Our Mission
A Platform for Community Engagement
We build a more engaged and collaborative city by ensuring the people who power our economy have a meaningful voice in its future.
Why Overland Park Voice Exists
Our community's workforce—the teachers, healthcare workers, retail employees, and renters—face barriers to civic participation that traditional channels don't address.
The Gap We Fill
Overland Park has channels for civic participation like the Chamber of Commerce and homeowners' associations. While valuable, these avenues often require a time commitment that many in our community workforce—retail workers, teachers, healthcare staff, and renters—simply don't have.
Overland Park Voice fills this gap. We make participation more accessible and impactful, organizing our community to focus on clear, common-sense goals. We are an additive force for a more inclusive civic dialogue.
Leveraging FrameworkOP
In May 2024, the City of Overland Park adopted FrameworkOP, its official comprehensive plan. This document provides a clear roadmap for the city's future. We use FrameworkOP as a foundational guide, aligning our efforts with the city's own stated goals to ensure our advocacy is focused, constructive, and effective.
Our Core Principles
These values guide everything we do and inform our approach to community engagement.
Collaborative
We seek to build bridges, not walls. We believe the best outcomes are found when everyone works together.
Accessible
We work to demystify the civic process and lower the barriers to participation for every resident.
Data-Driven
We advocate for policies based on transparent data, paired with powerful, personal stories.
Results-Oriented
We focus on achievable goals that deliver a real return on the community's investment of time and effort.
Our Approach
How we're building a more inclusive and effective civic dialogue in Overland Park.
Meeting People Where They Are
Traditional civic engagement often requires evening meetings, lengthy commitments, or specialized knowledge. We recognize that many community members—especially those in service industries, shift work, or caregiving roles—face barriers to participation.
Our approach creates multiple pathways for engagement, from quick digital actions to deeper involvement, ensuring everyone can contribute meaningfully regardless of their available time or resources.
Strategic Focus on Shared Goals
Rather than pursuing a broad agenda, we focus on specific issues where our community workforce has the most at stake and where meaningful progress is achievable. This strategic approach maximizes impact while respecting our members' time.
By aligning our efforts with the city's own comprehensive plan (FrameworkOP), we ensure our advocacy is constructive and builds on existing municipal priorities.
Building Bridges, Not Barriers
We believe the strongest solutions emerge when diverse voices work together. Our role isn't to oppose existing civic organizations, but to complement them by bringing new perspectives to the table.
We actively seek collaboration with homeowners' associations, business groups, and other community organizations to find common ground and build broader coalitions for positive change.
Ready to Make Your Voice Heard?
Our mission comes to life through the participation of community members like you. Whether you have five minutes or five hours to contribute, there's a place for you in this movement.