NEW! Home Essentials Fresh Start Kits: Currrently there is a U.S. government grant that provides housing vouchers to homeless individuals in the Kansas City area, moving 4 - 8 individuals into apartments each month. Unfortunately that program doesn't have the resources to provide any of the basic living essentials a person needs to get started after they are handed the keys. Hope In The Streets has stepped in and provides a large tub of home essentials to these individuals to get them off to a good start in their new environment. Items in the Fresh Start Kit include: Bed Sheets, Plates, Bowls, Cups, Silverware, Cooking Pans, Kitchen Utensils, Towels, Laundry Soap, Shower Curtain, Pillow, Blanket, Bathroom Hygiene Items, Non-Perishable Food Items, etc. Our Fresh Start Program provides the necessary foundation for individuals to start living on their own and to become more self-sufficient early on in the transition away from homelessness.

Winter Warmth Kits: Each winter the foundation will buy supplies to assist the homeless in staying warm and help them get through the cold winter months. The kits will include a sleeping bag, winter coat, hat, gloves, socks, canned food, hygiene goods, a bible, and other items to be determined each year. Through this program, Hope In The Streets provides Warmth Kits to approximately 30 to 50 individuals each winter.

Guardian Angels: This program allows everyday people (as volunteers) to support homeless and desparately low income individuals. The support is delivered over the phone in most instances and provides a homeless person with a name and number to call when they just need somebody to talk to. Click here to learn more.

Medical Referral: Through our relationship with Swope Health Services, our volunteers can refer homeless individuals to local clinics staffed by medical professionals. The services and benefits available through Swope Health include general medicine, chronic disease treatment, mental health treatment, as well as drug and alcohol rehabilitation. These services are free or at a very low cost for qualified homeless individuals.

Holiday Meals: Associates of the foundation, and other people in the community who volunteer, will be matched up with homeless individuals to share a nice meal together. The meal could be prepared and taken to the homeless person's camp, or the volunteers can treat the homeless person to a restaurant meal in town. We will concentrate these meal experiences around major holidays, such as Thanksgiving and Christmas.

The programs listed below are part of our long term vision, but not yet available ...

Road to Success: Qualified and pre-screened homeless individuals can be recommended for this program, which provides transition housing and basic living support for up to 1 year per person. One-on-one counseling is provided by our volunteers to help increase the odds of taking these individuals off the street permanently. By establishing a long track record working with and coming to know homeless individuals, the foundation can identify individuals that have the best chance for success. The program allows motivated and qualified homeless individuals a place to live, off the streets, while they establish employment, credibility, and dignity. Until our program is funded, we will direct potential candidates to the Hillcrest Ministries program.

Job Network: Our foundation will provide the screening of potential employers as well as the screening of homeless individuals. After we have built up a long track record working with a homeless individual, we can vouch for that person and work with potential employers to give the candidate a fresh chance with appropriately matched employment opportunities.

Family Reunion: With persistence and a little bit of background information, associates are able to perform detective work to help find the families of homeless individuals. The foundation would be able to make contact and potentially facilitate reuniting of the homeless individual and members of their family.