Ribbon Cutting Celebrates Launch of Healthy Habits Hub at Boys & Girls Club Thornberry Unit

Ribbon Cutting: Friday, June 27th at 4:00 PM

Location: Thornberry Unit, 3831 E 43rd St, Kansas City, MO 64130

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:                                       

Contact: Gabrielle RichieKanbe’s Marketing & Communications Manager Gabrielle@kanbesmarkets.org 816-259-3622

Julie Kaul Senior Director of Special Events Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Kansas City jkaul@helpkckids.org 816-462-0131

Kansas City, MO (Friday, June 27, 2025) – Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Kansas City, in collaboration with Saint Luke’s and Kanbe’s Markets, is proud to announce the launch of Healthy Habits Hubs at its Thornberry and J&D Wagner Units. The ribbon cutting for the Thornberry Unit will take place on Friday, June 27th at 4:00 PM at 3831 E 43rd Street, and the community is invited to celebrate the program’s launch and impact.

These newly established Healthy Habits Hubs feature Kanbe’s Coolers stocked with fresh produce, available at no cost to Club members and their families. The initiative supports the Clubs’ Healthy Lifestyles priority area—one of the Clubs’ core pillars alongside Academic Success & Career Development, Good Character & Leadership and Technology

—by promoting nutrition, wellness education, and regular access to health resource aimed at improving long-term outcomes.

The Healthy Habits Hub is a welcoming, community-centered initiative focused on increasing access to fresh produce, nutrition education, and preventive health resources. By placing hubs inside trusted neighborhood spaces like Boys & Girls Clubs, the program helps address chronic disease risk factors while reinforcing healthy lifestyle habits.

“These new Healthy Habits Hubs represent the power of community partnerships in action,” said Jason Roth, President & CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Kansas City. “By expanding access to healthy food and wellness education right inside our Club spaces, we’re helping young people and their families build lifelong habits that lead to brighter, healthier futures.”

“We’re honored to partner with the Boys & Girls Clubs to ensure families have easy and dignified access to fresh fruits and vegetables right in their own neighborhood,” said Max Kaniger, Founder & CEO of Kanbe’s Markets. “This is what real community investment looks like.”

“Health outcomes are significantly impacted by social drivers of health, including access to healthy foods,” said Dr. Marsha Weaver, vice president and chief population health officer at Saint Luke’s. “Through our decade-long collaboration with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Kansas City, we are committed to reducing barriers to health in our community so all young people and their families can achieve their full health potential.”

The Healthy Habits Hub is part of a larger community health collaboration that includes the Kansas City Health Department, Mattie Rhodes Center, and the Greater KC Black Nurses Association, all working together to promote health equity through early education, resource navigation, and meaningful neighborhood engagement.

Produce distributions and educational opportunities will continue throughout the year at both the Thornberry and J&D Wagner Units.

To learn more or get involved, visit www.helpkckids.org or email info@helpkckids.org.

About Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Kansas City

For more than 110 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Kansas City has been dedicated to transforming the lives of children and teens in the Greater Kansas City area. Our goal is clear - to inspire and enable all youth, particularly those who need us most, to achieve their full potential as responsible, productive, and caring citizens. Through impactful programs in education, character development, leadership, and healthy lifestyles, we provide a safe and supportive environment where young people can thrive and put their dreams of a Great Future within reach. Learn more at helpkckids.org.

About Kanbe's Market

Kanbe's Markets is a 501(c)(3) perishable logistics company revolutionizing how fresh produce reaches communities in need. We are a last-mile distribution system that turns food loss into food access, tackling the supply chain challenges that no one else can solve. Learn more at Kanbesmarkets.org.

About Saint Luke's

Saint Luke’s serves the West Region of BJC Health System, one of the largest nonprofit health care organizations in the United States and the largest in the state of Missouri, serving urban, suburban, and rural communities in Missouri, southern Illinois, and eastern Kansas.

Saint Luke’s consists of more than 10 hospitals and campuses and more than 100 primary care and specialty offices, treating patients in 65 specialty services across 67 counties in Missouri and Kansas. Founded as a faith-based, not-for-profit organization, Saint Luke’s is committed to the highest levels of excellence in health care and the advancement of medical research and education.

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