The Central Avenue Center of Hope is a local agency housed in a converted gymnasium, near downtown Kansas City, Kansas in Wyandotte County, staffed by one full-time employee and many volunteers.   The community served consists of many homeless, unemployed or under-employed, low- income individuals and families.

Many of our clients face the difficulties of medical conditions, emotional problems, or broken or harmful family relationships. Some are veterans who have not transitioned into mainstream society. Others have become victim to economic or health reversals. Yet others have lost homes and means of support due to substance abuse and/or the stigma of prison records.

School-age children lack appropriate clothing and school supplies in order to go to school.  The needs of the people of this community are seasonal for some and on a daily basis for others.

Donations of food, money, clothing, furniture, and miscellaneous thrift store items, travel-sized soaps, shampoos,  deoderant, tooth paste, toothbrushes, combs, used candles, and 5-6 ounce cans (such as tuna orcat food cans) and lighters are always needed.

Annual Holiday Dinners, Christmas Party, and Christmas Store –  November – December

Each year the Center, several schools, and other community organizations through great effort give a wonderful Thanksgiving Dinner, Christmas Dinner and family party for clients with gifts for all ages, and a Christmas Store with new or gently used toys and gifts appropriate for teens that a parent or grandparent can select for free to give their child.

Perhaps you have a group that can donate turkeys, hams, pies, or other types of food for the dinners.  We need many new and gently used toys, books appropriate for children and teens. Children need warm coats, mittens, hoodies and other clothing.  Homeless adults need gloves, hats, scarves, socks, and underwear sized medium, lighters, . Also needed are bottled water, snacks, candy, toothbrushes and tooth paste, soap, deoderant.

Feel free to call Marsha at CACH at 913-233-2511 for a need that your group can focus on for the holiday celebrations.  You can help change this time of the year from the saddest time for those who have great need to time of joy.

Annual Jeans Drive – August 15- September 30

We have a very great need for clean, gently used jeans, shorts, children’s pants, and women’s and girl’s slacks for our neighbors in Fall and Winter.

Please clean out your closets and bring your gently used jeans and slacks to the Center during the hours of 9 AM and 2 PM Monday through Friday.  If possible, please mark the size on masking tape inside the waist band if the tag is gone.  These jeans are for a communitydistribution and sale in October.

Annual Paper Products Drive  – June 1-July 30

The annual amount spent on foam plates, cups, bowls, paper napkins, paper towells,  and toilet tissue for use in the Center takes a large chunk of out budget.  This year’s First Annual Paper Products Drive produced enough items for approximately 6 months needs.  We would welcome groups or individuals to help us take these needed products completely out of our budget.

Central Ave Center of Hope accepts the 2012 Feinstein $1 Million Challenge to Feed the Hungry Mar 1 – April 30

Each year the Feinstein Foundation divides $1 million among various organizations that accept Allen Shawn Feinstein’s challenge to feed the hungry in America. He divides $1 million among the charities that actively raise food and money for the hungry.  Central Avenue Center of Hope seeks to alleviate hunger all year long, and is joining in this effort. Each can or pound of food counts $1 toward total donations to determine our percentage of Mr. Feinstein’s donation. From March 1 – April 30, please answer the challenge and bring your donations of non-perishable foods or cash donation to Central Avenue Center of Hope),  11 North 15th Street, Kansas City, KS from 9AM-2 PM Monday-Friday.  Phone 913-233-2511.

Cash donations are especially helpful for periods when food stock is low.  You can mail a donation to Pamela Mathena, Treasurer, CACH;  Midlands Mission Center;  7615 N. Platte Purchase DR; Kansas City, MO 64118.

Each year, the Central Avenue Center of Hope staff, Board Members, and Community Volunteers celebrate the joy of the Holiday Season with CACH clients and their families. A feast of ham, turkey and all the trimmings is prepared in the CACH kitchen and served at the noon meal on both Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.  We serve approximately 200 people on Thanksgiving and 350 on Christmas.

In order to do so –

We need: 6 Turkeys 15 lbs. or larger

6 – 8 Hams 10 lbs.

60 lbs. Potatoes

5 No. 10 cans of Green Beans

4 No. 10 cans of Sweet Potatoes

24 boxes of Stuffing Mix

8 cans Chicken Bouillon

10 lbs. stick margarine

1 gallon Milk

Desserts

Christmas Baskets – Board member Pam Mathena and Site Director Marsha Nave have been working on what will be included in the baskets.  The Midlands Mission Center staff will help distribute the baskets on December 15, 2011.  There will be 50 baskets distributed

Christmas Gifts

Once again Board Member Brenda McLaughlin and her son Colin are heading projects to collect gifts of new toys, games, and books for children and gifts appropriate for teens. In the desire to ensure that every child has a nice gift, teens are sometimes overlooked .  Please think of teens also as you shop.

Adults are not forgotten in the holiday giving.  We are now collecting hoodies, stocking caps, socks, gloves, underwear (size medium), candy, snack food, pens, lighters, flashlights or other useful items to fill shoe boxes to be distributed to adults at the Christmas dinner.  For information or if you can donate gifts, please contact the Center at 913-233-2511

Free Christmas Store

In addition to new gifts given to children and teens from Central Avenue Center of Hope, the center is collecting gently used toys or items suitable for the Christmas Store.  Homeless or very low income parents may come two days before the holiday dinner  to pick out a toy or gift for their children at the Christmas Store.  This gives parents the opportunity to give a present to their children.