Operation: KC Homeless Relief
Words by: Maggie Laubscher | Music by: Abby Yemm
Image credit: Matt Collamer
Want to help our KC homeless community? We do too. Let’s dive in together.
First, here’s a catch-up on what’s happening in our city. More people than ever are dealing with homelessness. City officials estimate at least 170 groups of tent homes throughout KC, plus others living in cars or simply outside.
‘There’s men, women and children, and it’s a very big problem,’ said Stefan Shipley to KSNT.com. ‘Truth be told, a lot of people are just one paycheck away from being right where we are right now.’
One group has been living in a cluster of tents in Westport, a site nicknamed Camp 6ixx. Last Friday, Mayor Quinton Lucas met with Camp 6ixx. Lucas and the KC Homeless Union also announced joint efforts to address homelessness.
One immediate initiative is to make at least 500 hotel rooms available for 90-day stays. Currently, there are five hotels and roughly 200 people being housed. The goal is to stabilize people’s lives in the short-term and hopefully get them back on track. Nonprofit Hope Faith has jumped in to help, moving more than 200 people into hotel rooms over the last few days.
So, now you’re caught up. What to do next? We looked to Hope Faith and Nellie Janessa Riehle for next steps. Hope Faith is leading the charge for hotel housing. And Janessa is the force behind KC Blanket Drive, which collects items for our homeless population through every season of the year. Janessa also led a cleanup this past weekend to help our homeless community. Read the full piece here.
Below, we’ve summarized the info we’ve found. We hope it helps. Please check out the lists and needs below. Let’s do this, Nellies.
Volunteer
Image credit: Joel Muniz
Hand Out Meals: Hope Faith needs volunteers to hand out meals and collect data. Email Brittni (brittni@hopefaith.org) to sign up.
Do Laundry: KC Blanket Drive needs volunteers to do laundry in order to get people clean clothing. DM @kcblanketdrive or @_thenelle to sign up.
Donate
Image credit: Clark Tibbs
Money: This always helps. Click here to donate to Hope Faith and click here to contribute to KC Blanket Drive.
Food: These include water bottles, juice boxes and single serve foods. To donate, drop off at Hope Faith HQ, 705 Virginia Ave, KCMO.
Supplies: Shop these Amazon wish lists to help: Hope Faith and KC Blanket Drive.
Washer/Dryers: We need laundry washers and dryers. Do you have one, or know someone? DM us at @_thenelle to sign up. We will pick up and install them at The Nelle HQ to run laundry to assist Hope Faith.
Laundry Supplies: If you can donate laundry supplies, DM @kcblanketdrive or @_thenelle to coordinate.
Follow
Image credit: Jon Tyson
Hope Faith - The nonprofit that’s managing the homeless hotel relief project.
KC Blanket Drive - Nellie Janessa’s project, which collects items for our homeless population year-round.
Free Hot Soup -- This Facebook group works to coordinate meals for the unhoused community in Kansas City.
The Nelle - We will be posting info and updates as we find them; check out our Instagram stories to keep up.
An Abby Yemm playlist for you…
A playlist created by Abby Yemm
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