Project Change

Hands to Hearts backpack program

Each week Hands to Hearts works with Harvesters on the BackSnack program, which provides local metropolitan children, at risk of going hungry over the weekend, with a backpack of nutritious, kid friendly food. The child can take home a backpack from school on Friday and bring it back to be filled again the following week. Our JCCC team had the privilege to help this great charity organization by filling backpacks for KCK elementary schools.

Prescription Eyeglass Drive

We took this challenge quite literal. "See a need" and teamed up with the Lions Club of Overland Park to collect old eyeglasses. After the glasses are donated they are sent off to a corrections facility to test for the proper prescription then sent off to those who cannot afford glasses. Most people dont know what to do there old eyeglasses so it was nice to shed light on this charity.

Tree planting for Sunflower House

Book Drive

Benefiting: Reach Out and Read & Operation Breakthrough

Designed 2 Help worked with the organization Reach out and Read, and had the privilege of volunteering to read to the wonderful children at Operation Breakthrough.

We also organized a book drive and collected 156 books that were donated to the Reach out and Read program. 

Restore Workday

Benefiting: Habitat Restore

This month Designed 2 Help volunteered at Habitat Restore. It was very labor intensive unloading trucks, putting merchandise on the floor, and loading customers cars. But the reward of knowing the money raised their goes to building homes was the reason we enjoyed it and the wonderful people we worked with.

Playground Clean-up!

Benefiting: Rose Brooks Center

This month for the category "thing", JCCC students had the opportunity of helping the Rose Brooks center. Their playground was in major need of mulch to cover the hard surface the children were playing on. So we were lucky to get a donor for the mulch and we then spent a Sunday afternoon spreading the mulch.

We also were fortunate to have some "man-power" Thanks to our friends, Sean McCarthy - STA Home Repair, Brian McCarthy - Mid-America Manufacturing Technology Center,Tim McCarthy & Mike Hammer - Mike Hammer Local Moving.

This was a great project knowing we were making the lives of children just a little better!

PJ Drive

Benefiting: Rose Brooks Center 

Designed2Help raised over 100 pairs of PJ's for women & children of domestic violence.

When we dropped off the Pajamas, our contact gave us a tour, This was an enlightning experience. On our tour we were told stories of how the women flee with nothing so everything that is donated is a huge need for the women. We also saw a wall of dreams written by the woman and children, this was very touching. 

Feed the Hungry

Benefiting: Grand Avenue Temple

Designed2Help volunteered at the Grand Avenue Temple at 205 E ninth street in downtown Kansas City. This church takes in some of the overflow from the homeless shelters, in the cold winter months. We were blessed to make dinner for the 15 women who stay there and we sat down and ate and had devotion with them. This church also has a Lazarus Ministries Boutique throughout the year that the homeless in downtown Kansas City can go and get essentials as well as a warm breakfast on the weekends.

Nurture the Children

Benefiting: Kansas City Urban Youth Center

At the end of the summer last year I saw this commercial that said "most kids in the summer go hungry because they do not get the meals they usually eat at school", This has stuck with me and so when May came I knew I wanted to do something with that. I started searching and was immediately matched up with the Kansas City Urban Youth Center off of Troost in Kansas City Missouri who also partners with Harvesters to provide a healthy snack for children after school, the reality is this is dinner for most of these children. My daughter and I went and prepared a snack for the children and also toured and learned more about the center. They have a tutoring program after school with teachers who volunteer. They do have a couple of computers to work on as well. They also grow a garden to learn about gardening and to use the food for meals or to take home to their families. Because school was still in session we did not get to interact with the children this time, but through the summer they provide breakfast and lunch so my daughter and I have committed to helping all summer long. Looking forward to this challenge that keeps going!