Opened in 1995, this retirement community of the Diocese of West Missouri includes independent living, assisted living and skilled nursing care. In keeping with the Bishop Spencer Place mission, the institution is committed to maintaining in residence anyone who becomes unable to pay the published fees. The Bishop Buchanan Benevolent Care Endowment has provided over $4,000,000 to residents. Volunteer opportunities are available in the chapel and resident areas, such as visiting, reading, flower arranging, or helping with transportation, fundraising events and flower-bulb sales. For more information, call Carolyn Kroh at 913-722-5171 or go to www.bishopspencerplace.org.

St. Andrew’s has the opportunity to participate in the ministry of the whole Church to the whole world through Episcopal Relief and Development. It focuses on food, security, primary health, HIV/AIDS care, and emergency relief and rebuilding programs (9/11, tsunami, hurricanes). Your dollars donated to ERD bring help where the need is greatest. For more information, call Margaret Heckendorn at 816-761-2615 or go to
www.er-d.org.

Founded in 1989, Episcopal Community Services is a joint ministry of the dioceses of West Missouri and Kansas. Christ’s model of compassion, service and healing is at the heart of the ECS mission: to create opportunities to grow in faith through volunteer service and partnerships. The annual Operation Backpack, Missionpalooza and Servin’ Up Jazz are signature projects. But much of the organization’s programming is in three major areas: the Episcopal Anti-Hunger Network – including Meals on Wheels, Breakfast at St. Paul’s, the Kansas City Community Kitchen and other parish-based programs; Health Ministries – the Nursing Home Ministry and Hospital AfterCare and, in partnership with Saint Luke’s, a parish nursing program; and Restorative Justice – a collaborative program with St. Francis Academy designed to bring healing to victims, youthful offenders and communities. For more information, call John Kost at 913-362-6605 or go to www.episcopalcommunity.org.

Freedom Fire Urban Ministries provides Christian outreach programs to children in federal housing in the 12th and Paseo area, including the Friday Evening Outreach Party of fun, dinner and Bible lessons for 150 youths; weekly small-group Bible Clubs led by volunteers; weekly tutoring; summer camps; sports activities; outreach to the growing Muslim Somali immigrant population; and evangelism, discipleship and leadership development with LOVE as the focus. For more information, call Debby Walker at 913-262-0762.

Friendship House-Catherine’s Place is a non-profit, 12-step recovery center just for women. The program provides an atmosphere of dignity and community where women recovering from alcohol and drug addiction can learn to be sober and become economically self-reliant. It also offers a safe environment for their children. St. Andrew’s own Carol Patterson was a founding director of Friendship House. For more information, call Susie Kerwin at 913-262-5166 or go to www.friendshiphousekc.org.

Located at 37th and Wyoming, Gordon Parks Elementary School provides an individualized education for more than 200 children in grades K-5, 93% of whom live in poverty. The children benefit from small class sizes; single-gender classes for fifth-grade girls and boys; a full-time counselor/therapist, behavioral intervention specialist and speech/language pathologist; experienced special-education teachers; and benchmark trips outside Kansas City. The disparity between federal/state funding and educational costs necessitates fundraising of over $2,100 per student. The school’s co-founder was St. Andrew’s parishioner Dorothy Curry. For more information, call Mike Roberts at 913-696-0255 or go to www.gordonparks.org.

The Haitian Episcopal Learning Partnerships (HELP) is an organization of 10 Episcopal churches in the greater Kansas City area committed to providing education for children in rural Haiti. st. Andrew's Church has a 20 year relationship with St. Augustine's Church and school in Maniche, Haiti.

This village is a remote, mountainous area accessible only by 4-wheel drive vehicles (previously by donkey.) Although the landscape is beautiful and the site of the village is picturesque, the people are frequently cut off from even the meager services provided by Haiti's government.

St. Andrew's Church is the sole benefactor of the school, encompassing teacher's salaries as well as school upkeep. The goals for the next few years are to continue to improve the standard of education provided for the students, to provide a safe environment in which to learn, and to look for opportunities to "leap frog" the style of education from a 19th century model to a 21st century model.

Ways to participate:

1.  Keep the students, parents and teachers in your prayers

2.  Participate in the St. Andrew's HELP commitee

3.  Join one of the mission trips working in the school and birthing house

4.  Donate to HELP's goals by writing a check to St. Andrew's Church, with "Haiti" on the memo line

Current needs:

1.  Student tuition $50

2.  Sets of books for each child (currently there are no books in most of the classes, just the teacher's curriculum)

3.  Contribute to the building of 3 new classrooms (to meet government standards for schools)

4. "Adopt a classroom" with the purchase of supplies

5.  Lunch program

For more information, contact Dr. Kathy Shaffer at (913) 262-8483.

Several parishioners have responded to the needs of the Katrina victims and relief centers with generous donations for generators and portable showers. Additionally, members of St. Andrew’s have taken mission trips to the ’05 hurricane areas in both Mississippi and Louisiana. For more information about future trips and opportunities for giving, call Sue Hendon at 816 333 6307 or Joy and Bruce Bower at 913 341 3087 or go to www.ChristusVictorDisasterResponse.org.

By providing the resources for raising fresh fruits and vegetables, Kansas City Community Gardens has been helping low-income residents help themselves since 1979. The fruits of their labor include self-reliance, community building and an appreciation for God’s gifts of nature. Garden plots are located in Swope Park, with special programs for children and the disabled. All members receive packages of seeds, fertilizer, plants, personal instruction and access to a tiller. KCCG relies on grants, in-kind services, fundraising, individual contributions and volunteers. For more information, call George Kroh at 913-722-5171 or Paul Long at 913 549 4067, or go to www.kccg.org.

The Kansas City Community Kitchen, located at Grace and Holy Trinity Cathedral in downtown Kansas City, offers a weekday hot-lunch program for the poor and homeless. It currently serves 500 meals a day. The kitchen receives government grants, as well as financial and in-kind donations. St. Andrew’s supports this important ministry by providing grants, food items and volunteers to serve clients every Friday. For more information contact Brian Egbert at (913) 226-6719. To view the KCCK website, click here.

A more recent addition to the Haiti ministries is the Healthy Mothers-Healthy Babies program, which offers outstanding pregnancy and infant care for the villages. For more information, call Dr. Stan Shaffer at 913-262-8483 or go to www.maisondenaissance.com.

Rift Valley – Tanzania

St. Andrew’s has a working relationship with the Diocese of the Rift Valley in Central Tanzania. Members and clergy from St. Andrew’s have visited the Rift Valley. Additionally, the Rt. Rev. David Mottonya and his family spent 2003 living in our community while Bishop David served as our associate rector. Our close relationship continues today as we offer spiritual and financial support to this very special, rapidly growing diocese. For more information, call Bill Worley at 816-333-0060.

The Rose Brooks Center has led the way with comprehensive domestic violence services for women and children in greater Kansas City. It offers a 24-hour crisis hotline and emergency shelter that can house up to 75 women and children. Services for individuals and groups not residing in the shelter include Project SAFE, a violence prevention program in more than 30 area schools; transitional housing for women and children who have left the shelter; the Bridge Program – a hospital advocacy and support program for battered women and children who go to the ER; and Court Advocacy, offering support and assistance in domestic violence legal cases. Volunteers can assist with special events, clerical work, legal assistance, lawn care, bilingual interpreting, children and court advocacy and the thrift shop. For more information, call Richard Moseley at 913 432 3430 or go to www.rosebrooks.org.

St. Andrew’s parish has partnered with Border Star Elementary School and other schools to provide adult volunteers to mentor students through the YouthFriends program. These positive adult role models build caring relationships to promote success, encourage healthy behaviors and build stronger communities. For more information, call Nancy Parks at 816 444 3453 or go to http://r6.gsa.gov/yfkc.htm.