Community Outreach Services

Mt. Carmel Community Outreach Ministries is designed to go beyond charity to foster social change and to build self-reliance. Community Outreach was born out of Mt. Carmel Church of God in Christ’s desire to expand its ministry to help feed area low-income residents through a joint food kitchen effort.  The program expanded in 1987 to become a food distribution system for Harvesters, the local food bank.

Today Mt. Carmel Community Outreach Services is a multifaceted program. This expansion of services was born out of the realization that lack of food was result of turmoil in participants' lives. Thereby, seeking to provide holistic service delivery, Mt. Carmel seeks root causes for problems affecting Kansas City, Kansas families.

In 2001, governance of community outreach services was transferred to the Mt. Carmel Redevelopment Corporation. Mt. Carmel Community Outreach Ministries is a human service component that helps MCRC carry out its mission to improve the quality of life for residents of Kansas City, Kansas, by addressing concerns of the family throughout the complete life cycle - cradle to the grave.  The program’s intent is move people beyond poverty into productivity.  Services delivery is designed and implemented in a holistic manner to foster dignity and respect, to maintain the greatest level of self-sufficiency and to avoid duplicity. 

The program is a United Way supported agency.   A dedicated staff and a core of volunteers carry out its mission.

Service Provisions

• Strengths-Based Case Management
  Case Mangers are utilized to assist clients with complex problems to improve the overall well being of the family, to prevent homelessness and to assure that basic human needs are met, while maintaining the greatest level of self-sufficiency.  The case manager assists clients in setting and achieving their goals, enabling them to move into a more stable lifestyle.   

• Food Pantry 
  Provides 3 to 5 days of groceries.

• Essential Services
  Essential services is defined as: assistance in obtaining permanent housing, medical and psychological and supervision, employment counseling, nutritional counseling, substance abuse treatment and counseling, assistance in obtaining  other federal, state and local assistance including mental health benefits; employment counseling; medical assistance; veteran’s benefits; and income support assistance such as supplemental security income benefits, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families; general assistance, and food stamps.

• Crisis intervention and Homeless Prevention
  Short-term subsidies to defray rent and utility arrearages for families that have received eviction and utility termination notices; security deposits or first month’s rent to permit a homeless family to move into their own apartment; mediation programs for landlord-tenant disputes; legal services programs for the representation of indigent tenants in eviction proceedings; payments to prevent foreclosures on a home and other innovative activities to prevent homelessness.

• Utility Assistance
  MCRC assists low-income families with utility assistance. The organization manages and distributes Warm & Light, United Way and Emergency Shelter Utility Funds.  Discretionary Funds are also utilized.
• Education and Career Development
  MCRC conducts periodic college and career workshops for area residents, including participants in our homeless programs.
• Budget Coaching
  Assists clients in determining spending priorities, Food Selection, Rental and buying Options, Advantages/ Disadvantages of checking accounts, teaches the importance of savings.
• Nutritional Counseling
  The program is designed to help individuals, families and the elderly stretch their food dollars by 25-30%.  Participants attend classes where they receive recipes and view videos and cooking demonstrations.   In addition, they receive one-on-one counseling to teach them how to: buy food that is economical and provides proper nutrition, store food so that it will maintains it nutritional value and does not spoil, prepare foods to stretch the number of servings and provide good nutrition value and other valuable aspects.
• Fan Club
  MCRC is a distribution site for the channel 9 fan club, distributing fan to low income individuals.
• Information and Referrals
  Clients are referred to appropriate agencies within the Wyandotte County Emergency Assistance Coalition to receive diverse services.  They are also advised of the documentation and verification necessary to receive assistance from city, county, or government agencies.  MCRC accepts referrals from and provides referrals to other service providers, schools, hospitals, and city, County, and Government agencies.

• Advocacy
  Assistance is offered to individuals in filling out forms, where there is a literacy problem, e.g. filling out food stamp forms, unemployment forms, etc.  If elderly or children are being abused, neglected, referral is made to necessary agencies. MCRC staff members are knowledgeable about legislation that affects the poor, the hungry, and the homeless.  Frequently, the case manager is called to testify for clients they have worked with or who have achieved success. 

• Health Screening & Education
  In partnership with healthcare providers, MCRC provides health screenings and education. Free mammograms are offered through St. Luke Hospital’s Mobile Mammography Unit at Mt. Carmel Place annually each September.

• Survival Skills for Women
  Survival Skills for women is a ten-workshop series that addresses issues and life skills that affect women, i.e. assertiveness, personal health, nutrition, money management, child management, self-advocacy, coping with stress, legal rights, community resources and re-entry/employment.  Transitional housing participants and persons in case management are required to attend life skill classes.  

              MCRC’s first Survival Skills Graduating Class
                  Outreach Service Provisions Continued>>>>>Click Here