KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Shelter KC and volunteers made sure men experiencing homelessness had a hot meal and fellowship on Easter Sunday.
“It doesn’t matter what your political or religious beliefs are, just being a good human means going out and giving back,” said Jordan Elizabeth, volunteer with Shelter KC.
Volunteers like her lent more than just a helping hand at the shelter's annual Easter Sunday dinner.
"I love it, but I'm a people person, and I love being able to talk to them and kind of hear their story," Elizabeth said. "It feels good to know that people know that they have another place that they can come home to."
Thanks to donations from the community, volunteers passed out hot meals and Easter gift bags, ensuring men in the Kansas City community experiencing homeless had a seat at the table.
“If you’re experiencing homelessness, isolation is a big deal. And if you have lost a job and if you're going through addiction, going through mental health, you can feel like nobody relates. It’s really important for us to have community,” said Eric Burger, executive director of Shelter KC.
Burger says nearly two years since the onset of COVID-19, he has shifted how men gather for Easter Sunday meals.
“We didn’t have volunteers or we had to do it much more spread out,” he said.
Even during the tough times, he continues to lean on the community for help through donations.
“We have actually certainly seen kind of a bit of a dip down," Burger said. "That was mostly because of, I think, inflation and gas prices, and then just right here during Easter, we started to see kind of those gifts started to restore again."
Elizabeth says "no matter what stage of life" community members are going through, generosity is leading people to step up and donate, which Burger says he is thankful for.
"People are always appreciative, but people who have been isolated want to be a part of something," Burger said. "We get that opportunity to be their family, and that’s what you always see, people feel connected with."
