On any given night, hundreds of thousands of people are experiencing homelessness. Most of them in need of basic necessities many of us take for granted.
One organization, KC Kare Canisters is making a huge difference in the lives of people in need.
"It's really just serving the community and doing our part in it," Paulina Colton, Co-Founder of KC Kare Canisters.
KC Kare Canisters is an idea stemming from a company in Austin, Texas. Colton says it was after moving to Kansas City that she saw a gap that needed to be filled.
"I've been wanting to do this care canister idea for a long time but just didn't have the resources so once I saw the potential for it, I just really wanted to go for it," said Colton.
That’s when she teamed up with Alankar Patel, a social worker who’s seen the struggle first hand.
"Going into the homeless community and encampments, a lot of them would ask me for food, toiletries, where to get hot meals, where to shower, mental health services, it was all these questions, same thing every time," said Alankar Patel, Co-Founder of KC Kare Canisters.
Simple things like a toothbrush, toothpaste, soap and even a clean pair of socks are stuffed into the canisters, but most importantly, there’s a resource guide.
"I felt like it was meaningful, here's the information and you can do with it, what you want. I'm not just going to give you a granola bar and satisfy 15 minutes of your hunger," said Patel.
That’s the goal, to do more than just help someone get through their day.
"Our whole purpose behind it was just to get people the opportunity to get housed and back on their feet, that's really all it was," said Patel.
Now, they’re hoping to spread the word about what they’re doing.
"I think most of our awareness is spread by word of mouth which is really great," said Colton.
They’re also hosting KC Kare Canisters assembly days around town. So far, they’ve filled a couple hundred canisters with over 800 to go.
"We ask for all the help we can get, because we can't do this on our own, we need the community to get involved and help us do this as a whole," said Patel.
If you want to get involved, you can find out more about KC Kare Canisters and any future events by checking out their Facebook page.
KC Kare Canisters also has a Go Fund Me page set up, if you would like to donate. They are in need of toothbrushes and toothpaste as well as other toiletries and socks.
