Bishop Sullivan Center emergency assistance.
Residents that are in need of food or employment, or the homebound that need a low cost home delivered meal, can turn to the Bishop Sullivan Center for help. The organization operates in the greater Kansas City area and provides support to the less fortunate, senior citizens, and people struggling in the community.
Hunger is a terrible thing, and many people, maybe co-workers, family members and others at this very moment may be struggling with where to find their next meal. The mission to end hunger and provide free or affordable food is paramount to The Bishop Sullivan Center. The charity feels that offering community help is essential.
At two locations, Bishop Sullivan Center operates a free food pantry for those in the community in need of assistance. While donation levels will change and resources vary, per each pantry, food to supplement low income households is distributed to approximately oftentimes hundreds of families on a monthly basis.
The goal of Bishop Sullivan Center and partners they work with is to provide enough food or groceries for each month to those families in need of assistance. Fresh items and bread is provided by many local groceries stores, other USDA commodities and Bishop Sullivan Center purchases most of the items from Harvesters.
Requirements for access to Bishop Sullivan Center include a valid ID with picture, proof of address in the service area by showing a utility bill or a rental agreement, and people also need an ID card for every member of the household. This is the same for all individuals requiring food, and the proof must be presented and along with details on their income over the last 30 days.
Please note that Bishop Sullivan Center only provides assistance up to 150% of the U.S. government poverty guidelines. For further eligibility, potential clients cannot be utilizing any other pantry (whether church or charity based) within the city limits for at least the last 30 days. This is tracked and monitored by MAAC (a United Way internet service) as all pantries in the community are connected via this system.
Meals on wheels is offered too. At certain times, there may be a need for extra drivers for weekly food deliveries to homebound elderly or disabled neighbors. A valid driver’s license and enthusiasm are all that is required to pay a friendly visit to local clients.
Limited financial aid may be offered. The vast majority of the client base at The Bishop Sullivan Center is comprised of people and families living 150% below the federal government poverty guidelines who are often in need of emergency financial assistance. If they are not provided with any type of assistance, they may face troubling circumstance like eviction, homelessness or loss of utilities. Assistance with partial rent, eviction prevention and utilities or heating bills is given to low-income families to ease their time of crisis and lead them to a path of independence.
Bishop Sullivan Center provides an annual service under the name Project Eldercool. This program consists of giving free air conditioners or maybe a box fan to low-income elderly residents within Kansas City, and it can help them lower their cooling bills as the models will be efficient. Hundreds of units have been passed out to the agencies elderly friends, making a heat related death in the Kansas City Area a very rare occurrence.
The simplicity of the program is to give a window unit air conditioner to a senior citizen on a very fixed or limited income who is in need of one within the metro area. In addition, to cover any potential increase in cost to their electric or cooling bills as a result of this installation, up to $100 dollars in placed in their accounts to alleviate any concerns going forward.
Since employment is an essential component of living a stable life in a secure home environment, and the income will help people pay their bills, Bishop Sullivan Center has a job program that helps those currently unemployed find work.
Many clients do not have access to the internet, therefore, the center has free internet usage. Also, staff teach them how to look for a job, how to maintain steady employment, and also preps them for interviews. Other support includes free clothing, transportation to an interview, computer skills and counseling are just some of the ways clients are assisted at their center.
Hundreds of welfare recipients across Kansas City and those who are unemployed have been helped through the non-profit's job program. Potential employers and local companies are invited to learn more about the Job Counseling Service or list open positions to find matches with our client’s skills.
Contact information to get help from Bishop Sullivan Center
For more information, the phone number is 816-231-0984. Referrals to pantries, basic needs, and other support can be provided by Bishop Sullivan Center out of their office at 6435 Truman Road, Kansas City, Missouri 64126.
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