KANSAS CITY, Mo. — While driving through Kansas City, Lauren Chestnut and Faith Bryant found people sitting outside in the cold without someone helping them meet their basic needs.
Bryant moved from the East Coast and quickly realized at a young age that people experience homelessness in every city.
“It was kind of heartbreaking to see it’s not a state-by-state thing. It’s like a worldwide issue,” Bryant said. “So I just wanted to make a change about it.”
The pair started Project H.O.T, Helping Others Today, through the Metropolitan Spiritual Church of Christ.
They gather together to pack bags full of basic items like toothbrushes, soap, hand sanitizer, and snacks for people experiencing homelessness in Kansas City.
“Just being able to have everything, wanting to give back, is also something that is really important because it could have been me,” Chestnut said. “We could be outside like these other people.”
Bishop James Bryant Sr. leads the church and is encouraged by their service.
“They use their voice," Bryant Sr. said. "They begin to actively operate within the community. That is meaningful because then not only does the church have legacy, but it also has lineage.”
Project H.O.T partially funds its outreach through T-shirt sales.
They also provide hot meals on Sundays for people experiencing homelessness through Hope Faith.
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