Shelter KC: A Kansas City Rescue Mission

Today, we're taking a journey back in time! 🏙️ Shelter KC (formerly KCRM) spent nearly 23 years at 523 Walnut Street, a 3-story brick building that became a beacon of hope for those in need. After 5 years and 4 different buildings, this location became our home and a place where countless lives were transformed.

As we look back on almost 75 years of ministry, we are incredibly blessed to have had the opportunity to serve Kansas City and make an impact in this amazing community. Here's to continuing the journey of hope and healing! 💙

While we observe Father's Day in June, at Shelter KC we focus on the gift of being a father all year round. Good Dads is a 12-week course from Fatherhood Foundations' Kansas City chapter that is facilitated by our own graduate (and now staff) DeMarco Brown. With the support of Don and Rob from Fatherhood Foundations, each week's lessons focus on foundational skills and problem-solving scenarios. The men get to have open discussions on relationships, parenting, recovery, leading in the community, and Christ-centered living. Thank you Good Dads Fatherhood Foundations, for partnering with us!

To learn more about Fatherhood Foundations, Good Dads Kansas City chapter, please visit: https://gooddads.com/kansas-city/

Welcome Ryan, one of our new Front Line Coaches. He loves working at Shelter KC because: "I enjoy serving at Shelter KC because of their focus on Jesus and genuine commitment to supporting those in need so that lives may be transformed."

We are always excited to celebrate progress. Congrats to Polly, Cris and Alberto for their Phase Ups! It takes commitment, patience and focus to achieve these milestones. Please join us in celebrating them and keeping them in your prayers as they continue to study, work and grow. God Bless!

To learn more about our Shelter KC programs and what we do, please visit: https://www.shelterkc.org/ministries/

Meet Michael Tuschhoff, one of our new Front Line Coaches!

Michael loves working at Shelter KC: "I love working at Shelter KC because it embodies my core values of compassion and service. Being part of a Christ-centered organization allows me to incorporate my faith into my daily work, providing support and hope to those in need. What truly drives my passion is the opportunity to give back to the city that raised me. I believe in the power of community, and it brings me immense joy to contribute to a place that has shaped so many individuals who deserve not just a second chance but a forever chance. Helping individuals navigate their challenges not only uplifts them but also strengthens our community as a whole. It's fulfilling to witness the positive impact we can have together, and I am grateful to play a role in making a difference from the ground floor, up."

Last week, Shelter KC Executive Director, Eric Burger presented Dr. Eddie Estep with the Rescuer Award on behalf of Citygate Network . This award recognizes individuals who have provided excellence in service toward serving the homeless community and advancing the Kingdom in the name of Christ Jesus.

Shelter KC is honored to have had Dr. Estep serve on the Shelter KC Board since 2018. We sincerely thank him for his service, many years of experience as District Superintendent and as a Pastor.

Happy Labor Day! Let those who labor work in peace, in freedom, without fear. Give those in need a job to do, and to the tired, well-earned rest. Let all our toil and labor, Lord, we give glory to your name! Amen and God bless!

Welcome Chase, our new Facilities Manager, to the Shelter KC team!

Chase says he loves working at Shelter KC because "I love working at a place, where Christ is central, the Gospel is preached, and lives are restored. Here at SKC, you get to see firsthand the transformative work of God each and every day; and I am blessed and strengthened by hearing and seeing these men and women's testimonies and transformations. It is truly an honor to help make this place better for the individuals staying here."

Happy Friday! Thank you to our volunteer group of ladies from Table for 6 for serving at the Women's Center last week. They got to play games, grill and spend time in fellowship. We are grateful for you. To learn more about what we do, please visit: https://www.shelterkc.org/ministries/

At Shelter KC, our program graduates get the opportunity to join our Discipleship Through Service internship. Through this internship our interns get to attend leadership events like the Global Leadership Summit. Regi, one of our interns who attended this year, was really inspired by some of the sessions:

What were your major takeaways?

"Jo Saxton spoke about trauma and anxiety in the workplace and not having a voice. I learned that I am able to use my voice and not let anxiety take over. Coach K spoke about staying in your own lane, in order to work as a team. We (as DTS) are one team and we get to be adaptable with our communication. I get to keep changing how I communicate by being accountable and do things with integrity, courage and respect. By being inspired by God's word and treating people with respect, I am walking the walk-with Christ."

But first, Pizza! Volunteers from Overland Park Church of the Nazarene came to serve up slices at our Men's Center. Thank you for making dinner time fun.

TGIF! We are excited to celebrate Phase Ups at Shelter KC! Congrats to Eddie, Richard, William, and Bol for their hard work and commitment. Please keep them in your prayers as they continue to study, be in fellowship and connect to God's word.

To learn more about our Shelter KC programs and what we do, please visit: https://www.shelterkc.org/ministries/

At Shelter KC, we value educational opportunities and encourage everyone at the mission to continue gaining helpful life skills. This week our front line staff got the opportunity to experience an emergency training including key CPR techniques so that we can be better prepared to support our community. Thank you to Chase and Tamera from the Kansas City Fire Department for teaching these skills and empowering our staff!

Do you feel called to serve the Lord and change lives of those in need in Kansas City? We are hiring at Shelter KC and would love to hear from you! We have multiple part-time positions such as Volunteer Coordinator and Communications Specialist, and more.

To see all of our job openings, check out the website here:

Employment - Shelter KC Shelter KC's team of dedicated, hard-working staff and volunteers care for Kansas City’s poor and homeless people. Apply for career and volunteer positions.

Bingo! Thank you to our volunteer group from Church of the Resurrection Serve Saturday for serving at the Women's Center. This past weekend, they came out for a tour, played Bingo, enjoyed lunch and fellowship with our ladies!

Welcome back Robert! It's great to see a familiar face- thank you for volunteering to lead our evening chapel service. Robert Strong had been working as a Lead Recovery Coach at Shelter KC for the last 3 years and recently retired. We are grateful for his dedication to the Lord's work, and welcome new chapel volunteers too. Are you a pastor? Are you passionate about serving the homeless?

To get involved, contact our Community Engagement Coordinator, Chloe at: [email protected].

August means back to school for a lot of us, but at Shelter KC we have classes all year round. Items that our men and women could use include: ink pens, highlighters, spiral notebooks, black permanent markers, masking tape, and books. You can find the list of books on our BTS Amazon list below:

Back to School Wishlist: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/1CNB7VXUDZN4/ref=nav_wishlist_lists_2

Amazon Wishlist for daily essentials including toothpaste (travel size and regular size) that can be found here: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/LMVCUGRTNYWA/ref=nav_wishlist_lists_2

Last week, the Shelter KC team attended Global Leadership Network Summit. We were inspired by Craig Groeschel's Permission to Obsess, empowered by Kindra Hall's Foolproof Storytelling, motivated by Dan Owolabi's Legacy of Leadership, and many more leadership lessons! We are grateful to our partners Grace Church and Grace Community Church of the Nazarene, and we look we forward to next year's summit!

Thank you to Pastor Chuck Reich for connecting to Shelter KC and sharing our mission with the world!
Check out his podcast interview on Overcomerstv.Live with our Executive Director, Eric Burger here: https://youtube.com/live/vbNsgZNen4Q

Eric Burger Interview - Shelter KC - OvercomersTV.Live #391 Eric Burger is the executive director of Shelter KC, a ministry to men and women experiencing homeless in the Kansas City area. With over 35 years of rescue ...

Many thanks to our volunteers from Our Lady of the Presentation Youth Group! These wonderful volunteers helped our Men's Center by cleaning our bag room, walls, and wrote encouragement cards. We appreciate you!
If you’d like to learn more about volunteer opportunities, please reach out to Chloe at [email protected] or visit our website here: https://www.shelterkc.org/volunteer/volunteer-opportunities/

Happy Throwback Thursday! We captured some fun memories at the Lake. The men and women in our recovery programs got to swim, fish, BBQ, play lawn games, and enjoy a little glimpse of heaven under the sun. Grateful for God's many gifts of joy, community, and fellowship!

Celebrating Phase Ups at Shelter KC! Congrats to Jonathan, Zach, Little Joe, and George (not pictured) as they are continuing to do the work in their Discipleship Phases. Pray for their continued commitment to break out of the cycle of addiction and lean on the Lord. God Bless! To learn more about our Shelter KC programs and what we do, please visit: https://www.shelterkc.org/ministries/

We are grateful for Centennial United Methodist Church! They came out for their yearly cookout to grill hotdogs and hamburgers for our Men’s Center dinner. We look forward to this every summer!

If you’d like to learn more about volunteer opportunities, please reach out to Chloe at [email protected] or visit our website here: https://www.shelterkc.org/volunteer/volunteer-opportunities/

Last Friday, we celebrated 7 individuals who graduated from Shelter KC Women’s Center Sisters of Recovery and Men’s Center Christian Community of Recovery programs. Congratulations to Melena Blount, Ramon Byers, Ken Sartors, Regi Carter, Tom Wilson, Jesse Amos (not pictured) and Kelly Smith (not pictured). We are proud of their hard work and commitment, and excited for what God has in store for them. Please pray for these graduates as they continue to lean on the Lord to guide them in their next steps.

To learn more about our Shelter KC programs and what we do, please visit: https://www.shelterkc.org/ministries/

Thank you to Downtown Church of the Resurrection Serve Saturday for coming out to play Bingo with some of the men at our Men's Center. They also went on a tour, learned more about how they can be involved, and served lunch!

If your group would like to volunteer with Shelter KC, reach out to Chloe Hart [email protected]

Once again, high temperatures here in Kansas City are reaching dangerous levels.

Dehydration and overheating are serious concerns for our homeless neighbors. Please help keep them safe by donating water and other hot-weather items.

Or give online to help provide men and women at Shelter KC with nourishing meals, safe shelter, cold water, and personal hygiene – along with programs that help people find a pathway out of homelessness.

With your help, we can provide a lifeline to those who are struggling to survive in the heat.

Donations can be dropped off at 1520 Cherry St., or you can order through our Amazon wish list found here. https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/LMVCUGRTNYWA?ref_=wl_share&fbclid=IwY2xjawEQ7-lleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHQuDD4_Ll3cMZ7XYEu9YkzKUTx82cO5s5yl5_zSJof23dxyEK9ziFR9xwA_aem_zqtdWbtAHEKEPTh7Qa9vUg

God bless you!

It was an honor to celebrate with City District Church of the Nazarene for KC District Assembly's 100th Year Anniversary at College Church of the Nazarene - Olathe, KS last week. Our Executive Director Eric Burger hosted a workshop about homelessness in the suburbs and how to get involved. The Shelter KC team had a great time!

Thank you Journey Church International for sending out a group to Shelter KC during your serve week! This group did amazing at serving lunch, chatting with some of the men we serve, learning about our services, and showing Christ’s love by caring for those in need.

If your group would ever like to volunteer with Shelter KC, reach out to Chloe Hart [email protected]