Recently a woman brought her teen-age granddaughter to the Community Assistance Council (CAC) located near Ruskin High School. The young woman was pregnant. Her family had little to give her including emotional support.
“Her mother kind of shamed her for it,” recalls Cecil Wattree, Clinical Director at CAC.
He reassured the two of the support that CAC could provide not only her, but her family as well.
“I told her she was surrounded with an arsenal of support,” he said.
He soon introduced her to in-house case workers who specialized in maternal health, youth services, next-step and empowerment programs, and even domestic violence.
It’s a new approach for CAC, which until recently has been primarily a food pantry with emergency assistance.
“That’s how we’re doing things from now on,” says Wattree.
The new “front-door program” offers wraparound services for those in immediate need.
This new expansion of services coordinates with CAC’s plan to expand its facility.
Currently in a 4,750 sq. ft. concrete block building at 10901 Blue Ridge Blvd., the organization will be moving in September to a 25,000 sq. ft space at 6801 B Longview Rd, a former government building at Blue Ridge and Longview Road.
The leased facility will include a state-of-the-art food pantry, cooking classrooms, therapy rooms, conference room, a community event space and 17 offices, ten of which will be leased to community partners.
Future plans include possibly expanding into the 10,000 sq. ft. space next door in order to provide a mini clinic or early childcare learning center, according to Wattree.
The need for more space centers around the CAC’s new mission, one that differentiates it from other social service agencies.
“One of the differences is that we work collectively with our wraparound services internally,” explains Wattree. “The integration of these programs–behavioral health, maternal health– is that we have them in house.”
Having available case workers and therapists in house will clearly require more space. It also enables CAC to provide immediate help to individuals, even if it’s temporary.
“We are not trying to compete with Rediscover or Swope Health,” explains Wattree. “We are calling ourselves the epoxy, the in-between for those who are on a waiting list at Swope or don’t have the means.”
One program CAC offers simply helps individuals navigate the steps to receiving services. It’s called the Next Step program.
Other newly introduced programs focus on domestic violence, group therapy, self-sufficiency, youth services, and behavioral and maternal health. Therapists, case workers and even a doula are on hand.
With ten office spaces available for lease, CAC would like to include more resources onsite.
CAC is currently seeking businesses, government agencies or individuals to lease space within the facility.
“We want all the community resources in the space with us,” says Wattree.
They are also seeking partners, such as a business sponsor for their cooking classes.
Currently, CAC partners with Happy Bottoms, which provides free diapers to those who qualify.
CAC serves around 800 individuals annually in south Kansas City.
CAC was started over 40 years ago in the Hickman Mills area by community volunteers.
CAC is seeking business and community support as momentum begins to build once again.
For more information, visit communityassistancekc.org or call 816-763-3277.