About Us
Our ProgramsEverything We Do Is Driven By Our Mission
Inspired by Christian faith, Bishop Sullivan Center shows God’s love to people in financial hardship by providing food, help in finding jobs and other aid.
Beyond material assistance, Bishop Sullivan Center strives to build relationships between those who live in poverty and those who do not,
promoting mutual understanding and affirming the dignity of all.
Working in service of that mission, we are making a difference in our community.
All of our programs are part of our three pillars: Food, Jobs, and Aid to support our community and improve the lives of all who live here.
We listen to our community to provide programs to best help individuals in need. Learn about each of these programs below and explore ways to get involved or get assistance.
One City Café
One City Café welcomes all for a delicious, healthy lunch and dinner every weekday, providing more than 4,000 meals each month. If you are hungry and in need of a good, hot meal, or simply a friend who wants to enjoy nutritious food and support our community, stop in for a dinner served with a smile in our spacious dining rooms.
Join us for dinner or volunteer to help serve the meal.
Together, we can unify our city, one meal at a time.
Food Pantry
Across Jackson County alone, 94,040 people are food insecure. That’s 1 in 10 people who lack access to enough food for a healthy, active life. Bishop Sullivan Center is proud to serve about 750 households per month through our two food pantries. We know the power of a good meal and the assurance that food will be on the table tonight – it can be the extra boost that means working parents can make ends meet, children can focus at school, seniors can take care of their health, and our neighbor can land that job.
Get involved by donating food or volunteering in our pantry
Get help by viewing pantry hours and eligibility
Employment Services
Since 1995, we have offered free employment counseling services for individuals seeking a job. In 2022, we helped 559 people with their job search! We work with each client in our Employment Services to assess and help remove the barriers holding them back from success. With job lead assistance, computer classes, resume editing, interview advice, and one-on-one job counseling, our clients can gain the access and skills needed to find a job, keep a job, and be successful in their workplace.
Get involved by donating clothes or personal products for a job seeker or donating funds to help job seekers get to interviews, purchase tools or a uniform for their new job, and more.
Get help with your job search by finding our location nearest you.
Household Assistance
Every day, an average of 42 households are evicted in Jackson County alone. Bishop Sullivan Center is proud to offer relief and stability to families as one of the largest providers of household assistance in the Kansas City Metro area. We provide rental assistance if a household is on the edge of eviction and utility assistance if faced with a shut-off notice. For unexpected expenses – as a result of health problems, a job loss, a car breaking down, or any other big expense on a tight budget – we’re here to help re-establish stability and prevent utility shut off and homelessness.
Get involved by donating to provide rent or utility assistance.
Get help by viewing application information.
Clothes
Neighbors visit our closet in search of clothes for their families, onesies for the newest additions to our community, warm coats in the winter, an outfit for their upcoming interview, shoes to walk to work, polos to wear to school, and more.
Get involved by donating clothes or contact us to volunteer in our clothes closet.
Get help by viewing clothes closet hours and eligibility.
Access KC (formerly KC Medicine Cabinet)
Bishop Sullivan Center is a partner of Access KC (formerly KC Medicine Cabinet), a program that provides short-term medical assistance so no one has to choose between rent and medicine. Through this program, clients can receive assistance with prescriptions, vision care, durable medical equipment, diabetic supplies, and dental emergencies.
Get help by making an appointment at our location nearest you.
Project ElderCool
Project ElderCool is Bishop Sullivan Center’s effort to help seniors find refuge from the summer’s deadly heat. In the summer of 1999, 21 seniors died due to extreme temperatures. It was this tragic loss of life that led to the creation of Project ElderCool. Since the summer of 2000, we’ve installed over 5,600 air conditioners for free and kept thousands of senior safe from the heat.
Get involved by donating to cover the cost of an air conditioner.
Get help by viewing Project ElderCool eligibility guidelines.
Christmas Assistance
We offer assistance during the Christmas season to help families provide gifts and winter necessities for their children. Through our annual Christmas Drive, families in need are supported in putting gifts beneath the tree by individuals or church, business, or school groups who go shopping for the items on the adopted family’s wish list.
Get involved by contacting us to adopt a family or host a gift drive.
Get help by viewing the Christmas Assistance eligibility guidelines
Contact us online or call us with any questions at 816-231-0984.
This institution is an equal opportunity provider. See our non-discrimination policy for more information.
If you do not find the service you are looking for, please call United Way at 2-1-1 for