Feeding & Hungry and Sheltering the Homeless

Catholic Charities calls upon a community of compassion to help us feed the hungry and shelter the homeless.

Many individuals and families do not have enough food to eat, or the means to pay rent and/or utilities.  Increasingly, Catholic Charities receives requests for help from families suffering from a job loss, a medical emergency, or an unexpected expense that impacts an already tight family budget. 

Help Others with Food, Rent and Utility Assistance
Catholic Charities, in collaboration with community organizations such as the United Way and the Catholic Social Ministry Association (CSMA) provides emergency assistance to persons in need of food, rent or utility aid.  Catholic Charities also serves as an advocate for clients, when necessary, with local utility companies and landlords.

Give help (and hope!) to the hungry and homeless
Your tax-deductible gift brings the most basic help – food and shelter – to those in desperate need.   Donate now!

Food pantry donations are always welcome. 
Every day, hundreds of people visit our food pantries in need of groceries, baby items such as diapers, and household goods such as hygiene items and cleaning supplies. 

Here’s a list of the items most needed.  Call 816.659.8215 or contact scronkhite@ccharities.com to find out which pantry to deliver your goods.

Get help with food, rent or utilities

In Greater Kansas City
Catholic Charities works with the United Ways of Greater Kansas City to provide information and referrals to people needing food, rent or utility assistance.  Visit United Way 2-1-1, or simply dial the numbers 2-1-1 on your phone.

Other Community Resources

Home Delivered Meals
Catholic Charities coordinates delivery of noon-time meals to homebound elderly and disabled persons.  This activity is coordinated from our Senior Recreation Center at St. Louis Parish.  This fulfilling activity gives seniors an opportunity to give back to their community and enjoy a sense of purpose and personal satisfaction.  Why not join them in preparing the lunches?   Contact Mike Spaw, 816.659.8258.

Homeless Prevention Programs
Catholic Charities provides the following supportive services for persons who are homeless or at-risk of becoming homeless. Programs may include permanent, scattered site housing in safe, decent neighborhoods and supportive services such as case management including mental health counseling, employment, life skills, and literacy training, and referrals for medical care or substance abuse treatment.

Catholic Charities values the privacy of its clients.  Homeless Missourians Information System (HMIS) Privacy and Security Notice.

• Foundations of Hope is a program of the Kansas City office of Catholic Charities focusing on the prevention of homelessness. Participants are engaged in intensive case management for 6-18 months as they work to achieve economic self-sufficiency. For information on this program, please contact: Foundations of Hope, 816.659.8210 or 800.875.4377/toll free.

Housing for Homeless Families

• HomePlus is funded by the U.S. department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and administered by Catholic Charities' Northwest Missouri office designed for homeless disabled women and their children living in the St. Joseph area. For information on this program, please contact:

HomePlus
816.232.2885 or 888.629.2886/toll free

• Northland Supportive Housing is a HUD-funded transitional housing program for families who are homeless in Clay or Platte counties, exclusive of Kansas City, Missouri. Participants reside in scattered site housing in the Northland region and receive intensive case management for a period of 18 months.
  Read how Home Plus gave hope to a St. Joseph mother and her child.

Northland Supportive Housing
816.659.8274 or 800.875.4377/toll free

Foreclosure Intervention
Catholic Charities of Kansas City-St. Joseph is a HUD Approved Housing Counseling Agency.  The foreclosure intervention counseling program is designed to assist owner and occupants who are facing mortgage payment challenges through advocacy and mediation.
The program assists homeowners with:

• mortgage delinquency counseling
• mediation with mortgage company
• understanding mortgage terms and conditions
• budgeting
• advocating for a workable solution

Participants must live in Northwest Missouri or Northeast Kansas, including Kansas City and St. Joseph.

A housing and foreclosure intervention counselor will see clients by appointment only. There is no cost to the homeowner for this service.

Contact

Richard Phillips, Housing and Foreclosure Prevention Counselor
816.659.8264 - Kansas City
 
Ann Winston, Housing and Foreclosure Prevention Counselor
816.659.8268 - Kansas City

Northwest Missouri Office
• Rental Counseling
816-232-2885 or 888-629-2886

Kansas City Office/The Caritas Center
• Rental counseling
• Homeless/Displacement Counseling
• Delinquency/Default Counseling
816.221.4377 or 800.875.4377

The TurnAround Program  - Community Re-Entry After Prison
The TurnAround Program provides support for families of incarcerated individuals and offers a new start for persons leaving prison including case management, emergency assistance, and help with re-integration needs such as birth certificate/ID cards, clothing, and employment and treatment referrals.

A successful re-entry from prison to community is imperative to public safety. It is important to stop "the revolving door" and ultimately, save taxpayers billions of dollars spent on housing offenders and building new prisons.

Many of these individuals truly want to live a productive life and make amends for their past behavior. The obstacles faced upon release, however, are difficult. Many former offenders do not have family support or resources. They are without clothes, shoes, hygiene, state identification, transportation or funds to obtain these necessities.

To learn more or to volunteer, please contact:
Kansas City area
Rita Flynn, 816.561.1835

Northwest Missouri area
Marcia Miller
816.232.2885 or 888.629.2886