteer Coordinator and Summer Camp Director. She is excited to partner with her dear friend Meg in helping lead JoyKC. Katie lives in Overland Park, KS with her husband Alex and son Griffin.

PROGRAM SUPPORT

Julie has been involved in disability programs for the past 5 years. Her involvement with this community began while working for the parks and recreation department in college. Julie has been volunteering with JoyKC since it began in 2020 and has loved the opportunity to engage deeper with the special needs community in Kansas City. Her passion for disability ministry is rooted in the legacy of her grandma, Eva, who spent years advocating and caring for her daughter, Gay, (Julie’s aunt) and others in her area who had intellectual and physical disabilities. These opportunities and personal experiences have all impacted Julie’s desire to love, care for, and advocate for the needs of individuals with disabilities. Julie is excited to see the ways God will continue to use JoyKC to display His love and to be used as the hands and feet of Jesus in this world.

Julie graduated from K-State with a bachelor's degree in Kinesiology in 2017. She works full-time at Garmin. Julie enjoys running, playing sports, and spending quality time with friends and family. Julie lives in Lenexa, KS with her husband, Hank.

COMMUNITY EVENTS COORDINATOR

Brittney is an occupational therapist working in the school setting and has been serving individuals with disabilities through a variety of professional roles since her undergraduate years. She first got involved with JoyKC at the start of 2024 as a regular volunteer and has loved the opportunity to get involved with a variety of the events JoyKC has to offer! 

Brittney earned her degree in Occupational Therapy from the University of Kansas and undergraduate degree in Nursing from Newman University. While her passion for serving individuals with disabilities began many years earlier, her time spent working as a pediatric home health nurse further solidified her desire to serve and love individuals with disabilities. 

She is excited to promote community involvement and inclusion through community-based programming for all individuals. Brittney is excited to see how God continues to bring belonging, connection, and joy to the KC community through JoyKC! Brittney enjoys spending time with friends and family, running, and spending as much time as possible outdoors.

ADMIN

Allie is excited to assist the JoyKC team with all their behind-the-scenes, administrative needs! She has an eye for detail, loves a good organizational system, and enjoys supporting the overall mission of JoyKC by taking care of the daily operations.

Raised in Shawnee, Kansas, Allie attended Kansas State University and received her bachelor's degree in Elementary Education and her master's in Curriculum and Instruction from Emporia State University. She taught in the elementary classroom for 6 years and it was there that she had the privilege of working with students with a variety of learning needs. God gave her a heart to see all people experience a place of friendship, belonging, and joy for their lives. Her involvement with JoyKC began in 2020 as a volunteer. She lives in Lenexa, Kansas with her husband, Alex, and two young girls, Ellie and Emma.

PARENT CONNECT

Kathy and her husband, Steve, lead JoyKC’s Parent Connect. Kathy loves being a part of JoyKC and supporting her daughter, Meg.

“We would really love to join arms with you as fellow parents on this often long journey of parenting a child with a disability. Our hope would be that together we could find a place to share our victories and in sharing, lessen our disappointments. And together we could find ourselves more supported and less alone.”