Carry The Cross Ministries

THE FIRST PART OF OUR MISSION IS TO PROVIDE HOMELESS FAMILIES AND YOUTH AGING OUT OF FOSTER CARE IN KANSAS CITY WITH HOPE, RESTORATION AND AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A FRESH START. IN THE FIREHOUSE, WE HAVE TWO APARTMENTS FOR USE FOR FAMILIES OR INDIVIDUALS IN THESE SITUATIONS. SECONDLY, WE WANT TO REACH OUT TO THE PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY. IN ORDER TO DO THIS, WE SPEND TIME OUTSIDE PLAYING WITH THE CHILDREN, WORKING IN OUR GARDENS, BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS AND LOOKING FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO SERVE AND MEET THE NEEDS OF THE FAMILIES IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD. FINALLY, OUR HOPE IS TO OPEN ON EAGLE'S WINGS FARM, WHERE WE WILL PROVIDE HOUSING, GIVE STABILITY, SUPPORT, COUNSEL, CARE, AND A LOVING CHRIST CENTERED FAMILY ENVIRONMENT TO FOSTER, ORPHANED, AT-RISK CHILDREN, AND THEIR FAMILIES.

ILLUMIN8 IS OUR UMBRELLA NAME FOR THE PROGRAMS THAT WE RUN WITH THE CHILDREN AND YOUTH OF OUR COMMUNITY. CONNECTION POINTS ARE HOW WE TRACK TIME SPENT SERVING OUR COMMUNITY. EACH CONNECTION POINT REPRESENTS AN HOUR OF TIME SPENT WITH A YOUTH OR AN ADULT. WE HAVE AVERAGED 284 YOUTH CONNECTION POINTS, 23 ADULT CONNECTION POINTS, WITH 240 HOURS OF COMMUNITY SERVICE, 60 HOURS MENTORING PER MONTH, 22 HOURS PER MONTH COUNSELING YOUTH AND 17 HOURS PER MONTH COUNSELING ADULTS DURING 2020. JULY 27TH: HOSTED A GROUP OF 15 ADULTS AND YOUTH VOLUNTEERS FOR A WORK DAY OUT AT THE FIREHOUSE JULY 28TH-30TH: HOSTED A GROUP FROM HEART OF LIGHT MINISTRIES/YOUTHFRONT - 15 VOLUNTEERS HELPED RUN A VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL FOR OUR NEIGHBORHOOD YOUTH. 40 CHILDREN WERE FED DINNER EACH NIGHT AND ENJOYED ALL OF THE VBS ACTIVITIES. AUGUST 4TH- 4 ADULTS, AND 10 CHILDREN SERVED AT THE WYANDOTTE COUNTY ELECTION OFFICE. DURING THE PANDEMIC THE GROUP PROGRAMS HAVE SHUT DOWN BUT WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO MENTOR SEVERAL YOUNG LADIES AND YOUNG MEN ONE ON ONE HELPING THEM TO COMPLETE THEIR HIGH SCHOOL YEAR. SNACKS, LUNCH AND DINNER ARE SERVED ALMOST DAILY TO UNDERPRIVILEGED CHILDREN IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD. CLASSIC BUILDINGS BROUGHT A CREW OF ABOUT 20 VOLUNTEERS OUT TO THE FIREHOUSE TO BUILD A CHICKEN COOP AND A PLAYHOUSE FOR THE NEIGHBOR CHILDREN. BOTH HAVE BEEN A HUGE HIT AND WE CURRENTLY JUST TRANSITIONED TEN BABY CHICKS THAT WE HATCHED OUT TO THE COOP.

THE FIREHOUSE IS THE NAME OF OUR BUILDING THAT WE DO MINISTRY OUT OF AND WHERE WE HOST FAMILIES WHO ARE HOMELESS OR IN NEED OF TRANSITIONAL HOUSING, YOUNG ADULTS WHO HAVE AGED OUT OF FOSTER CARE, AND WHERE WE RUN ALL OF OUR PROGRAMMING FOR THE CHILDREN AND YOUTH IN OUR PROGRAMS OUT OF. CONNECTION POINTS ARE HOW WE TRACK TIME SPENT SERVING OUR COMMUNITY. EACH CONNECTION POINT REPRESENTS AN HOUR OF TIME SPENT WITH A YOUTH OR AN ADULT. WE HAVE AVERAGED 284 YOUTH CONNECTION POINTS, 23 ADULT CONNECTION POINTS, WITH 240 HOURS OF COMMUNITY SERVICE, 60 HOURS MENTORING PER MONTH, 22 HOURS PER MONTH COUNSELING YOUTH AND 17 HOURS PER MONTH COUNSELING ADULTS DURING THE MONTHS OF 2020. TWO INTERNS HAVE COME ON BOARD, AMANDA REESE AND JOSIAH GELLAT. WE HAVE HOSTED OVER 200 VOLUNTEERS IN THE PAST YEAR. OVER THE PAST YEAR WE HAVE BROUGHT IN 4 YOUNG LADIES WHO HAD AGED OUT OF THE FOSTER CARE SYSTEM. OUR LAST ONE JUST TRANSITIONED OUT AFTER GRADUATING HIGH SCHOOL FROM BONNER SPRINGS HIGH AND HOLDING A JOB AT LOWES FOR 8 MONTHS WHILE SHE WAS WITH US. AFTER REHABBING THE APARTMENT WE WILL BE RECRUITING TWO MORE TO COME AND STAY. ONE YOUNG LADY THAT STAYED WITH US AND WENT THROUGH OUR PROGRAM A FEW YEARS BACK GRADUATED HIGH SCHOOL THIS PAST YEAR WE ARE CURRENTLY HOUSING AN ELDERLY WOMAN WHO IS UNABLE TO CARE FOR HERSELF WE HAVE BUILT MANY BRIDGES BETWEEN OUR MINISTRY AND THE HISPANIC FAMILIES OF OUR COMMUNITY SINCE WE SPEAK SPANISH AND HAVE MUCH EXPERIENCE IN LATIN AMERICA. THE FRIENDSHIPS HAVE BEEN INVALUABLE. WE HAVE HOSTED SEVERAL AUTHENTIC FOOD COOKING PARTIES AT THE FIREHOUSE. CLASSIC BUILDINGS BROUGHT A CREW OF ABOUT 20 VOLUNTEERS OUT TO THE FIREHOUSE TO BUILD A CHICKEN COOP AND A PLAYHOUSE FOR THE NEIGHBOR CHILDREN. BOTH HAVE BEEN A HUGE HIT AND WE CURRENTLY JUST TRANSITIONED TEN BABY CHICKS THAT WE HATCHED OUT TO THE COOP.

COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS IS THE NAME OF OUR PROGRAM THAT INCLUDES OUR FOOD PANTRY AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS TO THE COMMUNITY. WE ARE AVERAGING 145 PEOPLE, ADULTS, CHILDREN AND ELDERLY PER MONTH THAT WE SERVE WITH THE FOOD PANTRY AVERAGING 150 BAGS OF FOOD GIVEN OUT MONTHLY. THIS YEAR WE WERE BLESSED WITH A GRANT TO HELP SERVE UNDERPRIVILEGED FAMILIES IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT WERE STRUGGLING FROM THE REPERCUSSIONS OF COVID. WE WERE ABLE TO SERVE 70 ADULTS AND 76 CHILDREN SERVED FINANCIALLY IN 2020 HELPING TO COVER RENT, UTILITY AND FOOD COSTS AS WE CONTRIBUTED CLOSE TO $10,000 IN SUPPORT TO STRUGGLING FAMILIES IN OUR COMMUNITIES.

ILLUMIN8 IS OUR UMBRELLA NAME FOR THE PROGRAMS THAT WE RUN WITH THE CHILDREN AND YOUTH OF OUR COMMUNITY. CONNECTION POINTS ARE HOW WE TRACK TIME SPENT SERVING OUR COMMUNITY. EACH CONNECTION POINT REPRESENTS AN HOUR OF TIME SPENT WITH A YOUTH OR AN ADULT. WE HAVE AVERAGED 284 YOUTH CONNECTION POINTS, 23 ADULT CONNECTION POINTS, WITH 240 HOURS OF COMMUNITY SERVICE, 60 HOURS MENTORING PER MONTH, 22 HOURS PER MONTH COUNSELING YOUTH AND 17 HOURS PER MONTH COUNSELING ADULTS DURING 2020. JULY 27TH: HOSTED A GROUP OF 15 ADULTS AND YOUTH VOLUNTEERS FOR A WORK DAY OUT AT THE FIREHOUSE JULY 28TH-30TH: HOSTED A GROUP FROM HEART OF LIGHT MINISTRIES/YOUTHFRONT - 15 VOLUNTEERS HELPED RUN A VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL FOR OUR NEIGHBORHOOD YOUTH. 40 CHILDREN WERE FED DINNER EACH NIGHT AND ENJOYED ALL OF THE VBS ACTIVITIES. AUGUST 4TH- 4 ADULTS, AND 10 CHILDREN SERVED AT THE WYANDOTTE COUNTY ELECTION OFFICE. DURING THE PANDEMIC THE GROUP PROGRAMS HAVE SHUT DOWN BUT WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO MENTOR SEVERAL YOUNG LADIES AND YOUNG MEN ONE ON ONE HELPING THEM TO COMPLETE THEIR HIGH SCHOOL YEAR. SNACKS, LUNCH AND DINNER ARE SERVED ALMOST DAILY TO UNDERPRIVILEGED CHILDREN IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD. CLASSIC BUILDINGS BROUGHT A CREW OF ABOUT 20 VOLUNTEERS OUT TO THE FIREHOUSE TO BUILD A CHICKEN COOP AND A PLAYHOUSE FOR THE NEIGHBOR CHILDREN. BOTH HAVE BEEN A HUGE HIT AND WE CURRENTLY JUST TRANSITIONED TEN BABY CHICKS THAT WE HATCHED OUT TO THE COOP.

THE FIREHOUSE IS THE NAME OF OUR BUILDING THAT WE DO MINISTRY OUT OF AND WHERE WE HOST FAMILIES WHO ARE HOMELESS OR IN NEED OF TRANSITIONAL HOUSING, YOUNG ADULTS WHO HAVE AGED OUT OF FOSTER CARE, AND WHERE WE RUN ALL OF OUR PROGRAMMING FOR THE CHILDREN AND YOUTH IN OUR PROGRAMS OUT OF. CONNECTION POINTS ARE HOW WE TRACK TIME SPENT SERVING OUR COMMUNITY. EACH CONNECTION POINT REPRESENTS AN HOUR OF TIME SPENT WITH A YOUTH OR AN ADULT. WE HAVE AVERAGED 284 YOUTH CONNECTION POINTS, 23 ADULT CONNECTION POINTS, WITH 240 HOURS OF COMMUNITY SERVICE, 60 HOURS MENTORING PER MONTH, 22 HOURS PER MONTH COUNSELING YOUTH AND 17 HOURS PER MONTH COUNSELING ADULTS DURING THE MONTHS OF 2020. TWO INTERNS HAVE COME ON BOARD, AMANDA REESE AND JOSIAH GELLAT. WE HAVE HOSTED OVER 200 VOLUNTEERS IN THE PAST YEAR. OVER THE PAST YEAR WE HAVE BROUGHT IN 4 YOUNG LADIES WHO HAD AGED OUT OF THE FOSTER CARE SYSTEM. OUR LAST ONE JUST TRANSITIONED OUT AFTER GRADUATING HIGH SCHOOL FROM BONNER SPRINGS HIGH AND HOLDING A JOB AT LOWES FOR 8 MONTHS WHILE SHE WAS WITH US. AFTER REHABBING THE APARTMENT WE WILL BE RECRUITING TWO MORE TO COME AND STAY. ONE YOUNG LADY THAT STAYED WITH US AND WENT THROUGH OUR PROGRAM A FEW YEARS BACK GRADUATED HIGH SCHOOL THIS PAST YEAR WE ARE CURRENTLY HOUSING AN ELDERLY WOMAN WHO IS UNABLE TO CARE FOR HERSELF WE HAVE BUILT MANY BRIDGES BETWEEN OUR MINISTRY AND THE HISPANIC FAMILIES OF OUR COMMUNITY SINCE WE SPEAK SPANISH AND HAVE MUCH EXPERIENCE IN LATIN AMERICA. THE FRIENDSHIPS HAVE BEEN INVALUABLE. WE HAVE HOSTED SEVERAL AUTHENTIC FOOD COOKING PARTIES AT THE FIREHOUSE. CLASSIC BUILDINGS BROUGHT A CREW OF ABOUT 20 VOLUNTEERS OUT TO THE FIREHOUSE TO BUILD A CHICKEN COOP AND A PLAYHOUSE FOR THE NEIGHBOR CHILDREN. BOTH HAVE BEEN A HUGE HIT AND WE CURRENTLY JUST TRANSITIONED TEN BABY CHICKS THAT WE HATCHED OUT TO THE COOP.

COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS IS THE NAME OF OUR PROGRAM THAT INCLUDES OUR FOOD PANTRY AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS TO THE COMMUNITY. WE ARE AVERAGING 145 PEOPLE, ADULTS, CHILDREN AND ELDERLY PER MONTH THAT WE SERVE WITH THE FOOD PANTRY AVERAGING 150 BAGS OF FOOD GIVEN OUT MONTHLY. THIS YEAR WE WERE BLESSED WITH A GRANT TO HELP SERVE UNDERPRIVILEGED FAMILIES IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT WERE STRUGGLING FROM THE REPERCUSSIONS OF COVID. WE WERE ABLE TO SERVE 70 ADULTS AND 76 CHILDREN SERVED FINANCIALLY IN 2020 HELPING TO COVER RENT, UTILITY AND FOOD COSTS AS WE CONTRIBUTED CLOSE TO $10,000 IN SUPPORT TO STRUGGLING FAMILIES IN OUR COMMUNITIES.

ILLUMIN8 IS OUR UMBRELLA NAME FOR THE PROGRAMS THAT WE RUN WITH THE CHILDREN AND YOUTH OF OUR COMMUNITY. CONNECTION POINTS ARE HOW WE TRACK TIME SPENT SERVING OUR COMMUNITY. EACH CONNECTION POINT REPRESENTS AN HOUR OF TIME SPENT WITH A YOUTH OR AN ADULT. WE HAVE AVERAGED 284 YOUTH CONNECTION POINTS, 23 ADULT CONNECTION POINTS, WITH 240 HOURS OF COMMUNITY SERVICE, 60 HOURS MENTORING PER MONTH, 22 HOURS PER MONTH COUNSELING YOUTH AND 17 HOURS PER MONTH COUNSELING ADULTS DURING 2020. JULY 27TH: HOSTED A GROUP OF 15 ADULTS AND YOUTH VOLUNTEERS FOR A WORK DAY OUT AT THE FIREHOUSE JULY 28TH-30TH: HOSTED A GROUP FROM HEART OF LIGHT MINISTRIES/YOUTHFRONT - 15 VOLUNTEERS HELPED RUN A VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL FOR OUR NEIGHBORHOOD YOUTH. 40 CHILDREN WERE FED DINNER EACH NIGHT AND ENJOYED ALL OF THE VBS ACTIVITIES. AUGUST 4TH- 4 ADULTS, AND 10 CHILDREN SERVED AT THE WYANDOTTE COUNTY ELECTION OFFICE. DURING THE PANDEMIC THE GROUP PROGRAMS HAVE SHUT DOWN BUT WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO MENTOR SEVERAL YOUNG LADIES AND YOUNG MEN ONE ON ONE HELPING THEM TO COMPLETE THEIR HIGH SCHOOL YEAR. SNACKS, LUNCH AND DINNER ARE SERVED ALMOST DAILY TO UNDERPRIVILEGED CHILDREN IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD. CLASSIC BUILDINGS BROUGHT A CREW OF ABOUT 20 VOLUNTEERS OUT TO THE FIREHOUSE TO BUILD A CHICKEN COOP AND A PLAYHOUSE FOR THE NEIGHBOR CHILDREN. BOTH HAVE BEEN A HUGE HIT AND WE CURRENTLY JUST TRANSITIONED TEN BABY CHICKS THAT WE HATCHED OUT TO THE COOP.

THE FIREHOUSE IS THE NAME OF OUR BUILDING THAT WE DO MINISTRY OUT OF AND WHERE WE HOST FAMILIES WHO ARE HOMELESS OR IN NEED OF TRANSITIONAL HOUSING, YOUNG ADULTS WHO HAVE AGED OUT OF FOSTER CARE, AND WHERE WE RUN ALL OF OUR PROGRAMMING FOR THE CHILDREN AND YOUTH IN OUR PROGRAMS OUT OF. CONNECTION POINTS ARE HOW WE TRACK TIME SPENT SERVING OUR COMMUNITY. EACH CONNECTION POINT REPRESENTS AN HOUR OF TIME SPENT WITH A YOUTH OR AN ADULT. WE HAVE AVERAGED 284 YOUTH CONNECTION POINTS, 23 ADULT CONNECTION POINTS, WITH 240 HOURS OF COMMUNITY SERVICE, 60 HOURS MENTORING PER MONTH, 22 HOURS PER MONTH COUNSELING YOUTH AND 17 HOURS PER MONTH COUNSELING ADULTS DURING THE MONTHS OF 2020. TWO INTERNS HAVE COME ON BOARD, AMANDA REESE AND JOSIAH GELLAT. WE HAVE HOSTED OVER 200 VOLUNTEERS IN THE PAST YEAR. OVER THE PAST YEAR WE HAVE BROUGHT IN 4 YOUNG LADIES WHO HAD AGED OUT OF THE FOSTER CARE SYSTEM. OUR LAST ONE JUST TRANSITIONED OUT AFTER GRADUATING HIGH SCHOOL FROM BONNER SPRINGS HIGH AND HOLDING A JOB AT LOWES FOR 8 MONTHS WHILE SHE WAS WITH US. AFTER REHABBING THE APARTMENT WE WILL BE RECRUITING TWO MORE TO COME AND STAY. ONE YOUNG LADY THAT STAYED WITH US AND WENT THROUGH OUR PROGRAM A FEW YEARS BACK GRADUATED HIGH SCHOOL THIS PAST YEAR WE ARE CURRENTLY HOUSING AN ELDERLY WOMAN WHO IS UNABLE TO CARE FOR HERSELF WE HAVE BUILT MANY BRIDGES BETWEEN OUR MINISTRY AND THE HISPANIC FAMILIES OF OUR COMMUNITY SINCE WE SPEAK SPANISH AND HAVE MUCH EXPERIENCE IN LATIN AMERICA. THE FRIENDSHIPS HAVE BEEN INVALUABLE. WE HAVE HOSTED SEVERAL AUTHENTIC FOOD COOKING PARTIES AT THE FIREHOUSE. CLASSIC BUILDINGS BROUGHT A CREW OF ABOUT 20 VOLUNTEERS OUT TO THE FIREHOUSE TO BUILD A CHICKEN COOP AND A PLAYHOUSE FOR THE NEIGHBOR CHILDREN. BOTH HAVE BEEN A HUGE HIT AND WE CURRENTLY JUST TRANSITIONED TEN BABY CHICKS THAT WE HATCHED OUT TO THE COOP.

COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS IS THE NAME OF OUR PROGRAM THAT INCLUDES OUR FOOD PANTRY AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS TO THE COMMUNITY. WE ARE AVERAGING 145 PEOPLE, ADULTS, CHILDREN AND ELDERLY PER MONTH THAT WE SERVE WITH THE FOOD PANTRY AVERAGING 150 BAGS OF FOOD GIVEN OUT MONTHLY. THIS YEAR WE WERE BLESSED WITH A GRANT TO HELP SERVE UNDERPRIVILEGED FAMILIES IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT WERE STRUGGLING FROM THE REPERCUSSIONS OF COVID. WE WERE ABLE TO SERVE 70 ADULTS AND 76 CHILDREN SERVED FINANCIALLY IN 2020 HELPING TO COVER RENT, UTILITY AND FOOD COSTS AS WE CONTRIBUTED CLOSE TO $10,000 IN SUPPORT TO STRUGGLING FAMILIES IN OUR COMMUNITIES.