Shred-it protects your identity while helping thousands of KC homeless kids

OLATHE, Kan. - Tajai Canady has come a long way in recent years. The new mom, not so long ago, was in trouble at school, at home and with the law.  Her life began to change after she made it to Kids TLC and its transitional living program. 

"A lot of people looked up to me there.  It made me want to be a better person," Canady said. 

Kids TLC is a sponsor of this year’s Shred-it event.  On Saturday morning, between 8 and 11:30 a.m., people can drop off up to three boxes or bags of documents to be shredded at six Commerce Bank locations.

Last year, Kids TLC served more than 1,000 kids and families through residential and outreach programs like Street Outreach Services, or SOS.

Outreach staff works the streets, connecting with homeless teens and offering them help. They assist them in finding a place to live, go to school or get a job.

According to Kids TLC, there are 4,418 homeless children and teenagers in the metro area.  Jackson County has the most with 1,949.

"A lot of them are with families.  The whole family is homeless.  Maybe the parents lost their job, lost their house so they are having to live with somebody else,” said Street Outreach Supervisor Jason Stary.  

Street outreach staff handed out food, drinks, health and hygiene items to 6,000 runaway and homeless teens last year.

"A lot of these kids maybe have burned some bridges or just have horrible things happen to them in their lives and feel they can't trust people and no one really cares about them,” Stary said. 

Canady benefits from the SOS program.  She is enrolled in community college studying to be a nurse.   Friday, she plans to move into her own apartment.

“Just that satisfaction on the inside and say I did it,” Canady said.

Commerce Bank is another sponsor of Shred-it.   Trucks will be set up at the following six Commerce Bank locations:

Prairie Village – 83 ^rd & Mission

Lenexa – 87 ^th & Monrovia

Lee’s Summit – 291 hwy & 3 ^rd

Olathe – 135 ^th & Murlen

Kansas City – 135 ^th & State Line

Kansas City – Barry between N Oak & 169