Every list about civic engagement should probably start here. It never does. So let’s fix that.

You cannot pour from an empty cup. Put your mask on first.

I mean that completely literally. The long, slow work of showing up for your community - voting, volunteering, attending meetings, raising your hand, staying informed - takes energy. It takes resilience. It requires you to keep coming back.

None of that is sustainable if you’re not okay.

Your County Mental Health Center serves people across the lifespan, including for substance use, crisis support, and serious mental illness. It exists because your county government believes mental health is public health.

If you’re struggling, please reach out. Not after you finish the to-do list. Now.

And if you’re doing okay today, that’s great. But know this resource is here. For you, for someone you love, for a neighbor who might need it.

What does “taking care of yourself first” actually look like for you this week?

👉 jocogov.org/mental-health

Guide to Helping Children and Youth Cope with Traumatic Events

• A brief SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) guide that explains how children and teens may react after traumatic events and offers simple, age-appropriate tips for parents, caregivers and teachers to help them cope and return to a sense of safety and routine.

Happy serving,

Stephanie Sharp

Resources for this newsletter:

• A-Z guide to life, liberty, pursuit of happiness in JoCo

• Stronger Together Community Toolkit

About Serve60Sharp

Serve60Sharp is a weekly, read-in-60-seconds newsletter, which provides readers with actionable ideas to serve their communities.

What's your Serve60Sharp Idea?

So about Monday… (Pretty much sums it up, actually.) I decided not to double-down on my mistake then, so am instead including this correction in today’s note.

You know that moment when…

They call your name at an appointment, but you’re in the middle of something and you hurry up and gather all your stuff?

Yah, well, on Monday, instead of “Schedule time to email”, I hit SEND TO EVERYONE NOW! It wasn’t supposed to come out until my birthday in October.

Many apologies for my disservice to your Monday inbox 🙄🙈😳, please read on for today’s engagement alphabet idea,

Stephanie Sharp

PS: EXTRA apologies to current State Treasurer Steven Johnson, who I lumped in with - but who is most definitely the exception to - this year’s list of statewide Republican candidates

L is for ❤️📚:

You have a library branch. You know your favorite one - the parking, the drop box, the librarians, the smell of loved books, the corner that gets afternoon light.

That’s great. But most other library systems have multiple locations and each one is its own little world, reflecting the neighborhood which houses it. (Kind of like every Aldi has different goodies!)

Uniquely local collections, programming, and communities gathering in the same free, open space that belongs to all of us. When I’m looking for a great meeting place for a candidate or incumbent, libraries are a perfect fit - public, well-known, easily accessible physical spaces and hours, and typically available to reserve online!

Challenge for you: Visit a branch you’ve never seen. Wander around, ask a librarian what’s good right now. Check the community board for local events. Browse the new-arrivals shelf.

The library is one of the most “small-d” democratic institutions we have. Free, open to everyone, with no purchase necessary, no membership fee, and no political litmus test.

In a time when a lot of shared public spaces feel embattled or commercialized, the library is still just... the library. Yours. Ours.

Are you using it fully? Tell us how in the comments!

👉 jocolibrary.org/locations

Happy serving,

Stephanie Sharp

Resources for this newsletter:

• A-Z guide to life, liberty, pursuit of happiness in JoCo

• Stronger Together Community Toolkit

About Serve60Sharp

Serve60Sharp is a weekly, read-in-60-seconds newsletter, which provides readers with actionable ideas to serve their communities.

What's your Serve60Sharp Idea?

Quick: what’s your next-door neighbor’s phone number?

If you had to guess, most of us don’t know (BONUS POINTS if you have at least two neighbors’ numbers in your phone contacts!).

We wave. We nod. We smile at the dog. But if something happened — a tornado warning, a power outage, a health emergency — could you reach each other?

Johnson County’s Know Your Neighbors cards are almost embarrassingly simple. Print one (English or Spanish), write down your contact info, hand it to the people on either side of you, and ask them to fill one out for you.

That’s it. You’ve just created a tiny emergency network.

What I love about this is that it’s not really about emergencies. It’s about we’ve somehow built a culture where physical proximity doesn’t equal connection anymore. These cards are a nudge back toward each other.

When did you last have a real conversation with a neighbor? What would it take?

👉 jocogov.org/family-emergency-preparedness

Happy serving,

Stephanie Sharp

Resources for this newsletter:

• A-Z guide to life, liberty, pursuit of happiness in JoCo

• Stronger Together Community Toolkit

About Serve60Sharp

Serve60Sharp is a weekly, read-in-60-seconds newsletter, which provides readers with actionable ideas to serve their communities.

What's your Serve60Sharp Idea?

Not everyone can be on the County Commission. Not everyone wants to run for office. But almost everyone can join something.

Friends of the Johnson County Library. Friends of Johnson County Developmental Support. Friends of Johnson County Mental Health Center. YOUR community has dozens of these organizations - I guarantee it!

They are made up of regular neighbors - parents, retirees, professionals, newcomers - who decided the services their community depends on were worth showing up for beyond just paying taxes.

They host events. They raise awareness. They fill gaps that a government budget never quite can. And they build exactly the kind of relationships that make civic engagement sustainable. It’s a lot easier to keep showing up when you’re doing it alongside people you like.

I’ve said it before: campaigns are built on sound bites. Change is built on relationships.

Which county service matters most to you? There’s probably a friends group for it. And if there isn’t, maybe you’re the one to start one!

👉 jocogov.org

Happy serving,

Stephanie Sharp

Resources for this newsletter:

• A-Z guide to life, liberty, pursuit of happiness in JoCo

• Stronger Together Community Toolkit

About Serve60Sharp

Serve60Sharp is a weekly, read-in-60-seconds newsletter, which provides readers with actionable ideas to serve their communities.

What's your Serve60Sharp Idea?

This one is just kind of delightful.

Most public entities sell their surplus assets to the public. Office furniture, vehicles, electronics, etc. When the county no longer needs them, they go on GovDeals.com, open to anyone!

For small nonprofits, community organizations, or individuals outfitting a home office on a budget, it’s legitimately worth a bookmark.

But I also love what it represents: transparency by default. You can see what was purchased, when it was used, and what it’s worth now. That’s accountability in action, not just in theory.

Government isn’t some abstract entity. It’s a collection of desks and vehicles and tools, purchased with public money, serving a public purpose, and eventually sold back to the public when the purpose is done.

That’s... actually kind of beautiful? Or at least, very practical.

Browse it once. You might be surprised.

👉 govdeals.com and select a radius around your zip code. I found a pottery kiln at JCCC, a perfect-for-football-season mini bus in Kansas City, Kansas, these cool table/swivel chair combos and treadmills in Belton!

Happy serving,

Stephanie Sharp

Resources for this newsletter:

• A-Z guide to life, liberty, pursuit of happiness in JoCo

• Stronger Together Community Toolkit

About Serve60Sharp

Serve60Sharp is a weekly, read-in-60-seconds newsletter, which provides readers with actionable ideas to serve their communities.

What's your Serve60Sharp Idea?

1. Reply to this email, with your given name (how you’re registered to vote) and the Kansas Congressional District you live in. If you don’t know, just tell me your city.

2. I’ll send you a list of neighbors with ballots in their hand - a literal vote sitting on their side table - with contact information and a sample script you can customize to your needs.

If you’re still reading this, you know we send weekly community engagement tips you can read in 60 seconds - sharp. Pun intended.

If those tips have helped your neighborhood relationships grow (even if it’s just a Midwest, 2-finger steering-wheel wave), then when you call or text neighbors, it’s no longer a “cold call” into the void.

Furthermore, in this election-cycle-time-of-year, we CAN talk about personal politics without being political:

• Sharing your concern that Kansas not become like Wisconsin with multi-bajillion-dollar Supreme Court Justice campaigns, and that you already get enough political texts and mail isn’t political, it’s personal.

• When your kid is in front of a judge for a college DUI, you don’t want to worry if you can afford to donate enough to the judge’s campaign. That’s personal, not political.

• Saying you’re voting for a candidate for governor because you are in the same industry, or they have a record of supporting causes important to you like public education, special education, crime prevention, road repair, elderly health care, etc. is personal, not political.

• To twist a famous Margaret Thatcher saying: What’s personal is not political. What’s political is not personal.

In other words - YOUR voting story can help neighbors find theirs.

And we are uniquely positioned to help you!

With VoteSharp, I can pull a list of mail ballot applicants from any neighborhood in the state. As mentioned above, reply here with your given name (how you’re registered to vote, it’s not always the name by which you’re known) and the Kansas Congressional District you live in. I’ll look up your neighborhood and send you a corresponding list of voters with mailed ballots in their hands for you to contact and share your voting story - for whom you’re voting and why.

Sample Text or Call Script:

Hey [insert neighbor’s name], this is [your name] on [street name]. I’m checking in with neighbors to see if you have questions about the races on your primary election ballot. For KS Governor, I’m voting for [insert name] because [short & sweet reason!]. The last item on the ballot is a constitutional amendment to elect judges. Please join me in voting NO to keep judges impartial. Thanks for your consideration! Here’s a link to view your sample ballot:

https://myvoteinfo.voteks.org/

Happy serving!

Stephanie Sharp

PS: ICYMI, here’s the Sharp Sheet for the Kansas 2026 Primary Election.

Last week’s Sharp Sheet for the 2026 Primary Election:

For Kansans - (fellow political nerds might also enjoy:)

1. If you requested a mail ballot, it should land today or by Monday at the latest!

2. Early in-person voting begins TODAY (info)!!!!

3. View your sample ballot here.

TWO IMPORTANT points to remember:

1. As soon as you vote (early in-person or by mail), MOST campaigns remove you from their advertising lists. Smart campaigns don’t want to spend money on people who’ve already voted!

   1. Practice democracy AND clean out your mailbox/inbox/texts/social feeds.

2. BIG impact, TINY time commitment: VOTE in August elections!

   1. In a record year - SOME August elections reach 30% turnout.

   2. Your vote in these elections is, at minimum, 3x more the percentage of the total than in state/federal elections!

• Don’t just take my word for it - here are some quick & easy resources to do your own research. Note - it says a lot about candidates which do not answer questions for their community or participate in forums. If they aren’t showing up now, guess what happens once they’re elected... #justsayin

  • DISCLOSURE - I’m a Republican, so can only vote in the Republican primary. However, my professional relationships cross the political spectrum, so I will give my perspective on Democrat races as I deem relevant.

• Candidate Profiles:

  • Johnson County Chambers of Commerce

  • Johnson County Post

Constitutional Amendment: Last on the ballot - FIRST in priority!

Please vote NO. no. Nah. 👎. Niet. Non. 🙅🏻‍♀️. La. 0. 🚫

VOTERS have already spoken on this and some are trying to turn back the clock and pull a fast one to buy Justices…

• In the 1960s, there was so much corruption with elected judges that Kansans passed a constitutional amendment to change the Supreme Court process TO THE PROCESS WE HAVE NOW.

• Two people, one lawyer and one non-lawyer from each Congressional District are appointed to the Nominating Commission. That’s the statute - so when someone tells you the Justices are hand-picked by lawyers, they’re LYING TO YOU.

The rest of the ballot:

US Senate - Republican

• Pond Naramore: Let’s send a message that Kansas Republicans expect independent thinkers and aren’t happy with our current Representation in Washington!

US Senate - Democrat

• Adam Hamilton: If you’ve read this newsletter for any amount of time, you know I often mention my church and the amazing mission work they do throughout the KC Metro, the US, and the world.

  • 36 years ago, Pastor Adam started The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection (fondly nicknamed “COR”) in the chapel of a funeral home.

    • Now we have nine campuses in KC, one in Ohio, hundreds of employees and more than 20K members. I have been a member for 26 years.

  • COR defies the “megachurch” stereotype because of Adam and the team he leads. He’s the real deal.

    • PS: If you don’t think a pastor has political experience, I dare you to sit on any church committee or participate in any activity…!

US House

• Can I be honest? No one will beat Sharice Davids in the foreseeable future. Not because she isn’t beatable, but because of Trump. Moreover, the Dem infighting might cost the US Senate race, but I guess Dems can at least identify with what we traditional Republicans have been dealing with for 30+ years!

Governor/Lieutenant Governor - Republican

• Vicki Schmidt (Topeka) & Joe Newland (Neodesha)

  • Vicki is a longtime - in chronological order: colleague, friend, client, current 2-term State Insurance Commissioner, highest Republican vote-getter statewide and the ONLY Republican to win Johnson County in 2018 & 2022, and the only Republican running for Governor who supports public schools, teachers, recapturing health care dollars from the feds (Medicaid Expansion), and a whole host of other common sense issues.

Governor/Lieutenant Governor - Democrat

• Curt Skoog (Overland Park) & Dr. Jen Bacani McKenney (Fredonia)

  • This is a tough one and I can already hear the blowback coming my way.

  • I respect both State Senators Ethan Corson and Cindy Holscher and they are both better than the behind-the-scenes drama surrounding them.

  • Skoog & McKenney joined the race late but made the most impressive and organized launch I’ve seen in a long time. They have stayed above the smoke created by the crossfire of the other two.

  • If Republicans nominate someone other than Vicki Schmidt, Johnson County will be in the cross-hairs of a Brownback 4.0 situation on steroids and we’ll need a strong pair in the general who can ignore the chaos in their party and capture votes from those of us 80% that sit in the oft-ignored political middle.

Secretary of State

• The Republican in this race wants to get rid of mail ballots for all reasons and doesn’t think women should vote. So I’m not even going to tell you his name.

• I don’t know either Democrat in the primary, but in November Scott Morgan is running on the United Kansas party. Scott was an excellent candidate against Kris Kobach in the Republican primary election years ago and he’s done some good work on elections and voting issues.

Attorney General - No Primary

• Kris Kobach is the incumbent.

• I’m putting in a good word for Chris Mann - a former law enforcement officer, hit by a drunk driver and couldn’t police anymore, so went to law school to help others defend against drunk drivers - for the November general election.

State Treasurer - No Primary

• As above, I’m putting in a good word to re-elect Steven Johnson for the November general election.

State Insurance Commissioner - No Primary

• This is the seat Vicki Schmidt is vacating to run for governor.

• State Senator Dinah Sykes (Lenexa) is a former client who became a friend, switched from Republican to Democrat following one of Trump’s early antics, is in her 10th year in the Kansas Senate and serves as the Minority Leader.

• Her general election opponent is the #1 reason Kansas:

  • Paid more than $1 BILLION for health care for other Americans and missed out on $7 BILLION in federal funds, while 150,000+ Kansans made too much to qualify for Medicaid, but not enough to afford marketplace insurance if their employer didn’t offer it.

    • BTW: He cites blocking Medicaid Expansion as a badge of honor.

  • Does not have medical marijuana - again, for years he blocked it from coming to the House floor.

Johnson County Commission Chair - Nonpartisan

• Mike Kelly

Kansas State Board of Education

• District 1: Jennifer Lloyd

• District 3: Amy Diediker

• District 5: Jean Clifford

• District 7: Ann Zimmerman

• District 9: Destry Brown

Thank you for reading and sharing this year’s Sharp Sheet. If there’s a race you’re particularly interested in, reply to me and I’ll get you info!

Happy serving,

Stephanie Sharp

Since we’re on the topic of hazards, let’s talk about this Midwestern heat. I grew up with dry heat and clearly remember temps of 110-115° not deterring us from the community pools, bottles of baby oil, and a heart sticker on my thigh.

Pardon my Gen X digression into bad decisions of yesteryear. I’m making up for it now by bulk-buying SPF 50!

Eastern Kansas humidity is a whole other level of misery. Late July and August are pretty horrible around here and if I can’t be in the AC or floating in a lake 95% of the time, I better not be here. UGH!

If you live in the desert Southwest or the balmy Southeast, there’s a predictable schedule of heat and you’re more prepared for it. Because most of the Midwest experiences all the seasons, we can be caught off guard when they visit all in one month - or one day.

Heat Checklists:

The American Red Cross and Ready.gov both offer checklists to help prepare for extreme heat.

• Red Cross Checklist (English, Spanish)

• Ready.gov Checklist

As I write this, it’s mid-May, today’s high is 78°, without a cloud in the sky, a lovely breeze, and flowers are still blooming. Just thinking about scheduling this post for July 31 made my hair flop and now I’m sweating…

Happy serving,

Stephanie Sharp

Resources for this newsletter:

• A-Z guide to life, liberty, pursuit of happiness in JoCo

• Stronger Together Community Toolkit

About Serve60Sharp

Serve60Sharp is a weekly, read-in-60-seconds newsletter, which provides readers with actionable ideas to serve their communities.

What's your Serve60Sharp Idea?

1. If you requested a mail ballot, it should land today or by Monday at the latest!

2. Early in-person voting begins TODAY (info)!!!!

3. View your sample ballot here.

TWO IMPORTANT points to remember:

1. As soon as you vote (early in-person or by mail), MOST campaigns remove you from their advertising lists. Smart campaigns don’t want to spend money on people who’ve already voted!

   1. Practice democracy AND clean out your mailbox/inbox/texts/social feeds.

2. BIG impact, TINY time commitment: VOTE in August elections!

   1. In a record year - SOME August elections reach 30% turnout.

   2. Your vote in these elections is, at minimum, 3x more the percentage of the total than in state/federal elections!

• Don’t just take my word for it - here are some quick & easy resources to do your own research. Note - it says a lot about candidates which do not answer questions for their community or participate in forums. If they aren’t showing up now, guess what happens once they’re elected... #justsayin

  • DISCLOSURE - I’m a Republican, so can only vote in the Republican primary. However, my professional relationships cross the political spectrum, so I will give my perspective on Democrat races as I deem relevant.

• Candidate Profiles:

  • Johnson County Chambers of Commerce

  • Johnson County Post

Constitutional Amendment: Last on the ballot - FIRST in priority!

Please vote NO. no. Nah. 👎. Niet. Non. 🙅🏻‍♀️. La. 0. 🚫

VOTERS have already spoken on this and some are trying to turn back the clock and pull a fast one to buy Justices…

• In the 1960s, there was so much corruption with elected judges that Kansans passed a constitutional amendment to change the Supreme Court process TO THE PROCESS WE HAVE NOW.

• Two people, one lawyer and one non-lawyer from each Congressional District are appointed to the Nominating Commission. That’s the statute - so when someone tells you the Justices are hand-picked by lawyers, they’re LYING TO YOU.

The rest of the ballot:

US Senate - Republican

• Pond Naramore: Let’s send a message that Kansas Republicans expect independent thinkers and aren’t happy with our current Representation in Washington!

US Senate - Democrat

• Adam Hamilton: If you’ve read this newsletter for any amount of time, you know I often mention my church and the amazing mission work they do throughout the KC Metro, the US, and the world.

  • 36 years ago, Pastor Adam started The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection (fondly nicknamed “COR”) in the chapel of a funeral home.

    • Now we have nine campuses in KC, one in Ohio, hundreds of employees and more than 20K members. I have been a member for 26 years.

  • COR defies the “megachurch” stereotype because of Adam and the team he leads. He’s the real deal.

    • PS: If you don’t think a pastor has political experience, I dare you to sit on any church committee or participate in any activity…!

US House

• Can I be honest? No one will beat Sharice Davids in the foreseeable future. Not because she isn’t beatable, but because of Trump. Moreover, the Dem infighting might cost the US Senate race, but I guess Dems can at least identify with what we traditional Republicans have been dealing with for 30+ years!

Governor/Lieutenant Governor - Republican

• Vicki Schmidt (Topeka) & Joe Newland (Neodesha)

  • Vicki is a longtime - in chronological order: colleague, friend, client, current 2-term State Insurance Commissioner, highest Republican vote-getter statewide and the ONLY Republican to win Johnson County in 2018 & 2022, and the only Republican running for Governor who supports public schools, teachers, recapturing health care dollars from the feds (Medicaid Expansion), and a whole host of other common sense issues.

Governor/Lieutenant Governor - Democrat

• Curt Skoog (Overland Park) & Dr. Jen Bacani McKenney (Fredonia)

  • This is a tough one and I can already hear the blowback coming my way.

  • I respect both State Senators Ethan Corson and Cindy Holscher and they are both better than the behind-the-scenes drama surrounding them.

  • Skoog & McKenney joined the race late but made the most impressive and organized launch I’ve seen in a long time. They have stayed above the smoke created by the crossfire of the other two.

  • If Republicans nominate someone other than Vicki Schmidt, Johnson County will be in the cross-hairs of a Brownback 4.0 situation on steroids and we’ll need a strong pair in the general who can ignore the chaos in their party and capture votes from those of us 80% that sit in the oft-ignored political middle.

Secretary of State

• The Republican in this race wants to get rid of mail ballots for all reasons and doesn’t think women should vote. So I’m not even going to tell you his name.

• I don’t know either Democrat in the primary, but in November Scott Morgan is running on the United Kansas party. Scott was an excellent candidate against Kris Kobach in the Republican primary election years ago and he’s done some good work on elections and voting issues.

Attorney General - No Primary

• Kris Kobach is the incumbent.

• I’m putting in a good word for Chris Mann - a former law enforcement officer, hit by a drunk driver and couldn’t police anymore, so went to law school to help others defend against drunk drivers - for the November general election.

State Treasurer - No Primary

• As above, I’m putting in a good word to re-elect Steven Johnson for the November general election.

State Insurance Commissioner - No Primary

• This is the seat Vicki Schmidt is vacating to run for governor.

• State Senator Dinah Sykes (Lenexa) is a former client who became a friend, switched from Republican to Democrat following one of Trump’s early antics, is in her 10th year in the Kansas Senate and serves as the Minority Leader.

• Her general election opponent is the #1 reason Kansas:

  • Paid more than $1 BILLION for health care for other Americans and missed out on $7 BILLION in federal funds, while 150,000+ Kansans made too much to qualify for Medicaid, but not enough to afford marketplace insurance if their employer didn’t offer it.

    • BTW: He cites blocking Medicaid Expansion as a badge of honor.

  • Does not have medical marijuana - again, for years he blocked it from coming to the House floor.

Johnson County Commission Chair - Nonpartisan

• Mike Kelly

Kansas State Board of Education

• District 1: Jennifer Lloyd

• District 3: Amy Diediker

• District 5: Jean Clifford

• District 7: Ann Zimmerman

• District 9: Destry Brown

Thank you for reading and sharing this year’s Sharp Sheet. If there’s a race you’re particularly interested in, reply to me and I’ll get you info!

Happy serving,

Stephanie Sharp

There’s a shelf in most of our garages or basements. You know the one. Mystery chemicals, old paint, batteries that might be dead, something labeled “ENGINE DEGREASER” from 2011.

We all have it. Nobody talks about it.

But here’s the thing: those materials can contaminate soil and water when they end up in the landfill. And in a place like Johnson County, with creeks, parks, and drinking water sources nearby, that’s not abstract.

The Household Hazardous Waste Facility makes this genuinely easy. Schedule an appointment, drop it off, and drive home knowing you just did something small and legitimately good for your watershed.

I’d argue this is also a metaphor for civic engagement broadly: most of the things we need to “deal with” aren’t as hard as we’re making them. We just need to schedule the appointment.

What’s been sitting on your shelf?

👉 jocogov.org/hhw

As long as you’re headed that direction, ask the neighbors if they have old cans of paint or other hazardous materials to add to your deposit.

Happy serving,

Stephanie Sharp

Resources for this newsletter:

• A-Z guide to life, liberty, pursuit of happiness in JoCo

• Stronger Together Community Toolkit

About Serve60Sharp

Serve60Sharp is a weekly, read-in-60-seconds newsletter, which provides readers with actionable ideas to serve their communities.

What's your Serve60Sharp Idea?

Most people, when asked, say they want to grow old at home. In their space. With their things. On their terms.

That’s not just a personal preference, it’s a policy question. And Johnson County has an answer worth knowing about.

The county’s Minor Home Rehabilitation program offers grants to eligible homeowners to repair or modify their homes as they age. Accessibility upgrades. Safety repairs. The kind of changes that make “staying home” actually possible.

Here’s the civic conversation embedded in this: who gets to age in place with dignity?

Too often the answer is “people who can afford to.” This program pushes back on that. Income limits apply, and it doesn’t currently serve Olathe or Lenexa, but for those it does reach, it’s a meaningful difference.

Know a neighbor who’s quietly struggling to stay in their home? This might be worth a conversation.

👉 jocogov.org/minor-home-rehabilitation

Happy serving,

Stephanie Sharp

Resources for this newsletter:

• A-Z guide to life, liberty, pursuit of happiness in JoCo

• Stronger Together Community Toolkit

About Serve60Sharp

Serve60Sharp is a weekly, read-in-60-seconds newsletter, which provides readers with actionable ideas to serve their communities.

What's your Serve60Sharp Idea?

The Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution are often confused:

• The Declaration of Independence is our founding document, separating us from the British Empire, and

• The Constitution set the rules of governing that new country.

Today we celebrate the separation which began our unique experiment in democracy, which continues - an experiment with many iterations, attempts, successes, failures, and everything that goes with it. We practice democracy every day. It is not a static word but a verb which continues to evolve with us.

Please take a moment to read through the Declaration below, keeping in mind Thomas Jefferson was 33 when he wrote it!

I couldn’t resist, especially with the World Cup on our minds on this special Independence Day, the Merriam-Webster Dictionary wins the internet today:

Declaration of Independence: A Transcription

In Congress, July 4, 1776

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America, When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.

He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.

He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.

He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.

He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:

For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:

For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:

For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:

For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:

For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:

For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:

For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:

For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:

For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.

He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our Brittish brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

Happy Birthday, America! 250 years and counting,

Stephanie Sharp

About Serve60Sharp

Serve60Sharp is a weekly, read-in-60-seconds newsletter, which provides readers with actionable ideas to serve their communities.

What's your Serve60Sharp Idea?

It seems like all the “Double Digit” versions are packed at the beginning, but these are worth their separate space, even though they’re also related to Disaster and Emergency…

Fire Safety Checklist

A handy one-page Fire Safety Checklist for Homeowners and Renters that helps you quickly check if your home is protected. It covers escape planning, working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, safe cooking and candle practices and checking electrical and appliance safety.

I signed up for the free TING electrical system monitoring app offered by my insurer, State Farm. It was super easy to set up and alerts me to power surges or outages. You should check with your homeowner’s insurance before buying one as yours might be free!

Happy Serving,

Stephanie Sharp

Resources for this newsletter:

• A-Z guide to life, liberty, pursuit of happiness in JoCo

• Stronger Together Community Toolkit

About Serve60Sharp

Serve60Sharp is a weekly, read-in-60-seconds newsletter, which provides readers with actionable ideas to serve their communities.

What's your Serve60Sharp Idea?

Johnson County’s MED-ACT team has a tool that makes that conversation a little easier and more practical. It’s called the File of Life form. You fill out your critical health information — medications, preferred hospital, your doctor’s name — slip it into a bright red sleeve, and put it on your refrigerator.

When first responders arrive, they know exactly where to look.

That’s it. Ten minutes. Zero cost. Potentially life-changing.

I think of it as a love letter to the people who might have to help you someday. And a gift to your family, who won’t have to scramble for information in the worst moment.

Print one for yourself. Print one for your parents. Drop one off for a neighbor who lives alone.

Some civic action is very, very small. This is one of them.

👉 jocogov.org/file-life-program

Happy Serving,

Stephanie Sharp

Resources for this newsletter:

• A-Z guide to life, liberty, pursuit of happiness in JoCo

• Stronger Together Community Toolkit

About Serve60Sharp

Serve60Sharp is a weekly, read-in-60-seconds newsletter, which provides readers with actionable ideas to serve their communities.

What's your Serve60Sharp Idea?

Here’s another double dose, but this time it’s E. While this is similar to the Disaster information under D, it includes tangible tools and external sources you can find anywhere, like the Red Cross, if your county does not have these resources.

Emergency Kit Checklist

The essentials for what you need to have ready on standby when a disaster strikes. Includes a checklist of basic items as well as more detailed and advanced things you might want to add if you have the means/desire.

Shelter in Place Guideline

A simple guide from the American Red Cross explaining what to do if authorities tell you to “shelter in place.” It describes when shelter-in-place might be needed (like a chemical spill or hazardous materials emergency) and outlines practical steps such as, go inside immediately, close and lock doors and windows, turn off HVAC/vents, pick a safe interior room (ideally one with a toilet/phone and few windows), seal it if needed, bring pets and supplies and wait for an official “all clear.”

Happy serving,

Stephanie Sharp

Resources for this newsletter:

• A-Z guide to life, liberty, pursuit of happiness in JoCo

• Stronger Together Community Toolkit

About Serve60Sharp

Serve60Sharp is a weekly, read-in-60-seconds newsletter, which provides readers with actionable ideas to serve their communities.

What's your Serve60Sharp Idea?

Voting gets all the glory. But democracy doesn’t actually run itself on Election Day.

It runs on people. People who show up at 6 a.m. to set up tables, help confused voters find their booth, explain the ballot, troubleshoot the machine, and stay until every last vote is counted.

Paid poll workers in Johnson County are, to me, unsung civic heroes. (This is me singing their praises!)

And here’s what I love most about the setup: the county recruits workers of all political affiliations intentionally. Because a fair election isn’t just fair — it has to look fair. It has to be transparent.

If you’ve ever worried about election integrity, here’s your most direct response: be in the room. Be one of the people who makes it run right.

It’s a long day. It is completely worth it.

Who in your life would be great at this?

👉 jocoelection.org

Happy serving,

Stephanie Sharp

Resources for this newsletter:

• A-Z guide to life, liberty, pursuit of happiness in JoCo

• Stronger Together Community Toolkit

About Serve60Sharp

Serve60Sharp is a weekly, read-in-60-seconds newsletter, which provides readers with actionable ideas to serve their communities.

What's your Serve60Sharp Idea?

Last week’s “D” had so much content I wanted to share that started with Disaster and combining them didn’t seem natural, so you get D&D... A little something for my fellow Gen Xers who came of age during the 90s - I hear D&D is having quite the revival?

Household Disaster Plan

A template that helps families get ready for emergencies and disasters. It guides you to map out escape routes, pick safe meeting places, plan communication and reunification if separated, prep an emergency kit (water, food, supplies) and account for things like pets, utility shut offs and accessibility needs.

Local Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Info

A program designed to educate community members about disaster preparedness for hazards that may affect our area, while also providing training in basic disaster response skills including fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization and disaster medical operations. Below is additional information and contact details for the CERT teams operating in Johnson County, Kansas.

• Shawnee Emergency Management CERT Training

• Overland Park CERT Training

What are the local resources in your community and how can you help your neighborhood ensure each resident is prepared?

Happy serving,

Stephanie Sharp

Resources for this newsletter:

• A-Z guide to life, liberty, pursuit of happiness in JoCo

• Stronger Together Community Toolkit

About Serve60Sharp

Serve60Sharp is a weekly, read-in-60-seconds newsletter, which provides readers with actionable ideas to serve their communities.

What's your Serve60Sharp Idea?

“I thought I was delivering lunch. Turns out I was delivering Tuesday.”

For some seniors receiving meals through your County’s Aging and Human Services program, that knock at the door is the only face-to-face human contact they’ll have all day.

Let that sit for a second.

We talk a lot about loneliness as a public health crisis. And it is. But we don’t talk as much about how close the solution can be - a few hours, a reliable car, a warm greeting on a doorstep.

Volunteers with the Home-Delivered Meals program don’t just fight hunger. They fight isolation. And honestly? They’ll tell you they receive more than they give.

If you’ve been waiting for a sign that your time could matter to someone — this is it.

What’s one afternoon a month worth to you?

👉 jocogov.org/ahsvolunteers

Happy serving,

Stephanie Sharp

Resources for this newsletter:

• A-Z guide to life, liberty, pursuit of happiness in JoCo

• Stronger Together Community Toolkit

About Serve60Sharp

Serve60Sharp is a weekly, read-in-60-seconds newsletter, which provides readers with actionable ideas to serve their communities.

What's your Serve60Sharp Idea?

Here’s something Forbes figured out that a lot of us haven’t: Johnson County Government is one of the best midsized employers in America. Top 5 in Kansas.

I know. Not what most people picture when they think “government job.”

But here’s the civic conversation I want to start: who do you imagine when you picture a public servant?

Because if the answer is “not me” - I’d push back on that. The county employs people in emergency medicine, mental health, technology, communications, finance, legal, planning. Whatever you do, there is probably a version of it that serves your neighbors directly.

The “someone should do something about that” feeling? It’s pointing somewhere. Sometimes it points toward the ballot box. Sometimes it points toward a job listing.

What would it look like to make your skills count in YOUR community?

👉 jocogov.org/careers

Happy serving,

Stephanie Sharp

Resources for this newsletter:

• A-Z guide to life, liberty, pursuit of happiness in JoCo

• Stronger Together Community Toolkit

About Serve60Sharp

Serve60Sharp is a weekly, read-in-60-seconds newsletter, which provides readers with actionable ideas to serve their communities.

What's your Serve60Sharp Idea?

When I speak to groups, I encourage attendees to connect with their elected officials and offer to be a resource on areas of specialty - professional OR personal.

• Maybe you’re an accountant or teacher, you work for Garmin, or are a data scientist.

• What if your kid has a rare condition or your parents are in a nursing home on Medicaid?

• You’ve developed a personal expertise in dealing with insurance, hospitals, and doctors with your kid, and with Medicaid and elder care with your parents.

Share that knowledge to beef up your elected officials’ understanding of the issues!

After last week’s recommendation - A for Attend - are you ready for the next step? You’ve connected with electeds on your priority issues, you’ve been going to meetings and found an area of interest or expertise. Now join the board!

B = Board

Become a member of a county board. Citizens who join advisory boards, commissions, committees or coalitions have a deeper and more immediate impact on public policy and quality of life!

If you live in Kansas, here are three good resources:

• State of Kansas Boards & Commissions

• Johnson County Boards & Commissions

• Sedgwick County Boards & Commissions

Happy serving!

Stephanie Sharp

PS: My daughter Anna had a QOTD (quote of the day) when I was on the JCCC Board of Trustees.

• I came home from a meeting, she asked what we did.

• I said it was boring. Her response?

• Mom, what did you expect, it’s called a BORED meeting! 🤣

  

Resources for this newsletter:

• A-Z guide to life, liberty, pursuit of happiness in JoCo

• Stronger Together Community Toolkit

About Serve60Sharp

Serve60Sharp is a weekly, read-in-60-seconds newsletter, which provides readers with actionable ideas to serve their communities.

What's your Serve60Sharp Idea?

From the Guide: A

Attend the Johnson County Arts & Heritage Center, home of the Johnson County Museum. Information about the exhibit “Everyday Democracy”

For those outside Kansas - visit a local museum - the more local, the better. Is there a museum about your county or city? They’re a great place to hear incredible stories about your community’s founding and history over the decades.

From Stephanie: A

Attend a local city, school, or county board meeting! Be sure to introduce yourself to the person which represents you and let them know you’re there because some lady in Kansas told you you’d learn something - NOT because you’re going to run against them - which is what most elected officials think when people start showing up at meetings without a specific reason!

Happy serving,

Stephanie Sharp

Resources for this newsletter:

• A-Z guide to life, liberty, pursuit of happiness in JoCo

• Stronger Together Community Toolkit

About Serve60Sharp

Serve60Sharp is a weekly, read-in-60-seconds newsletter, which provides readers with actionable ideas to serve their communities.

What's your Serve60Sharp Idea?