KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Some of the local employees affected by federal furloughs and layoffs have started taking things into their own hands.
Refugee Resettlement agencies in Kansas City have laid off or furloughed dozens of employees but now some of their former coworkers are stepping up with a grassroots networking event happening Thursday afternoon.
The four women behind it met working at a refugee resettlement agency.
"It's been very rough. It's been rough in the sense that you don't know what's coming to you," Lisa Rodriguez said. “I am seeing the repercussions of everything that has happened.”
Her colleague Nibimenya Pasikari added, "We saw a need in the community as people were being laid off. We wanted to step up and do something."
They say the rest of their colleagues who are now without work need help.
"I can't just like sit back and be sad and be angry. What we need to do is remember that there is hope," Athaviah Barker said.
They say the people their colleagues were helping now need additional help too.
"The needs that were there, they've just been augmented. They haven't gone away just because of policy. They're still there. It's just, the people that were helping are not there to help anymore," Rodriguez said.
They've planned a networking event they hope will help connect those affected to each other, and to employment resources.
"But additionally so that the community can also hear stories. I think a lot of times we hear little news bulletins, and we don't realize how that's affecting our neighbor," Kalina Ibrahim said.
The event called Connect to Hope is happening Thursday at 6:00 p.m. at the Independence Boulevard Christian Church at 606 Gladstone Ave.
You can RSVP by following this link.
KSHB 41 reporter Grant Stephens covers stories involving downtown Kansas City, Missouri up to North Kansas City. Share your story idea with Grant.
