At the age of 87, Sister Corita Bussanmas passed away on Saturday, March 27, 2021. Bussanmas was the co-founder of Operation Breakthrough. Operation Breakthrough is a direct service provider for early childhood services in partnership with the MARC Head Start program.
Bussanmas lived a life of service. In 1967, she moved to Kansas City, Missouri, to serve as the principal of St. Vincent’s Catholic School, located at East 31st Street and Flora Avenue. In 1971, Sister Berta Sailer and Sister Bussanmas co-founded Operation Breakthrough to provide child care services to working parents.
After decades of advocating for the city’s poorest children, Bussanmas retired in 2013. By that year, Operation Breakthrough was serving more than 500 children per year, many from families who lived below the poverty line. Currently, 700 children attend classes every day at the Operation Breakthroug education center.
Thank you for your service, Sister Bussanmas. We appreciate your leadership in the community and the partnership you helped foster between MARC’s Head Start program and Operation Breakthrough.