I'd lived on the streets, (literally), for 5+ years from 1988 to 1993. Several of us homeless men lived in an abandoned bank building in KC's City Market. I think I am the last surviving member of those homeless men. The Mission was located down the street from the bank building. This was before the Mission was evicted for the City Market Renovation. Thank You Jesus that KCRM would open in a new location 2 years later. We were always welcomed in the Mission to shower, eat dinner, get warm clothing coats socks and underwear, and of course attend services, (we were always allowed to fill up our 1 gallon milk jugs with precious water), and get an ecouraging word from Joe C. or Steve K. When I decided to stop drinking and start my life over, the Mission and Joe C. were there to help me. I voluntered there for 3 years during the crucial early recovery stage. I moved on with my life for the next 10 years working at Job Corps and almost 10 years with Jackson County Family Court. I had unexpectedly lost my job and moved to Tuscon, Az. working with homeless addicts and alcoholics. 10 months later I returned to KC Mo. and I was encouraged to apply for a Case Mgr. position at where else KCRM. Truely a dream come true. I had college credits and 10+ years of experience working with addicts/alcoholics. Astonishingly I was hired! That was almost 3 years ago. Working at the Mission has been the most gratifying job I've ever had. I was also able to get closer to the Lord, Jesus Christ and I have become continously grateful for the roof over my head, the clothes on my back, and to the Lord, who worked his wonders in me because of the Kansas City Rescue Mission. Thank You so much KCRM and I will forever remain at you beck and call... Tim D. Quinn
I've been a part of KCRM in one way or another for most of my life. I can honestly say that I've never been in a place with more love for every person that walks in the door than KCRM. The people there are treated with respect and dignity. The staff and C-COR members exhibit their love for Christ in a real and contagious way.
I was not a direct client per se but nonetheless benefited from KCRM more than they could ever know. A very long story short, I had known this man, "Ron" for about 3 years. He worked where I volunteered. I had no idea that he had personal feelings for me (I was seeing someone at the time). He left town for about a year but then came back. Shortly before Ron came back, my relationship with "Mitch" had ended. I have never gone from one relationship to the next but I thought I was going to marry Mitch and finally get to be a mom (he had custody of his son and we got along great). When Ron came back he said all the things that I longed to hear from Mitch. I fell hard and fast for him. It was my choice to get involved with him and I realized it was too soon. I told Ron and things went downhill from there. I knew that he had previous problems with alcohol but I had no idea how bad they were. He had started to drink again prior to our relationship falling apart. He began to drink more and I did not know how to respond to him. I should have made more of an effort to understand alcoholism but at the time, I saw it as his problem (I don't drink or do drugs). Ron became someone I no longer recognized. I will sum it all up by saying he was violent and very scary. He was charged with more than one crime against me and left town before the trial. He eventually wound up back at KCRM and that is where the story takes a turn...for the better and I want everyone reading this to know that. With some stops and starts and setbacks, Ron, a man I no longer recognized became whole again. Through the love, patience, and guidance shown to him through KCRM, he became the Ron that I once knew. They took a truly broken man and healed him. When I think about what they did for him and what they do for so many others, it is an awesome feeling! I do not have contact with Ron anymore but I know what he has accomplished through other sources and he deserves so much credit. Because of the things that he did to me (many of which he truly does not remember because he was having blackouts), I am still to some extent fearful of him. That's my problem, not his. When Ron is not drinking he is a good man and KCRM helped him to find himself again. My biggest regrets are not having made more of an effort to understand his lifelong addictions and having gotten into a relationship with him far too soon. Again, that is on me. What I really want people to know is that when KCRM helps a male client, they don't just help him, they help every person that person knows or touches. By helping Ron to heal, they helped me to heal. I don't live in fear anymore and I can think back on my own actions and what I should have done differently. The ordeal made me turn back to Jesus and I now belong to a great Church and am very active in it and other places that I volunteer. I so believe in KCRM and the miracles that they perfect each and every day, there is nothing that I would not do for them. And they never even met me face to face...
In two-thousand and six, I made a lousy decision. I had a live in girlfriend that came here from Florida. She stayed with me for a year, then she told me one day in Sept.2007 that she wanted to go home. I told her that I wanted to go with her. Stayed in Florida for two months, couldn't find a job and we got evicted from the run down trailor we lived in. Her mom took us in the follow November. Gave me a week to find a job. I couldn't find a job, so they sent me back here to Kansas City. Couldn't go home to the family, so I checked into the Kansas City Rescue Mission the following Monday as an overnighter. During Christmas a news reporter from one of the local stations was interviewing the guys from the shelter behind a Salvation Army truck and they asked me how I felt about it. I told them that I feel like there's hope for the homeless. Little did I know that my niece was watching the news that night. She told my sister that I was on TV. The following February, my sister took me in and it was nothing but day to day problems. The following May I came back to the Rescue Mission. Then one day the next month, a guy that's in C-corps told me that I should get into the program so I wouldn't have to carry my bags around all day. Been in the Transistion program since last June. I now have a job waiting for me next January. Jesus loves you all and so do I.
5 years ago I had lost my job. I had been unemployed for 6 months. I had to return my vehicle to the loan company and I was behind on my mortgage by three months. The bank was already threatening to make me homeless. We had no where to go, I had considered living in the woods under a blue plastic tarp. My story starts in July, 7 years ago. I moved out here from Wellsville, NY. A little town in the hills of the southern tier of NY where I worked for Verizon as an installer. I made good money and My wife and I lived very comfortably. As Christians we know that is when God moves in and asks us to do things. I was an associate Pastor of a small church in our town. Then I got this calling from God to come west to start a church in the holiness denom. that I belonged to.My target destination was Omaha, Neb but in route to Omaha my wife's brother had a heart attack, he lived in Belton at the time. Our course was diverted and we hauled everything we owned to Kansas City. I worked for two years at a hotel in the area to support us while I tried to start a new church. For two years I got no where, I prayed and fasted and fasted and prayed, but for some reason nothing would happen. I questioned God at times asking if I had made a mistake. We faithfully asked people to come to church at our house but we never had more than two or three show up. Then I lost my job at the hotel. I tried and tried for six months to find work. I work temp jobs for a while but never long enough to pay to many bills. I had started going to the 1st Church of the Nazarene of Blue Springs about three months before and they prayed for me to get a job and helped supply food so we wouldn't starve. But when it came to the bills we had nothing. Then one Saturday I was at a Sunday School class dinner and one of the people from the mission (Gordon M.) asked me if I had a Job yet, and half jokingly I said,"hey, get me a job where you work. That Sunday I was introduced to Joe C. I handed him my resume and cover letter, Wednesday the following week I was called to fill out an application. By the following Monday I was working. But, I still have a problem, I have no ride, and I am about to loose my home. There was no way I was going to catch up with my mortgage and I had already talked to the bank, I was at a lose. But when we see nothing God always see something, Joe C. got wind of my situation and call all of the KCRM resources to bear, Jan B.(case worker) Found money to keep my utilities on and caught up. Joe C. Put his name on the line to support a loan to catch up my mortgage, and Jan B. persuaded the bank to rethink foreclosure and give me a chance. At the same time Paul M. made sure we had plenty of food. As I settled into my new job I found family I didn't know I had. I also realized that this is what God was calling me to those years ago back in NY. Today I can pay my mortgage payment, God gave me a ride to work, and My handicapped wife received SSSI as she should, all thanks to KCRM. I still don't make enough to buy groceries every payday but I am not starving thanks to Tara R. and her kitchen staff. Since I have worked here at KCRM I have had my hands in stuff most people would shy away from, I have done things most people would not think of doing and i still love the fact that God finds me worthy enough to do his dirty work. I must admit, not all of my jobs are dirty; and being a recovered alcoholic at the hands of my Lord and Savior is one thing you will never take from this Maintenance Supervisor. I love you all and now you know the rest, of, the story.