Blog, Newsletter
From the structure of Bishop Sullivan Center’s (BSC) programs to our partnerships with other organizations, we work to honor the dignity of those we serve and create solutions that improve accessibility. Every day, we meet neighbors facing a variety of barriers that hold them back from stable housing, food security, and gainful employment.
New wheels get neighbor where she needs to go
Mobility is one of the greatest barriers faced in our local community. On a cold April day outside One City Café, we met Jennifer. She was wrapped in a blanket to protect herself from the cold, and BSC staff noticed she had been around most of the day. In engaging with Jennifer, we learned she was paraplegic, and her wheelchair was so broken that it would not roll without a lot of force. Within 30 minutes, we were able to secure a new wheelchair for her, restoring access to a freedom many of us take for granted – the ability to get where you need to go.
Unfortunately, Jennifer’s situation is not unique. Mobility disability is reported as the most common disability among middle-aged (almost 1 in 5) and older adults (about 1 in 4), according to CDC. And, as financial hardships increase, mobility disability is nearly five times as common among those living below the poverty level compared to those whose income is twice the poverty level.
Access to medical supplies is made possible through partnerships
Often, restrictive insurance policies or the lack of a primary care provider leave neighbors with unmet needs for medical supplies and equipment, which are vital to independent living.
Earlier this month, BSC partnered with Troost 39 Thrift Store to empower our local KC community members through a “Medical Accessibility Giveaway.” Together, we gave away 30+ walkers, commodes, and other medical supplies.
Grocery delivery is another way to support neighbors with dignity
“We find a community that is overlooked in Kansas City is seniors and disabled neighbors who simply cannot get out of the house,” states Chris Lowrance, BSC Food Manager. “It can be very difficult for them to get even basic food pantry staples. Let’s say you must depend on someone to give you a ride or bring you household goods. This is a major struggle beyond accessibility to a job or, simply, the outside world.
“Just over the last year, Bishop Sullivan Center has made a transformational impact through its grocery delivery program. We’ve gone from 20 to 40 seniors receiving home-delivered groceries. We now have 40 neighbors whom we are blessed to call upon. We check in on them, see how they’re doing, and identify other resources they need. And it goes so far beyond groceries in terms of accessibility. It allows BSC staff to help with documentation for rental and utility assistance, new housing, transportation, and more.”
Bringing employers and job seekers together in one accessible place
According to Josh Lohnes, BSC Employment Services Manager, “Our continued outreach to bring employers and other resources into our building certainly brings job resources to where our neighbors reside, especially those who face accessibility challenges.
“Employment barriers tend to compound each other and make the job search seem hopeless. We see a lot of relief on the faces of clients who get just a little bit of assistance in tackling these complex problems. They can focus on the job search, and with the support of BSC, address accessibility.”
Accessibility and dignity go hand in hand
For Bishop Sullivan Center, we strive to make ALL our programs accessible. We constantly adjust our programs based on the needs of our neighbors, keeping our support person-centered and dignity-driven.
Statistically, nationwide, a multitude of barriers particularly impact those with disabilities, which are compounded by poverty. Maybe we can’t fix it all, but through all of our BSC programs, your support helps us show our community members that we see them and their struggles, and that we are here to help.
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Bringing employers & job seekers together at BSC Job Fair
Sometimes dinner is a doorway, and springtime means fresh starts. A recent BSC Job Fair was hosted during the dinner rush at One City Café, bringing employers and continued education opportunities to the literal table for neighbors in need.
Our friends at Ace ImageWear received more than 20 applications on the spot, while Aramark handed out applications for more than 30 positions.
According to Terri George, BSC Workforce Specialist, “We plan to host these events quarterly, with the possibility of offering them more frequently as we continue building relationships and expanding opportunities.
“Our next Job Fair will be held on June 17. Participating organizations will include Ares CDL Institute, MCC-Advanced Technical Skills Institute (ATSI), Literacy KC, and Ace ImageWear.”
Thank you to every community partner who helps us meet people where they are and provides lasting solutions to the challenges they face, especially Ace ImageWear, ReDiscover, and Miscellaneous Staffing Services (who have helped turn temp jobs into permanent positions)!
Client lands job with BSC employment program & extra support
“I couldn’t have made it through without the help of Bishop Sullivan Center’s job placement services,” shares community member John W. “After being laid off, I was at my lowest point, but with BSC’s employment program, I was offered a job with the U.S. Postal Service!”
Around the same time he landed his new job, John experienced an unexpected event that would have prevented him from getting there. Terri George, BSC Workforce Specialist, notes, “Right when John got his new job, his car was vandalized. It was undrivable, and he was concerned about losing his employment. We assisted John with getting his windows repaired. This is a great example of how donor dollars allow us to address needs in real time.”
Motivated job seekers find success in KC metro
BSC’s Employment Services helps motivated, low-income job seekers find a job in metro Kansas City. The robust program offers individualized job counseling, resume assistance, access to resource rooms and computer stations, and much more.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
The Kansas City metro area reached an unemployment rate of 4.1% in April 2026, up from a low of 2.2% in 2022, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The steady rise in unemployment has been affected by an uncertain job market and loss of local manufacturing jobs. Our community members who are constrained by locality, lack of transportation, and hunger and housing challenges are in even greater need of job placement services.
Your support brings dignity and improved self-esteem to the dedicated job seekers who use BSC Employment Services.
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Steven is a 72-year-old retired KC resident who reached out to Bishop Sullivan Center (BSC) and its rental assistance resources during a very difficult moment in his life. After living in his apartment for seven years, the annual increases were finally more than he could afford. Living on a fixed SSI income, Steven quickly fell behind and found himself facing eviction, something that weighed heavily on him and left him feeling overwhelmed and afraid.
Older Americans face increasing risks of homelessness
According to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, nearly 10% of the state’s 1.1 million residents aged 65+ live below the poverty level, and 22% receive food assistance. Additionally, people 50 years or older represent the fastest-growing group experiencing homelessness (National Alliance to End Homelessness).
In this way, Steven was not alone in the sudden housing challenges he faced. When our BSC caseworkers met with him during a home visit, the stress of the situation became heartbreakingly real. During the visit, the landlord knocked on the door and said they needed to talk about eviction. Steven was visibly shaken and emotional, unsure of his next steps.
BSC offers emergency relief to KC neighbor in need
BSC stepped in and provided funds to help Steven catch up on his January rent. With his income remaining the same and his expenses continuing to rise, Steven had been carrying an enormous burden. When he realized help had arrived, the relief was immediate and unmistakable.
Steven expressed deep gratitude, sharing how much it meant to know he wasn’t facing this alone. You could see the weight lifted from him in that moment – a reminder of how a small act of support can restore hope, dignity, and peace during life’s hardest times.
Every donated dollar helps turn struggles into successes for people in need each month. For Steven, it anchored his ability to remain in his residence this winter. His smile confirms his deep appreciation.
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When a neighbor hits a “bump in the road,” Bishop Sullivan Center (BSC) is here to provide the help they need to get life back on track.
Neighbors like Marie: a young single mom who lost her job last fall. Marie’s 5-year-old daughter has autism, and finding employment that would work with her daughter’s therapy schedule proved challenging. After two months, she started her new career — but her landlord had already filed for eviction. Aware of the complexity of her situation, Marie’s daughter’s school referred her to BSC’s Household Assistance program.
As the Need Rises, Resources Have Shrunk
While Marie’s situation is unique, requests like hers for help with rent and utilities have become increasingly common.
At the end of 2025, BSC was providing one of the only Household Assistance programs in Kansas City with consistent funding.
The need has grown substantially, with online applications often reaching their weekly limit of 100 by midday Monday.
In response, BSC allocated an additional $100,000 to this emergency assistance, which proved vital in keeping many in our community safely housed during moments of crisis.
Seeing the Full Picture
For more than half a century, BSC shaped programs in direct response to stories like Marie’s. Stories like these illustrate challenges that bleed far beyond the emergencies that bring people through our front doors.
2025 was a year focused on painting a full picture. From local partnerships to a deeper focus on how BSC programs can blend together to provide long-term, person-centered solutions, we’re doing all we can to help neighbors leave rocky roads behind.
In 2025 alone, we assisted 451 households referred to us by frontline community partners, including Children’s Mercy, Saint Luke’s, and Kansas City Public Schools. BSC’s Special Populations case manager handles these emergency assistance referrals, navigating creative solutions like hotel stays, clothing, and permanent housing.
Our growing connections with organizations like these help fill the cracks so many in our community can fall through, helping Kansas City work together to find truly dignified solutions to the complex struggles our neighbors face.
“Our working partnerships with school and hospital case managers have been incredibly valuable,” shared BSC Programs Director Shilo Foster.
“As they get to know our services and strengths, they can better support clients and make more informed referrals. This helps ensure clients come to us ready to use our services as a hand up, supported by a coordinated care team.”
Alongside these partnerships, BSC has fine-tuned its programs over the years to better wrap its arms around those it serves.
In 2025, 65 families were stabilized through BSC’s Long Term Housing program, which provides up to three months’ rental assistance, as well as support with eviction clearance, debt payoff, and past-due utilities, all of which can prevent participants from qualifying for permanent housing. Today, 74% of these families remain housed — an incredible win considering the struggles they have overcome.
See the full impact of your support in 2025 in our annual report!
A Very Happy Birthday
Today, 23-year-old Marie is stably housed and gainfully employed. A court extension gave her time to respond, and with a little help from our Household Assistance program and our friends at Avenue of Life, her past-due balance was covered, and her eviction was cleared just in time for her daughter’s fifth birthday.
From our food pantries and clothing closets to our employment program and Christmas drive, Marie now knows that Bishop Sullivan Center’s programs and community partners are here if difficulties arise.
“That moment was made possible through collaboration, because no single organization could have met all of their needs alone,” shared Foster. “Together, our partners are helping us turn uncertainty into stability and hope.”
Thank you for supporting our programs. You are helping our community paint a picture of smoother roads ahead.
Support our Household Assistance program with a donation today!
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“We want the idea of helping others to become a natural part of their lives,” shared the Gaughan family, when they decided that instead of Christmas gifts for the adults, each grandchild would receive $100 to grocery shop for Kansas City’s Bishop Sullivan Center (BSC) Food Pantries.
As longtime friends of Bishop Sullivan Center, the grandparents raised their now-adult children to give back. “Over the years, we’d take the kids to help on small projects at BSC, like cleaning the ovens! As we’d be leaving, the kitchen would be prepping for meal service at One City Cafe, and community members would be lining up for a warm, hearty meal. The kids would get to see the need firsthand. We taught them it really is, but for the grace of God, that anyone’s life could have been so different. We have a responsibility to help others.”
Planting the seed of community giving
Now the family is planting the seed with the next generation – 19 grandchildren in all! With three cars loaded with provisions for BSC’s food pantries, Gaughan family members were eager to drop off the pantry staples they had spent hours shopping for. “We encouraged them to be thoughtful about their grocery choices. Our older grandchildren even looked up recipes that could easily and completely be put together by a family.”
A heartfelt thank you to the Gaughan family for kicking off 2026 with the first food donations to BSC!
Source: USDA, MO Hunger Atlas 2025
Food insecurity on the rise, families find help through BSC
In 2025, an average of 867 families visited BSC’s food pantries each month, and 40 homebound seniors received monthly grocery deliveries. Nationally, over the last five years, the number of individuals living in food-insecure households has tragically increased. For Missouri households, there has been a 14% increase in very low food security – meaning food insecurity is combined with hunger, where normal eating patterns are disrupted in the household. (USDA/Mo Hunger Atlas 2025)
BSC’s food pantries are vital to supporting our neighbors facing hunger.
Host a friends & family food drive this year!
Whether you’re a local business, group of friends, or a family looking to make a meaningful impact on our neighbors in need, consider supporting Bishop Sullivan Center (BSC) Food Pantries. Contact BSC for ideas on running your own fun and easy food drive in 2026!
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Bishop Sullivan Center & Coat Drive success
“In moments of reflection, I realize how fortunate I am to have a warm bed in a warm house. I think about our guests waking up outside in the most brutal of winter weather. This provides motivation to lead a great team at Bishop Sullivan Center, all of whom are focused on making sure we take care of people while they are under our roof,” shares Hannah Brockway, director of operations and outreach.
The Kansas City metro has fewer shelter beds than there are houseless individuals … by hundreds, meaning many face the perils of frostbite, hypothermia, or worse. BSC and its community partners are doing their part to help.
Over 1,100 coats for community members in need
In this wintry season of stepping up for Kansas City neighbors facing the elements, BSC thanks our ever-generous community for helping more than 1,100 Kansas Citians through their coat drives.
Our Lady of the Presentation Parish, St. Therese Parish, and a group of dedicated BSC supporters host annual coat drives, collecting warm coats for the neighbors we serve and those served by a few other local organizations.
Just before Thanksgiving, BSC even hosted a coat distribution, providing guests at One City Café with coats, a hot meal, and a bundle of hearty snacks.
Every guest who came in had a staff member helping them – everyone received personalized attention and was helped in finding just the right size coat. And it was all hands on deck, as BSC staff from the food programs, job placement, and emergency assistance departments all came together to share the warmth!
Community partnerships are vital to the BSC mission
Brockway says the timing was a fortuitous blessing, as they were able to get people bundled up just a week before Kansas City’s first bitterly cold temperatures and snow. “There are folks we get to know over time, and sometimes that fear that they may not survive can be crushing. You can see in their eyes how hard it is, especially during these frigid months. It’s some comfort to know that Bishop Sullivan Center, along with our incredible supporters, does everything it can to provide warm clothing, a hot meal, and connection with neighbors. Our partnerships with parishes like Our Lady of the Presentation, St. Therese, and other local community groups are vital to our mission.”
Additional coats are being distributed to guests as needed through BSC programs and our community partners across the metro.
Supporting others brings meaning to local parish kids
For more than a decade, Our Lady of the Presentation Catholic parish in Lee’s Summit has collected new and gently used coats for neighbors in need, sending them our way each fall. The parish’s director of stewardship, Mary Grace Madrid, shared that while protection from KC’s winter elements is the primary goal, the fall coat drive might be the most meaningful for the kids in their parish community.
“Many of our families don’t experience hunger, but kids understand what it feels like to be cold,” she notes. “Picking out a coat that will keep someone warm all winter helps kids connect with the impact.”
Madrid says the partnership makes giving more personal, helps their community grow, and lets them see the long-term difference they’re making.
A huge thank you to all who have made it their mission to keep our neighbors warm this winter. We are so grateful for all involved!
Special thanks to Tim Kirk with St. Therese, and the Cosotto group, including John, Andy & Laura, Steve & Janet, Lorraine, and Betsy, whose late husband Larry started their generous effort.
Read more inspiring stories about BSC.
