Project Change

Book, Sock & Glove Drive!

Benefiting: Fox 4 Love Fund for Children

Every year the Fox 4 Love Fund for Children hosts a “You are Loved” party in which 3 – 6 year olds from all over the city are hosted for several hours of fun, games, and gifts. Team Walnut joined this volunteer led effort this year to warm the hearts, hands, and minds of these children in need. Our offerings included over 600 children’s books and 300 pairs of colorful socks and gloves.

We had hoped we could encourage the children, foster self-confidence, and have fun, and we feel we were a success! Because of Team Walnut, each child got to choose 2 books, 1 pair of gloves, and 1 pair of socks to take home with them. There were also a variety of engaging activities going on around the room with which the Team Walnut volunteers assisted such as temporary tattoos, dancing, snow globe making, and playing a mad scientist!

Team Walnut and the businesses of Walnut street raised approximately $1,700 in donations and 618 books (300 were donated from the Central Public Library) for the Fox 4 Love Fund For Children’s annual “You are Loved” event. The leftover monies from this event are to be applied to our March challenge, Feed The Hungry. 

Feed the Hungry

Benefiting: Hope Faith Ministries

Hope Faith Ministries is a non-denominational, faith-based ministry that serves the needs of the poor and homeless in Kansas City. Their vision is to break the cycle of homelessness and poverty in Kansas City by equipping, resourcing, and releasing individuals back into society. They offer a variety of programs including free breakfasts, a clothing bank, bible studies, skill training, and job/housing placement assistance.

Team Walnut committed to providing the food and workforce necessary to serve one of Hope Faith Ministries’ daily hot breakfasts. Team members volunteered for everything from planning, budgeting, & coordinating to shopping for a truckload of groceries, and of course showing up at 6am to fire up the griddles. Additionally, several team members expanded our challenge in the weeks leading up to our breakfast, and gathered an estimated 25 trash bags full of day-old baked goods from Panera locations throughout the city. All were donated to Hope Faith Ministries.

On March 5, we donned our aprons, grabbed our spatulas, and cooked biscuits & gravy, hash browns, fruit cocktail, bananas, pastries, and oatmeal for approximately 400 needy individuals... most of whom probably counted that as their only meal for the day. Our March challenge was a fulFILLING event for the people standing on both sides of the serving line! 

Save the Planet

Benefiting: The Kansas City Center for Urban Agriculture (KCCUA) 

The Kansas City Center for Urban Agriculture (KCCUA) is a 501(c)3 tax exempt corporation founded in 2004 with the mission of promoting the production and consumption of food in city neighborhoods by providing training programs, land, and financial support for new and experienced farmers. Their vision is to create a Kansas City where small, community-based farms are scattered throughout the metro, providing an abundance of fresh and healthy food to city residents so that small-scale agriculture is understood as an integral part of a beautiful, lively, and healthy neighborhood. Many of their urban agriculture sites were once unused, unsightly lots that have now become beautiful, productive spaces for the neighborhood residents to enjoy.

One of the urban farms that the KCCUA supports is the Juniper Gardens Training Farms. Juniper Gardens is a six acre farm created to support limited resource people and refugees in Northeast Kansas City, KS. The KCCUA has a three year program in which they provide the training and resources to turn the aspiring gardeners into profitable farmers by the end of the third year. Residents of the low income housing adjacent to the farm are taught how to grow fruits and vegetables to feed their families. Women refugees who use the farm sell their produce at the Brookside Farmer’s Market to help support their families.

Team Walnut showed their support for Juniper Gardens by spending a day at the KCCUA training farm where the farmers’ seedlings begin their growth in hoop houses before being transplanted to the Juniper farm. One group spent their time weeding in and around the plants. This task is especially important for the plants because it is an organic farm, meaning that they do not use any pesticides or herbicides. The second group separated tomato plants that began as seedlings and needed to be re-potted into individual containers to promote growth. Team Walnut had a very successful day learning about organic farming, helping the farmers of Juniper Gardens, and knowing that they had a part in the “greening” of Kansas City. 

Team Walnut

Benefiting: Primitivo Garcia Elementary

Our May challenge was two-fold and started in mid-April to prepare. First, to help supplement our last challenge, we organized and spearheaded a Walnut Street Fundraiser at JP’s Wine bar on April 30th from 5-8pm in the evening. We chose JP’s since it is located on Walnut along with our team businesses. Team members reached out to area Crossroads businesses and artists for donations. We ended up with donations from 18 businesses and 11 artists for great silent auction items and door prizes. Even in these hard economic times, businesses realized the importance of our cause and graciously donated. Our team members from Global Prairie also helped to design all the marketing materials for our event. JP’s supplied part of their space for the night as well as created a signature drink in which all proceeds went to Team Walnut. We had a great turnout and many great items to bid on!

Secondly for the May challenge, we supported Primitivo Garcia Elementary, which is a K-7 elementary school in the KC metro. Since it is right down from us on 17th Street we felt it was a perfect fit for our team. The school helped us plan a landscaping project in which the students could help with. On May 15th, we purchased and delivered 10 cu. yds of safety mulch and planted colorful flowers in planter boxes in the playground area. We finished right before the rainstorm and had a fun time working with the kids.

From our fundraiser, Team Walnut ended up with over $2,000 remaining. We plan on donating it all towards our non-profits we have supported this year which include the Fox 4 Love Fund, Hope Faith Ministries, Kansas City Center for Urban Agriculture, and Primitivo Garcia Elementary.