KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Footprints: Heroes Home Gate is a transitional housing center for veterans living in the Kansas City area that was open Christmas Day to serve its residents.
The Heroes Home Gate facility houses 22 veterans as a part of its program, where there is no set duration on a veteran’s stay.
The center operates year-round with extra efforts around the holiday season to make things feel special.
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“It don’t necessarily always have to be festive, it just has to be safe,” said Torrey Jones, a Navy veteran who has been with Footprints since October. “It’s good to be here in a supportive environment.”
Support is something their staff dishes out on a regular basis, especially in the kitchen. Kellie Jacobson is the chef at Footprints and has been working there for three years.
Jacobson spent Monday morning labeling lunch containers, each one with a veteran’s name.
“You learn their history, stories about them being in the service, their families,” she said.
After getting to know the residents over time, she’s got a couple names of her own.
“They joke around,” Jacobson said. “They call me the lunch lady sometimes, or, you know, 'mom.'”
But all jokes aside, she’s happy to at least resemble family for the veterans, many of whom have little to no family.
“I’d rather be here this way, because a lot of them, they don’t have families, and if they do they leave and they come back,” she said. “But right now, this is their home.”
Her holiday spread includes the classics: meat, sides and dessert, but it’s also full of comfort.
“We try to make it a home setting so they’re comfortable, and they know that they have a safe place to go to,” Jacobson said.
And despite her 15 years of cooking experience, she’s learned there’s no recipe for comfort and trust.
“Coming here, at first, I was shut off, like no, no no,” said Asia Taylor, an Army veteran at Footprints for the past couple months.
In her case, kindness proved to be a key ingredient.
“I can speak, I can joke, I can laugh, you know what I’m saying? Even when I’m angry, they listen,” Taylor said. “To have a hot meal, and [Kellie] said, ‘Well what do you like to eat? Give me some ideas,’ and she makes it happen, is a great thing.”
And with the essentials covered, the veterans can focus on what matters most to them. For Jones, it’s his kids. For Taylor, it’s becoming a nurse.
But they say their greatest gift comes from Footprints last year round, not just on Christmas.
“A safe environment where people know that they’re being heard,” Jones said.
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