You can help brighten someone's Thanksgiving and Christmas this year by Joyfully Offering Yourself in serving every week this holiday season.

Donate to our Thanksgiving meal fund, sponsor a family for the holidays, or connect with one of our great local partners for additional donation or volunteer opportunities.

As the only agency in Kansas City that provides private apartments and supportive services to mothers in recovery and their children, Amethyst Place empowers families by helping them build healthy relationships, secure permanent housing, improve their educational outcomes, and gain economic stability.

Amethyst Place is in need of spaghetti sauce, snacks and activities for kids, and basic cleaning items. Donate items from their Amazon wishlist.

Avenue of Life's mission is to mobilize our community to equip and empower low-income individuals and families to be self-sustained and independent.

Avenue of Life will be distributing essentials kits to families. Donations are needed of non-perishable pantry staples, items for sack lunches, toiletries and cleaning supplies for homes, masks, gloves and disinfecting wipes.

An anonymous donor has stepped up with a COVID-19 Match Challenge, pledging to match all donations up to $50,000. Please consider doubling the impact of your generosity by partnering with Avenue of Life in reaching homeless families, children, and youth in the urban core of Kansas City.

Cross-Lines was established in 1963 as “a place of hope” for those struggling with the hardships of poverty. They provide direct assistance to at-risk families, the elderly, and single individuals struggling to make ends meet.

Cross-Lines has temporarily stopped serving hot meals cafeteria style, and has started distributing sack meals for breakfasts and lunches. Funding is needed to purchase items for distribution. Donate to Cross-Lines.

Flourish Furnishings collects, prepares and distributes donated furnishings and home essentials to offer a “hand up” by meeting the household furnishings needs in Kansas City’s urban and suburban communities.

As they prepare to re-open their warehouse, donations of household goods and furnishings are needed. Visit their website to learn more about donating gently used goods, view their Amazon wishlist, or give online.

Click here to learn more.

Safety-net programs such as SNAP (food stamps) and WIC (women infants children) do not cover diapers. This is a huge expense for low-income families costing an estimated $80-100 per month. 1 in 3 American families struggle to provide enough diapers to keep their babies happy, healthy and dry.

Happy Bottoms has put a hold on accepting diaper donations from the public, but can turn your donations into diapers for families in need.

Donate to Happy Bottoms

Heart to Heart International strengthens communities through improving health access, providing humanitarian development and administering crisis relief worldwide.

Across the U.S., Heart to Heart International is distributing hygiene kits for those in quarantine or unable to leave their homes. Good hygiene is critical in this time of the COVID-19 global pandemic, especially in vulnerable communities.

They have already distributed thousands of kits to local shelters, healthcare facilities, school districts, faith-based programs, food pantries, public safety organizations, and more. But, more kits are needed.

You can sponsor one kit for $10 and it will provide hygiene supplies (including soap, toothpaste, shampoo, handwashing guidelines, and more) that will be delivered to a person in need.

Hope Faith is asking for assistance in sourcing bulk meal supplies to be given out in paper sack care packages.

If you are able to do so safely, please bring the following to Hope Faith or VCP to provide for Kansas City’s homeless population. You can also make a monetary donation online.

Hope Faith: 705 Virginia Ave, Kansas City, MO 64106
VCP: 8900 Troost Ave, Kansas City, MO 64131

Food Items
Fruit cups, pudding, flour tortillas, sliced bread, biscuits, deli meat, sliced cheeses, buns, applesauce, fruit snacks, granola bars, breakfast bars, honey buns, wrapped muffins, smoothies, yogurt, english muffins, individually packaged cereals, peanut butter, jelly, individually packaged chips, cheese sticks, bottled water, juice boxes, and individual milk cartons.

Sanitation & General Items
Spoons/sporks, Nitrile gloves (especially L-XL), disposable gloves, N95 disposable face, masks, disinfectant spray, commercial building/kitchen disinfectant, hand sanitizer (all sizes), sanitizing wipes, bleach, paper towels, trash bags, disposable rags, tissue paper, facial tissue, vitamins, vitamin C, sandwich bags, disposable plates, disposable cups, disposable napkins, brown paper sacks, and plastic sacks.

KVC Health Systems is a national leader in behavioral healthcare, child welfare, and community health and wellness.

KVC clinical teams and essential frontline staff are working around the clock to care for the safety and mental health of our clients in their homes, in foster homes, and inside their children’s hospitals and residential treatment centers. Your donation helps fund their COVID-19 response.

Metro Lutheran Ministry connects those in need in the Kansas City area with food, housing, health care, education, employment services and other resources.

If you want to stay in but still want to help you could make sack lunches or breakfasts and MLM will pick them up! For more information, please contact Rebecka at rebeckanoel@mlmkc.org.

If you want to donate the food needed for sack breakfasts, order from their Amazon wishlist.

reStart provides housing and supportive services to help homeless men, women, youth and families move toward independence and self-sufficiency with the goal of ending homelessness in our community.

At this time, they are in need of sack lunches to distribute their clients. A few ideas for what to include: peanut butter sandwiches; protein options like tuna or chicken salad kits, vienna sausages or beef jerky; individually packaged chips, fruit cups, granola bars and other snacks.

Once your bags are complete, please coordinate with Ann Klockau(aklockau@restartinc.org) to arrange a time to deliver them to reStart.

Shelter KC is in desperate need of hygiene items (soap, body wash, shampoo, toothpaste) and surgical masks to protect employees and guests. Store-bought masks are preferable, but they will take homemade too. Contact Shelter KC to arrange a time to drop off donations: 816-421-7643

Donating funds online will go to work immediately to care for homeless men and women in Kansas City. Donate now.

Synergy Services, Inc. began in 1970 as Synergy House, the only shelter for runaway and homeless youth in western Missouri. Through the years the organization’s reach to include young children and women victimized by abuse.

The Domestic Violence Center, Children's Center and Synergy House remain open and staff continues to provide 24 hour care and housing to children and teens in our community through this crisis.

Donate to their COVID-19 Resource Fund or check out their list of in-kind needs here (you can order through Amazon or Walmart).

Community Services League has had an increased need for assistance at all of their food assistance sites and are currently signing up volunteers for their Noland Road warehouse and drive thru food pantry site. Volunteers of all ages are welcome.

Proceeds the Adelante Thrift Store support the operations of Mission Adelante, a multicultural ministry community with Bhutanese refugees and Latino immigrants emphasizing individual transformation and community development.

Volunteers are needed to work behind the scenes, assisting with sorting donations, hanging clothing, and cleaning/pricing items. All volunteers will be required to wear face masks the entire time they are in the store and keep a 6' distance from fellow volunteers, staff and customers.

Learn more or sign up to volunteer here.

Questions? Please contact Adelante Thrift's volunteer coordinator, Jessica at jessicab@adelantethrift.com.

Jackson County CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) works with children who have been placed in foster care due to parental abuse or neglect. Each child or sibling group is matched with a CASA volunteer who will help them navigate their time in foster care. Our CASA Volunteers visits the child or children monthly and advocate for their educational, medical, and therapeutic needs. CASA staff and Volunteers work together to ensure that each child served will have a safe and permanent home.

Each month, 30 to 40 children who have experienced abuse and neglect are referred to CASA. That is why we offer CASA Volunteer training every month, now via Zoom. In a series of 5 classes, you will learn how you can best advocate for a child who is in the Family Court system due to abuse and neglect. Contact Lisa Martin, LMartin@jacksoncountycasa-mo.org to schedule an information session to see if you are ready to become a CASA Volunteer.

Harvesters Mobile Food Pantry is holding distribution events at the Don Bosco Center (580 Campbell) in downtown KC, from 1-4pm on 2nd Fridays.

This is a walk through Mobile Food Distribution. Volunteers will be needed to help distribute and organize the food on the pallets, sign people in, and clean up at the end.

It will be outside, so please dress for the weather with close-toed shoes and bring a mask. Lifting may be required for certain volunteer positions.

Sign up to help unload, sort, and hand out food while people drive through for the distribution.

Flourish Furnishings collects, prepares and distributes donated furnishings and home essentials to offer a “hand up” by meeting the household furnishings needs in Kansas City’s urban and suburban communities.

As they prepare to re-open their warehouse, volunteers are needed to load/unload trucks, sort through donated goods, restock shelves for client shopping and working with clients.

Click here to learn more.

The Global FC Education Program serves English language learners from all over the world, most of whom arrived in Kansas City on refugee status.

The Global FC team is continuing to foster academic growth and community, fighting the isolation and boredom students are facing right now. The connection and support provided through online engagement is vital during this time where everything is new.

Check out what online engagement looks like for Global FC and email Celeste at celeste@branch-global.com to become a tutor!

Proceeds from Hillcrest Thrift Stores support the operations of the Hillcrest Transitional Housing program, offering homeless families, singles and youth housing and a disciplined educational program within a caring, supportive environment.

As the thrift stores in Lenexa and Lee's Summit reopen, volunteers are needed in the following areas -

• Volunteer Cashier
• Volunteer Donation Attendant
• Volunteer Clothing Processor

Learn more about how to volunteer.

Lead to Read KC Reading Mentors read with and mentor students one-to-one each week for 30 minutes. The whole-class reading sessions take place during the school day in elementary classrooms in high-need elementary schools. During COVID-19 restrictions, reading sessions will take place virtually. Volunteers will need a computer with audio/visual capabilities and Internet access. Most volunteers donate one lunch hour a week during the school year.

Lead to Read KC’s mission is to support the social, emotional, and reading skills that are foundational for student success by mobilizing community volunteers to read with students in elementary schools. Apply today!

Metro Lutheran Ministry connects those in need in the Kansas City area with food, housing, health care, education, employment services and other resources.

Metro Lutheran is looking for 3-5 volunteers from 8:15am-11:30am on Tuesday-Friday. Volunteers will be pre-packing food boxes for the next day (no direct contact with clients).

They also need 3-5 volunteers from 1:00pm - 3:00pm on Fridays to help package sack breakfasts.

Please contact Rebecka at rebeckanoel@mlmkc.org for more information or to volunteer.

United Way of Greater Kansas City works to provide the farthest-reaching network of support for those in need in our community. UWGKC has identified volunteer opportunities all throughout the metro area, that will help those who are impacted by this public health crisis. This list will be continuously updated, so check back.