Christmas store for KC’s homeless in need of donations
By Marleah Campbell
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KANSAS CITY, Missouri (KCTV) — A Kansas City shelter wants a thousand local families in need to wake up to presents under the tree on Christmas morning, but they need your help to get the job done.
“We have seen moms and dads struggling to keep up with food demands and even utilities,” Dr. Terry Megli, CEO of City Union Mission, said. “If you have a mom that’s working two jobs, she has to make a choice between paying rent or providing Christmas. That’s usually the situation where a lot of our moms are at.”
Fifty different families will browse the aisles of the City Union Mission’s “Christmas Store” each day this holiday season to hand-pick the perfect gift for under their tree.
It’s a donation-based shop where homeless, near-homeless and at-risk men and women can find gifts for their families at no cost.
“We’re seeing an increase of need, especially in this time of food insecurities and even housing insecurities,” Megli said.
The shelter says their supply is running low. They’ll need to restock their shelves every day from now through Dec. 22.
You can donate by visiting MissionChristmas.org – you can also find an Amazon Wish List there. Megli says you can also bring gifts to the shelter at 1700 E. 8th St.
The shelter hopes to give out 12,000 gifts to Kansas City-area families this Christmas.
“Christmas is something that we all want to make special for a child,” Megli said.
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