Want to attend a Citizens Academy? KC metro area (KS & MO) has many to choose from...

I started this blog to recap my experience attending the Citizens Academy through Johnson County Sheriff's Office this past spring.  I got off topic because life threw some challenges at me this year.  I intend to continue to use this blog to talk about volunteering but also about future Citizens Academy's I may attend. 

Want to attend a Citizens Academy?  The Kansas City metro area has many to choose from including of course... Johnson County Sheriff's Office. 

 

 To register for the Johnson County (KS) Sheriff's Office Citizens Academy visit their web page at: http://www.jocosheriff.org.  They typically host a spring and fall academy. 

And of course you can read my recap about their academy by reading my entries in this blog dated Feb - May 2012.

Here are other Citizens Academy offerings in Kansas:

Douglas County Sheriff's Office offers a citizens academy each fall.  To learn more click here.

City of Edwardsville Police Department offers a 7 week Citizens Academy. To learn more click here. 

Kansas City Kansas Police Department hosts a Citizens Academy. To learn more about their academy visit their web page here.

Lawrence Police Department offers a 30 hour Citizens Academy. To learn more about their academy visit their web page here.

Leawood Police Department offers a 10 week Citizens Academy. To learn more about their academy visit their web page here.

Lenexa Police Department offers a spring and fall Citizens Academy.  To learn more click here.

Merriam Police Department offers a fall Citizens Academy.  To learn more click here.

Miami County Sheriffs Office hosts a Citizens Academy.  To learn more click here.

Olathe Police Department hosts a Citizens Academy in the fall of each year. To learn more click here to visit their web page.

Overland Park Police Department offers an 8 week Citizens Academy in the fall. To learn more click here to visit their web page.

Prairie Village Police Department offers an 11 week Citizens Academy. To learn more visit their web page by clicking here.

Shawnee Police Department hosts a 10 week Citizens Academy in the fall. To learn more click here.

 

 

Here are Citizens Academy offerings in Missouri:

Belton Police Department offers an 8 week Citizens Academy.  You can learn more by clicking here. 

Cass County Sheriff's Office offers an 8 week Citizens Academy.  Click here to learn more.

The City of Harrisonville offered it's first ever Citizens Academy this fall.  To learn more click here.

Independence Police Department hosts a 10 week Citizens Academy.  To learn more click  here.

Lee's Summit Police Department hosts a 10 week Citizens Academy.  To learn more visit their web page by clicking here.

Kansas City Missouri Police Department hosts a Citizens Academy in the fall each year.  To learn more about their academy visit their web page here.

 

City of Raymore Police Department offers an 8 week Citizens Academy.  To learn more click here.

 

Raytown Police Police Department will host a Citizens Academy starting in January 2013.  Not sure but I think this is their first ever Citizens Academy. To learn more visit their facebook page here.  To register for their academy go here. 

 

And finally, the FBI offers a Citizens Academy.  Visit their page by clicking here to learn more.   .

This list may not be all inclusive. I listed those that I am aware of and was able to find a web page or facebook page for. If I have missed an agency that hosts a Citizens Academy please feel free to let me know and I will add them to the list.

 

Most agencies require citizen's to either live or work in the agency's jurisdiction in order to attend a Citizens Academy.  Academies are free of charge to attend!  Be sure to visit their web page to learn more about each respective agency's Citizens Academy.  If you have never attended a Citizens Academy, it is worth the time!  Have fun! 

If you have been following my blog and are wondering which Citizens Academy I will be attending in the spring, hint... it's one of the above! 

 

 

Volunteering over the Holidays...

I am not a big fan of the holidays. The holidays are always difficult for me and this year will be no different.   To help me get through the holidays I try to keep busy.  I have learned that volunteering is a great way to spend the holidays!

I started volunteering a couple of years ago.  Last year was my first full year volunteering.  My goal was to volunteer 100 hours in 2011 and I surpassed it by a couple hundred!  I put in a little over 200 hours at Wayside Waifs and around 200 "on-call" hours with the Red Cross.  I know there are people who donate more hours than I do.  There are so many people who donate time to so many organizations.  I tip my hat to all the amazing volunteers!!!

I haven't come anywhere close to volunteering 200 hours at Wayside Waifs or the Red Cross this year.  Between Wayside Waifs, the Red Cross and the road races I volunteered at I may have accumulated 200 volunteer hours total in 2012.  I helped out at a few events for the Johnson County Sheriff's Office this year too although it was just a few hours here and there, nothing compared to their dedicated volunteers!

It has been a tough year with my fire and other things going on.  Losing my kitty Cosmo in the fire and seeing CJ kitty so badly burned made it difficult for me to want to spend time at Wayside Waifs or respond to fires.  I am slowly getting back to a routine but likely won't come close to 100 hours this year at Wayside.  I am disappointed about that but next year will be better!  Love the fur babies too much to not want to spend time with them.  Made it in for a little while over the Thanksgiving holiday this year and plan on spending some time there over the Christmas holiday too! 

I spent this Thanksgiving Holiday being "on-call" for the Red Cross.  Was hoping for no calls because a call would mean someone is facing heartache.  Unfortunately there were a few fires over the Thanksgiving Holiday.  I am thankful I can volunteer and help people.  A pair of sisters lost their home over the holiday.  They just moved out from their moms home and unfortunately will now be moving back in with mom.  That's not necessarily a bad thing but they are 2 young adults trying to make it on their own and have already faced hardship.  I was glad that as a Red Cross volunteer I was able to help them with food and clothing.  They lost everything in the fire.  Their fur babies made it out though!  They have 2 cats and a dog that managed to escape the fire without harm (the sisters were not home at the time of the fire to help get them out safely making it even more remarkable the animals escaped!).  I was a little overwhelmed by their story.  My fur babies mean the world to me and it was nice to see their fur babies meant so much to them and were safe! 

As difficult as it is sometimes to see the devastation a fire or other disaster causes a family, I am thankful I volunteer.  I can't think of a better way to give back! 

I hope everyone has a Safe and Happy Holiday season!