Meet Ilene Kimsey and Wendy Conover of Baldwin City Kansas United

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ilene Kimsey and Wendy Conover. They and their team share their story with us below:

BCK United (Baldwin City Kansas United) began with a bucket of paint and a conversation about the Wizard of Oz. In 2018, Wendy Conover and Ilene Kimsey got to know each other during a volunteer work day at their local arts center. They connected over a shared appreciation of Oz’s metaphors and the goal of empowering youth to discover their greatness and power. A local teen had lost his life to suicide, and rates of suicide and mental health struggles were rising, especially among young people. Kimsey and Conover had both considered what could be done to support the young people of their community, to help them feel connected and valued. Out of this dialogue, a youth empowerment program was developed in 2019, funded by a Douglas County Community Foundation Grant and co-facilitated by Conover and Kimsey. In the past four years, the two women have worked with many college, high school, and junior high students to honor the group’s main theme: seeing, hearing, respecting, and valuing self and others. BCK United does various projects and activities to promote wellness, inclusion, equity, growth, and positive change in self and community. Conover and Kimsey interact with youth leaders to empower and bring their ideas to life. The group has hosted a summer arts and wellness program for young children; surveyed high school students and staff regarding mental health well-being; participated in mental health and wellness education; created the Birds of All Feathers project to make 1,000 paper cranes in support of inclusion; created a wellness resource zine entitled ‘One Call Away’; and hosted many other life-giving events.

Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Has it been easy or smooth in retrospect?
2020 brought community challenges that were felt within BCK United. The youth responded by chalking positive messages of support, appreciation, and well-being on the main street downtown sidewalks. Even though the rain came and washed the messages away, the teens returned for three weekends to create new images and words of hope. The killing of George Floyd on May 25, 2020, activated the need for a safe space for youth to express their thoughts and feelings. Group dialogues occurred, and BCK United began a partnership with multicultural organizations at Baker University. BCK United high school and college-age leaders collaborated with Baker University students to discuss the 2016 American documentary, 13th, racial inequality and current events, and microaggressions. Jointly they created self-care wellness kits and a video about inclusion. Most of 2021, students were adjusting to a new way of being in their world. The summer of 2022 brought a new group of students to BCK United, and they are making a positive difference in the community through their creative projects. The older, original members of BCK United continue to connect with the program as “alums” who bring new perspectives and experiences back to the group.

Thanks for sharing that. So, you could tell us a bit more about your business.
Wendy Conover – I have a background in Counseling Psychology and freelance writing. I have worked and volunteered in various roles in my community, including at the Baldwin City Chamber of Commerce and Lumberyard Arts Center. I have been the director of the Baldwin City Library since 2019. My experiences have helped shape my love of community, creativity, lifelong learning, and a desire to create safe and welcoming spaces. Embracing diversity and inclusion is essential for the well-being of all in our small town. It’s exciting to work with many local partners and to watch our collaborative efforts evolve and make an impact. It’s an honor to get to know and support young people and to help empower their greatness on this shared journey for our community.

Ilene Kimsey, Ph.D. – In addition to volunteering with the BCK United youth, I have my private practice, Kimsey Counseling, in Baldwin. I specialize in working with adults experiencing stress and anxiety due to life changes and challenges. For over 40 years, I have worked in human and spiritual development with a particular interest in the well-being of the whole person; body, mind, heart, and spirit. My Kansas heritage, childhood connection to The Wizard of Oz, and creative imagination set the stage for travels beyond the rainbow. In 2000, I authored the book Golden Wizdom Beyond the Emerald City – A Conscious Journey to Wholeness. Through this adventure, I became friends with Roger Baum, great-grandson of L. Frank Baum, author of the 1900 classic, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. I also got to know Margaret Pellegrini and, Clarence Swenson, Oz Munchkins in the 1939 movie, Wizard of Oz.

In 1986, the land of rainbows called to me, and I had the honor of living and working in Hawai’i for 20 years. I have incorporated ancient Hawaiian wisdom into my work and daily life. I discovered Turning Point Center for Hope and Healing in 2014 while supporting a family member through an illness. The organization provides programs for individuals, families, and caregivers living with chronic physical illnesses; it was an oasis for me. I now work as a facilitator for Turning Point and provide support for well-being through five different classes: Be Who You Are; The Power of Pause; Setting Things Right the Hawaiian Way; Integrate the Whole of You; and Honoring Loss. My academic path began in my hometown, Manhattan, KS, at Kansas State University, with a BA in Family and Child Development. I received my MA in Human Development from Pacific Oaks College, Pasadena, CA, and have my Ph.D. in Esoteric Studies from American Pacific University, Honolulu, HI. The daily classroom of life continues to provide outer adventures and inner discoveries. The rainbow consistently shows me the wisdom of the full spectrum of living from the heart.

Can you talk to us about the role of luck?
Ilene: It is fortunate synchronicity that Wendy and I were volunteering at the arts center on the same day, that we discovered our mutual appreciation of the Wizard of Oz’s powerful metaphors, and that we both have backgrounds in psychology. One of the things I value about co-creating with Wendy is acknowledging the present circumstances and designing the best outcome with what is in front of us. When the challenges of Covid caused the community to distance themselves from one another, BCK United took our message of support and kindness to the streets by chalking encouraging images and words on the downtown sidewalks. We used the social challenges of the day to respond to the expressed needs of the youth.

Wendy: Yes! I am grateful for the luck we’ve experienced and for Ilene and I’s ability to go with the flow and appreciate the power of the ‘little things,’ which aren’t little at all. The chalk messages are a good example of us finding a way to meet needs and connect in a very limited time. A strength of ours is to help each other see the opportunities for good, flexibility, and learning no matter what kind of ‘luck’ we’re having.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.kimseycounseling.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bckunited ; https://www.facebook.com/kimseycounseling