Welcome to Starfish Project Foundation!

What do we need most?
Support to meet the basic needs of keeping our doors open to all of those we serve (currently over 2,000 people a month). All of the services we provide are FREE! In order to keep them free, we need your help. Ways to do that: monthly donations, sponsorships, have your printing done with Sand Dollar Print Shop and complete your CE’s for social workers and mental health professionals at Sand Dollar Learning Systems.

Who are we?
A fully qualified 501c3 non-profit founded 2014, in Olathe Kansas. We connect Lives, Resources and Acts of Kindness. We don’t focus on one type of person or problem, we focus on the true needs of our community and encourage others to do the same thing. Together We Are Making a Difference!

What do we do?
*Keep thousands of pounds of perfectly good food from hitting the landfill and redistribute it on our “no questions asked” food section. If you have gardens that produce excess food or food that you won’t use, please consider letting us share it.

*Supply hundreds of full sized toiletry bags, to children and students so they can live life with Dignity.

*On the second Saturday of every month we offer free haircuts from 10 am – 2 pm (last appointment taken at 1:30, we offer a potluck meal to anyone that can use it from 11 am – 1 pm, and free health screenings from 10:30 am – 12:30 pm. We are in the process of adding dental and optical screenings.

*Provide weekend food bags for kids that don’t have access to food and snacks for afterschool programs.

*Assemble between 200 and 250 blessing bags a month. ask the community to carry in their cars and share with those that can use a helping hand.

*Assist individuals and families with getting with shoes and clothing. Our supply is donation based and our space is limited, yet everything we have, we offer for free.

*We help those getting back on their feet and into homes with household items and furniture when we can. Again, our space is limited and we don’t have a place to store furniture, so feel free to email us photos of what you have, along with your contact information and cross streets, so we can share with those looking for assistance.

*We work closely with the Olathe School District and other schools in the KC Metro to provided much needed resources for families to help keep our kids in school and thriving.

*We work with business to give their employees and opportunity to serve in the community.

*We are a community partner for Olathe Advanced Technical Center and the Olathe Millcreek Campus.

*We help kids and students get their community service hours for school and scholarships.

*We are a social work practicum site for KU and University of Phoenix.

*We offer a safe place for all ages and abilities to volunteer. If you have ever wanted to do something and don’t know where to start, we encourage you to stop by and let us get you plugged in.

*Host agency for SER Jobs for Progress National, Inc

*Host partner for Workforce Partnership

*We encourage everyone to do acts of kindness, starting with their family and neighbors.

Where are we located and what are our hours:

134B S Clairborne Rd, Olathe, KS 66062. We are open M – F, 9am to 5pm and the second Saturday of every month from 10am -2pm.

Some of our accomplishments:

  • Social work practicum site for KU and University of Phoenix
  • Approved provider for the KS Behavior Science and Regulatory Board to provide CE’s for social workers and mental health professionals
  • 2021, 2022 & 2023 Olathe Mayor’s Children’s Fund recipient
  • Registered with local courts for court mandated community service hours
  • Leadership Olathe Alumni

Some of the populations we serve:

  • Homeless children and families, along with those at risk of being homeless
  • The hungry
  • Foster children
  • Those with mental and/or physical disabilities
  • Veterans
  • Women and their children fleeing from domestic violence situations
  • Animal rescues
  • Partnerships with local churches
  • Those that want a safe place to volunteer
  • Individuals and families suffering a loss from a fire

Some of the programs we offer:
Our community center, “The Beach” acts as the connecting point of everything we do. Within those walls we provide community service to those of all ages and abilities, in conjunction with local pantries-food donation coordination, limited case management, a pot luck lunch the second Saturday of every month and resource coordination. Our free food program includes supplemental food (no screening or questions asked), along with a potluck lunch, hand up haircuts and health screenings on the second Saturday of every month. Raleen’s Kids –providing toiletry bags for 500+ homeless students and at risk students throughout the KC Metro.

A growing list of community organizations we work closely with sharing and redistributing resources:

  • Bailee’s Closet
  • Olathe School District
  • New Hope Food Pantry
  • Kids TLC
  • DCCCA
  • Mission Southside
  • Catholic Charities
  • Neighbor to Neighbor
  • Hillcrest Transitional
  • reStart
  • Willow Tree Supports
  • Grace Church
  • Salvation Army
  • Shawnee Community Services
  • Veteran’s Center
  • El Centro
  • Inclusions Connections
  • Lake Mary
  • Girl/Boy Scouts
  • American Legion
  • Pathway to Hope
  • Project 10/20
  • GateWay of Hope
  • KVC
  • EMT’s, Police and Fire Departments
  • Johnson County Mental Health

Looking to volunteer with us?

How can I Donate?

If this is the first time you have joined us, welcome! Our website is two-fold. Our site is a FREE non-profit directory website. If you or someone you know is in need of goods (example free food or clothing), services (example housing or utility assistance) or just a hand up, you are in the right place. Above you will find a search bar in red. Click on the category field and scroll down until you find what you need help with and do a search. You will get a full listing of all the agencies that have registered on our site. This can be done from any computer or mobile device. Our goal is to connect folks with the services they need. If you are looking to make a donation (example clothing, furniture or household items), select “wish list” in the search dropdown. This will pull up a list of registered agencies that take those donations. We give free landing pages to 501c3 non-profits. If you don’t find your non-profit listed, click here to find out how you can get your free listing. Be sure to also do a Wish List landing page, so folks can find out how to donate to you. The rest of our website is filled with information about our organization and how we connect in our community. Here at Starfish Project Foundation we love Paying It Forward and sharing your stories of kindness. To get your own set of cards or to share your story to us, please submit to contactus@starfishproject21.org. Want to see what others are doing? Check out our Be Kind Club. We love hearing from you, please be sure to submit your own stories. Together We Are Making a Difference!

The Parable of the Starfish
 
One day, an old man was walking along a beach that was littered with thousands of starfish that had been washed ashore by the high tide. As he walked he came upon a young boy who was eagerly throwing the starfish back into the ocean, one by one.
Puzzled, the man looked at the boy and asked what he was doing. Without looking up from his task, the boy simply replied, “I’m saving these starfish, Sir”.
The old man chuckled aloud, “Son, there are thousands of starfish and only one of you. What difference can you make?”
The boy picked up a starfish, gently tossed it into the water and turning to the man, said, “I made a difference to that one!”
 
Spread Love With The Starfish Project.

“There is something very special in each and every one of us. We have all been gifted with the ability to make a difference. And if we can become aware of that gift, we gain through the strength of our visions the power to shape the future. We must each find our starfish. And if we throw our stars wisely and well, the world will be blessed.” – Author Unknown These are just a couple of the ideals that helped to bring Starfish Project to life. People helping people whether volunteering on your own or through an organization, neighbor helping neighbor, etc. so that we all live happy, fulfilling lives in a loving and peaceful world.