Center is halfway to fundraising goal to end homelessness

Center school district raises money to end homelessness

The Center Education Foundation which formally kicked off a fundraising drive at the annual alumni dinner at Homecoming October 11 to raise $50,000 by the end of November to help end student homelessness in the school district raised nearly half that amount, $23,000, almost immediately.

Both former KCMO Mayor Sly James and current 6^th District-at-Large City Councilwoman Andrea Bough attended the kickoff to lend their support for the drive.

The money will be used to hire a full-time case manager for Impact Center, a program designed to end student homelessness in the District within four years.  The program already is serving 12 families of Center students referred by District staff, but there are an estimated 300 homeless students in the District.

Chris Buford, president of Serve the World Charities that is administering the program, and Mark Potter, associate pastor at Colonial Presbyterian Church and one of the founders of the program, said the additional funding to hire a case manager will allow the program to serve more families in need and help them find permanent safe housing. 

Persons may learn more about the Impact Center program and make online donations at www.CenterEducationFoundation.org.