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Overall, we are so glad that Mrs. Moore gave us the opportunity to do this. It opened our minds and our hearts to people who aren't as privileged as us. We will for sure do more acts like this again. It made us feel really good after we volunteered. We both felt more connected to our community and our city. We decided to reach out and help those who needed it the most.

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https://www.homelessshelterdirectory.org/cgi-bin/id/city.cgi?city=Kansas%20City&state=MO

http://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article161304378.html

https://endhomelessness.org/homelessness-in-america/

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/5-troubling-statistics-about-homelessness-that-you_us_5924473de4b0b28a33f62f92

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Our names are Emily and Kate. We are 14 and we go to school together. We love to hang out and get coffee, watch scary movies, play video games, argue with each other, and lots more. Kate enjoys volleyball, writing, reading, acting, and watching every show and movie she can on Netflix.

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This is a Google map of the soup kitchens around Kansas City

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map of soup kitchen in kansas city - Google Search

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This is a Google map of the homeless shelters around Kansas City

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homeless shelters in kansas city - Google Search

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. - For the first time since 2010, homelessness in the United States is on the rise.

An annual report released by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Wednesday showed nearly 554,000 people are homeless across the country during local tallies conducted in January. According to the report, the number is up almost 1 percent from last year.

In Missouri, however, the numbers are down.

"In Kansas City, we follow the national. We kind of prioritize," said Kelly Welch, executive director of Sheffield Place. "The first priority was getting chronic homeless vets housed. In Kansas City a couple weeks ago, we were able to declare a functional zero."

The second priority, Welch said, is now focusing on families, which Sheffield Place has been doing for years. The organization's mission is to "empower homeless mothers and their children to heal from their trauma and help them become self-sufficient."

Recently, Sheffield Place opened its ninth permanent home. Janee Reed and her five kids now live there.

"Two years ago from today it just seemed like I was stuck and I didn't see the light at the end of the tunnel," she told 41 Action News. "Now, I feel independent. I feel awesome. I feel relieved."

For years, Reed was homeless. Not sober, she moved from couch to couch. While her three older children lived with their father, her youngest daughter stayed with her. A little more than a year ago, she became pregnant again and decided she needed to make a change.

"I think making the phone call was the best thing I have ever done," she said referring to calling Sheffield Place.

The mom of five lived at Sheffield Place for a couple of months, participated in treatment and counseling and became sober. All of her kids now live with Reed.

"Now I'm just working. The only hectic thing that's going on in my life is getting out of bed and getting everyone out the door on time," Reed said with a laugh.

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Organization works to tackle homelessness in Kansas City

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. - For the first time since 2010, homelessness in the United States is on the rise. An annual report released by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Wednesday showed nearly 554,000 people are homeless across the country during local tallies conducted in January.

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Black and white photographs lining the walls of Kansas City's Arts Asylum on Thursday typify what it's like to live without a home.

Outdoor camps and makeshift beds on the street. An advertisement at a 7-Eleven for a Big Gulp beverage with "NO Panhandling" added to the corner of the sign.

Other photos depict scenes of everyday life: a man jogging past Crown Center. A crowd at a parade downtown. A photo of Sluggerrr, the Royals' mascot.

The photographers, 12 in all, are all homeless and living in Kansas City.

"These are the things that people see every day when they're homeless," said Kim Gile, who helped organize the team of photographers.

The photos were the backdrops Thursday for a report on the latest count of homelessness in the Kansas City area. The report contained some good news: There were 68 fewer homeless households and 28 fewer homeless individuals this year, according to data collected for the annual "Point in Time" count, which is conducted through the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Each year, volunteers spend two days visiting shelters, outdoor camps, churches, libraries and streets talking to homeless adults and children to collect the data. The survey helps the city figure out which parts of town need the most help.

This year, there were 1,671 homeless individuals and 1,248 homeless households.

The numbers have been fairly consistent over the last three years, but the drop is encouraging, said Evie Craig, the president and CEO of reStart Inc.

"We look at the numbers, and I say to the community, 'This is manageable. We can do this,'" she said.

Before the presentation, video interviews of the photographers played. One photographer, John King, said he wanted the viewers to know how hard it is to be homeless.

"Not all homeless people are drunks or addicts or the refuse of society," King said. "I want them to come away with a sense that we're people too, and we deserve to be heard. We deserve to be seen."

The video was put together as a way to explain the photos, which are part of a pop-up exhibit called "Indisposable," sponsored by the Kansas City Public Library. The 12 photographers were given a brief training by Mike Sinclair, a local photographer and professor at the University of Kansas. Then they were given disposable cameras and told to take snapshots of their everyday lives.

"It's designed to build empathy and to create some awareness around homelessness in Kansas City, because it is an issue, and we're working on it constantly as a community," Gile said.

Craig attributed this year's drop in homelessness to a healthy economy and a community effort to slash the number. A drop in homeless veterans was noteworthy, she said.

There were 46 veterans without a permanent home, and just 11 were "street homeless." That low number is because of a "functional zero" initiative, Craig said. For the past three years, volunteers have compiled a list of each homeless veteran and worked with the community to find them permanent homes.

Adults made up the majority of the city's homeless population: 70 percent. Eight percent were between the ages of 18 and 24, and 22 percent were children under the age of 18.

This year, the count included homelessness in both Jackson and Wyandotte counties. It's the first time results from two states have been combined.

But there is more work to be done, Craig said. She hopes the city will be able to bolster the number of emergency shelters for youths in the coming year.

"We know that we do not have sufficient emergency shelter inventory," she said. "We will place people in permanent housing as we increase the inventory."

Craig said she's hopeful moving forward.

"You feel this sense of despair when the numbers are just overwhelming," she said. "But I think we have felt for a long time in this community that this is a manageable number."

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Homeless in KC: 'We're people too, and we deserve to be heard. We deserve to be seen'

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Black and white photographs lining the walls of Kansas City's Arts Asylum on Thursday typify what it's like to live without a home. Outdoor camps and makeshift beds on the street. An advertisement at a 7-Eleven for a Big Gulp beverage with "NO Panhandling" added to the corner of the sign.

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This blog will post my projects, thoughts, and reflections. My project portfolio is located at https://sites.google.com/stekcschool.org/8...

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This Page will host my thoughts about my passion, and the research and work going into it. My project portfolio is located at https://sit...

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For the Miriam Award, we worked at this organization to help homeless families stay at an apartment complex until they are ready to get a place on their own. They learn how to manage money, get job interviews, and even battle addiction. They have four housing complexes and buildings full of donated supplies. This is their website-

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LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR WORK AT A WAY HOME TOUR! SIGN UP HERE.

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This is the soup kitchen we worked for-

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Inspired by Christian faith, Bishop Sullivan Center shows God's love to people in financial hardship by providing food, help in finding jobs and other aid. Beyond material assistance, Bishop Sullivan Center strives to build relationships between those who live in poverty and those who do not, promoting mutual understanding and affirming the dignity of all.