Kay Goodnow of Kansas City MO passes
I'm sad to share the news that a dear friend and colleague, Kay Goodnow of Kansas City, has passed away at the age of 77.
Kay was a long time member of SNAP and, years ago, of Link Up. She had an acerbic wit and a huge heart. Kay was also a firm believer in using “letters to the editor” and “comment” sections to criticize the corrupt and empathize with the wounded.
While she was healthy, Kay often attended SNAP events, especially in Kansas City. She never hesitated to speak her mind and each time she did, her words rang with truth and compassion.
Often, she spoke highly of her friends in this movement, including Nancy Meyer of Canada, Rick Springer of Chicago, Mike Hunter of Kansas City and Joe McGee of Colorado.
Just two or three weeks ago, right after a news conference outside Bishop Robert Finn's headquarters, long time SNAP member Abott Durocher drove me to the suburban retirement home where Kay was living. The three of us had a wonderful time catching up and reminiscing.
Kay was visibly glad to see us. And she recounted tales of discussing clergy sex crimes and cover ups with other residents and staff (noting with some glee, that the topic made some of her neighbors feel a little uncomfortable).
Kay was one of the 40+ brave KC victims who forced Finn to sign a contract to take 19 prevention steps as part of a historic settlement. (And because of her courage, she was able to “out” her predator, Fr. John Baskett (who also spent time in Las Vegas, North Carolina and Boonville, Missouri).
Kay was also one of the 40+ brave KC victims who took Finn to court in 2011, charging that he broke that binding contract. In an unprecedented move, as reported in the New York Times recently, an arbitrator awarded those victims $1.1 million for the further pain they suffered because Finn so clearly broke his word (in part, by taking little or no effective action, for months, to keep predators Fr. Shawn Ratigan and Fr. Michael Tierney away from children).
As a friend to the suffering and an advocate for the vulnerable, Kay will be sorely missed. Our deepest condolences to her family.
Winter Appeal 2023
To our friends,
2023 has been a long year with many ups and downs for us all. As we close out the year, we at SNAP hope that you are feeling like you are on your way to being healthy, fulfilled, and happy. This past year has brought both successes and challenges. Thanks to the support you have shown in the past, we’ve been able to celebrate the good days and weather the stormy ones. Now, we are once again asking for your support as we work to support survivors new and old as we ‘Move SNAP Forward.’
At SNAP we are proud to have hosted a very well-attended conference in August 2023. This event allowed us to gather friends, survivors, advocates, and allies for a weekend of camaraderie and connection. We were so happy to be able to welcome many first-time attendees to gather in person and are already looking forward to the next conference.
To strengthen our movement for justice, healing, and prevention, SNAP will be expanding our peer support and providing more volunteer opportunities in the coming year. Through this great work, we are ensuring survivor voices are represented as we work for significant change that will benefit children and survivors.
Right now, survivors worldwide are getting the help they need from SNAP, and more and more reach out to us daily, but we need your help to keep those programs going and get our volunteers the training they need to thrive.
Your tax-deductible gift to SNAP can help offset the cost of our important mission. If you are not in a position to contribute, you can still support us by sharing this letter with those who can. As we continue to fight for survivors across the globe, your donation or sharing the great work SNAP does will help us continue our work to protect the vulnerable, heal the wounded, and prevent abuse.
Your donation ensures SNAP will be there for those who need us more than ever!
Warmly,
Michael W. McDonnell, C.P.S.
Interim Executive Director
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I wonder if there is someone else who would like to share their story from the KC area.
Laura Ziegler 913-558-3398 On deadline with KCUR NPR!