Shelter KC: A Kansas City Rescue Mission

Shelter KC: A Kansas City Rescue Mission Shelter KC is a Kansas City Rescue Mission helping Kansas City’s homeless men and women experience freedom from the past and hope for the future.

We believe the love of Jesus Christ changes lives. We've seen it happen here every day since 1950. Founded in 1950, Kansas City Rescue Mission offers relief, recovery and reentry services to homeless individuals surviving on Kansas City’s streets. Each service we provide is developed to offer a step up from the misery of homelessness along with the knowledge that there is hope in each new day! Kansas City Rescue Mission offers its services at no charge (with very rare exceptions) to homeless individuals. Its services and programs are available to any individual, 18 or older, regardless of race, religion, gender, lifestyle or creed.

09/09/2026

Some wounds start at the kitchen table.

One of our residents shares where his story began: a father who taught him that emotions were weakness and drugs were how you bond. Understanding where the hurt started is the first step toward healing it.

Recovery is possible. ShelterKC.org

Meet Paul Masao, Donor Relations Specialist at Shelter KC!Paul’s story with Shelter KC began more than 25 years ago, whe...
09/08/2026

Meet Paul Masao, Donor Relations Specialist at Shelter KC!

Paul’s story with Shelter KC began more than 25 years ago, when he first volunteered with the mission in 2000. Just two years later, that volunteer experience turned into a call to serve, leading Paul into a variety of roles throughout the ministry.

From leading food service and mentoring program participants to teaching job readiness, building community and donor relationships, and equipping Shelter KC’s recovery ministry, Paul has worn a lot of hats over the years. In 2008, he joined the Development team, where he found a special passion for sharing the transformation he had witnessed firsthand at Shelter KC with churches, businesses, neighborhoods, and civic organizations.

Today, Paul serves as a Donor Relations Specialist, focusing on thanking and affirming the faith and generosity of the compassionate partners who make Shelter KC’s ministry possible.

After more than two decades, Paul’s heart for this place remains the same: to walk alongside the people who come through Shelter KC’s doors and to see the love and power of Jesus at work every day.

We’re grateful for the many ways Paul has served, the relationships he has built, and the heart he continues to bring to this ministry.

Thank you for serving, Paul!

09/07/2026

On our doors it says there is hope for all who enter here.

Our front desk is the first face every guest sees. Simple kindness can calm a man who walks in scared and overwhelmed. Small things are a big deal when you have nowhere else to go.

365 days of growth.365 days of courage.365 days of choosing a different life.Timothy has officially reached one year sob...
09/05/2026

365 days of growth.
365 days of courage.
365 days of choosing a different life.

Timothy has officially reached one year sober. One year of choosing recovery. One year of showing up, putting in the work, facing hard days, and continuing to move forward!

We are so proud of the work you’ve put into becoming the man you are today. Your journey is a reminder that change is possible, that new beginnings are real, and that every day in recovery matters.

Congratulations on one year, Timothy! Here’s to everything you’ve overcome and everything still ahead.

09/04/2026

What does homelessness take from you first?

One of our residents says it took his humanity a little at a time. People stopped looking him in the eye, and survival replaced everything else. Then one man finally looked, and what he saw made him weep.

Every person deserves to be seen. ShelterKC.org

09/02/2026

The person you drive past has a story.

Most of us write our own narrative about how someone ended up on the street. The truth is often just a run of hard times. When we pause and get curious about the real story, people start to see themselves again, and become who they were created to be.

09/02/2026

A huge thank you to the incredible volunteers who spent a few hours with us putting together StepUP beds for our new space!

Every bed assembled represents a safe place to rest, a fresh start, AND another opportunity for a man in our recovery program to take his next step forward.

We’re so grateful for the time, energy, and willingness to get to work! Projects like this don’t happen without people in our community showing up and saying, “How can I help?”

THANK YOU for helping us prepare a space where transformation can happen. We couldn’t do it without you!

Meet our Chief Development Officer!As the leader of Shelter KC’s Development Team, Kara oversees fundraising, donor enga...
09/01/2026

Meet our Chief Development Officer!

As the leader of Shelter KC’s Development Team, Kara oversees fundraising, donor engagement, communications, and development strategy. She helps guide the work of a team committed to building relationships, connecting our community to the mission, and creating opportunities for people to make a lasting impact.

Kara has been part of Shelter KC’s growth during an exciting season for the organization, including the successful completion of our $8 million Transformations Capital Campaign. She is a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE), holds a bachelor’s degree in Counseling from Moody Bible Institute, and is currently completing her MBA in Executive Leadership at City Vision University! 🙌

Outside of work, Kara enjoys traveling, reading, good food, and life with her husband, Richard (who is also on staff!), and their big, blended family. With a family that size, she firmly believes most things can be solved with a little sunshine, a good sense of humor, and a very large Costco run.

We’re grateful to have Kara serving on our Development Team and helping champion the work of Shelter KC in the community!

08/31/2026

After nearly two years without a home, Kerry Miller came to Shelter KC at his lowest point. He says Shelter KC helped save his life. In Kansas City, he found dignity, Christ-centered recovery, and a chance to rebuild.

HEAR MORE STORIES OF HOPE: https://www.shelterkc.org/client-stories/

Help provide meals, safe shelter, recovery programs, job training, and spiritual care:

DONATE: https://www.shelterkc.org/donate/
VOLUNTEER: https://www.shelterkc.org/volunteer/
GET HELP: https://www.shelterkc.org/connect/

Men's Center: (816) 421-7643
Women's Center: (816) 348-3287

In this honest account, Kerry speaks about childhood abuse, addiction, violence, prison, the loss of his son, faith, forgiveness, and the hard work of recovery. After nearly 22 months at Shelter KC, he is preparing to run the kitchen and give other guests the same sense of home he once needed.

Shelter KC is a Christ-centered rescue mission serving men and women experiencing homelessness in Kansas City.

CONTENT NOTE:
This video includes non-graphic discussion of childhood abuse, substance use, violence, incarceration, homelessness, and su***de loss.

If you or someone you know needs immediate emotional support in the United States, call or text 988 or visit https://988lifeline.org/.

CHAPTERS:

00:00 Kerry's Story
00:31 Meet Kerry Miller
00:54 Childhood trauma and addiction
03:03 Hiding addiction behind a normal life
05:01 Introduced to drugs by his father at age nine
05:38 Abandonment and anger
07:01 Rock bottom in Kansas City
07:31 Violence, crime, and prison
10:10 What addiction cost his family
11:29 Losing his son and choosing life
12:31 Walking into Shelter KC
13:26 When homelessness strips away dignity
15:26 The hard work of recovery
17:44 A new identity through faith
19:12 Rebuilding his future
20:19 Why Shelter KC changed his life
21:03 From program guest to kitchen leader
22:00 Giving others a sense of home

Address

1520 Cherry Street
Kansas City, MO
64108

Telephone

+18164217643

Website

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