Just before freezing KC temps, coat drives keep neighbors warm
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.