Mardi Gras 2024 Supports New Eastern Jackson County Drop-In Center
About Rotary and Mardi Gras
In 2015, the Rotary Club of Independence hosted its first Mardi Gras fundraising event, and 2024 is the 10th anniversary. The event, which is a Mardi Gras-themed festive gala, has made transformational, capacity-building grants to accomplish big projects in our community. Recipients of the funds have been Rotary’s End Polio Now effort (2015-16), a pool of competitive grant funds (2017), Independence Uptown Market construction (2018), Harry S. Truman Library & Museum renovation (2019), Englewood Arts construction (2020), creation of KC Scholars named scholarships for Independence high schools (2021), Fairmount Community Center renovation (2022), and Mother’s Refuge expansion (2023). More than $2 million has been raised by Rotary over the last decade! We are honored that CSL and our Drop-In Center project have been selected by Rotary as the 2024 Mardi Gras beneficiary, and we hope you will consider joining the fun!
Community Dialogue
In recent years, community conversations, locally and across America, are dominated by the number of homeless individuals on the streets. There are many root causes, but substance abuse, mental health challenges, and skyrocketing rental rates are three reasons that many people are unhoused in our community. Communities can often turn a blind eye to the problem and hope it goes it away, but that rarely works. Most meaningful change processes involve a coach and/or mentor to help guide someone, and that’s the same with a person exiting homelessness.
Drop In Center Model
The existing Beehive in Kansas City (corner of 8th and Paseo) is a “drop-in center” model that welcomes persons living without a permanent home. The Beehive has only been open a few months, and they are already seeing great engagement and success.
Nationally, among the many services offered by drop-in centers are laundry service, meals, and showering capabilities. All of these services are life functions that many of us take for granted, but are often impossible to access if you are on the streets.
Eastern Jackson County Drop In Center
This man, as of October 2023, was living under the I-70 bridge at Sterling.
Eastern Jackson County (EJC) needs a drop-in center in order to make more progress in helping individuals obtain permanent housing. Good Shepherd Community of Christ will partner with CSL to bring the EJC Drop-In Center to life. A safe and welcoming facility can help build trust, which leads to a meaningful relationship. CSL is the lead agency for the EJC Drop-In Center and will provide permanent staff for the operation.
The current facility has showering and meal capacity that need minor upgrades, and laundry can be added for a nominal cost. The EJC Drop-In Center would be open during normal business hours, and guests would be able to find their case manager there for consultation, along with mental and physical health services, dental and vision programs, a place to receive mail, a fresh meal program during specific times, laundry facilities, showering services, along with a variety of other opportunities.
CSL would be the lead agency for the EJC Drop-In Center and would provide permanent staff for the operation. To bring the program online, we estimate the following minimum costs:
Facility Renovations/Accessibility/Security* $10,000
Shower Upgrades* $10,000
Kitchen Upgrades* $10,000
Laundry* $15,000
Meals for two years $50,000
Staff/Program Expenses for two years $150,000
Security for two years $100,000
Utilities for two years $25,000
Perimeter wood fence $30,000
Total Minimum Costs $400,000
*Denotes one-time capital expenses/upgrades
We believe $400,000 is the minimum investment needed to open the Drop-In Center and operate it for two years. We have asked the State of Missouri for additional support to better build the space to make it more accommodating, and to promote additional safety and security for all persons.
Outcomes
We believe that, in addition to better health outcomes for unhoused individuals, CSL and partners will make meaningful change in the lives of 300 unhoused persons over the first two years with the EJC Drop-In Center. This means they will be on a path towards permanent housing and will have made progress towards that goal.
This program is also beneficial to neighbors and commercial operations in the City, as it provides a viable place for people to visit, and can help alleviate the number of homeless individuals lingering in dangerous public rights-of-way.
Community Support
You can support the EJC Drop-In Center by making a direct donation or purchasing tickets to Mardi Gras 2024, hosted by the Rotary Club of Independence and presented by Speaks Chapels. Mardi Gras is at Harrah’s Kansas City on February 10, 2024. To learn more about the project, click here to view the brochure.
