Homeless winters are cold in KC. Help the community prepare!
As we head into the holidays, we often wish for snow. While the cold does give a certain charm to the season, we want to call attention to the other factors it brings as well. Our partners at NCH’s Winter Services found that 700 people experiencing or at-risk of homelessness are killed by hypothermia annually in the United States. It is our duty as a community to keep every person safe this winter!
Winter preparedness action in KCMO
As the national housing and homelessness crisis continues, Kansas City leaders have shared plans for the city’s most vulnerable residents to have a safe and warm place to go this winter when extreme temperatures hit. The strategy will focus on 3 key items:
- Enhanced collaboration with existing shelters to pinpoint available beds and ensure that service providers fully utilize resources, including creation of a new online dashboard that updates bed availability daily, with data sharing across all service providers.
- Preparing overflow space such as community centers as needed when extreme weather or other emergencies increase the demand for services
- Creative new permanent housing options, including three new permanent housing projects to be presented to the City Council this week (more info below).
To learn more about these plans, click here.
For Kansas City, Kansas’s warming shelter dates and times, click here.
Ways to donate winter supplies in Kansas City
A coalition of shelters, outreach workers and advocacy groups worked together to create a centralized drop-off location for donated winter supplies at City Union Mission’s Community Assistance Center. Donations will go directly to help those who are unhoused.
While you’re shopping and in the holiday spirit, consider donating at 1700 East 8th Street, KCMO. Givers can drop off donations Monday-Friday from 12-6pm and Saturday from 9am-12pm.
Shelters are looking for:
- New thermal tops & bottoms
- New sweatshirts & sweatpants
- New socks
- New shoes/boots
- New face coverings
- New scarves
- Hand & foot warmers
- New sleeping bags/blankets, mylar blankets
- New tents
- New coats
- New gloves
- New stocking hats
To learn more, please visit: https://www.kcmo.gov/Home/Components/News/News/1754/625.
Another way to serve the homeless this winter
Here at GKCCEH we ensure that any donations that come in go to the most pressing issues among individuals who are homeless in Kansas City. This winter, we are using donations to keep the homeless community safe and warm. If you’re looking to give monetarily, you can do so here. Your kind donations will not go unnoticed! Thank you for supporting our mission to end homelessness in Kansas City!
