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A new safe house for domestic violence survivors has officially opened in Wyandotte County, named in memory of a counselor whose legacy continues to bring light to those in need.
WATCH | Erin's House 2 opens in KCK to serve domestic violence survivors
Erin's House 2 opened Friday in Kansas City, Kansas, giving five single women a home and a path forward. Residents can stay anywhere from 90 days to a year in the fully renovated, six-bedroom house outfitted with all new furnishings and appliances. The opening expands the reach of Friends of Yates — the only domestic violence shelter in Kansas City, Kansas.
The house is named after Erin Langhofer, a domestic violence counselor and social worker who was killed at a First Friday event in 2019. Her parents, Tom Langhofer and Marcy Langhofer, co-founded Do Good for Erin in her honor. I had the honor of moderating the ribbon cutting ceremony.
"Today is the realization of a dream," Marcy Langhofer said.
Do Good for Erin's community of supporters raised more than $400,000 to bring the project to life. At the ribbon cutting, Marcy and Tom presented Friends of Yates with a $30,000 check — set aside as an endowment to help cover future upkeep of the home.
"We wanted to let them know that we are behind them with this house and we wanted to give them basically an endowment so that when something comes up that needs repair or help in the house, they can get that done 'cause they'll know they have the funds to do it," Marcy said.
Erin's House 2 is the fourth major project Do Good for Erin has completed with Friends of Yates — and the biggest to date. Previous projects include funding a new playground for survivors and their children, a commercial kitchen renovation and providing vehicles to the organization.
"We have fallen in love with the community, and Friends of Yates, and it was just a very natural fit for us to partner with them to provide some additional domestic violence beds in Kansas City, Kansas," Marcy said.
Erin had a close connection to the people Friends of Yates serves.
"She just was really taken with the survivors, and she was an effective person to help them," Marcy said. "It just feels good to do this in her honor. It helps with processing some of the grief, and it replaces some of the darkness with a little bit of light.”
Dr. Desmond Lamb serves as the executive director of Friends of Yates. He runs the organization, along with guidance from CEO emeritus LaDora Lattimore. He described the opening as a milestone not just for the organization, but for the entire Wyandotte County community.
"It is a day of hope. It is a day of just resilience for the Friends of Yates agency. A day of hope for women who have experienced domestic violence to find a place of safety and security, and serenity to flee their abuser and start rebuilding their lives," Lamb said.
The need for more resources is urgent. Domestic violence numbers in Wyandotte County are trending in the wrong direction.
"Domestic violence is present in Wyandotte County, Kansas City, Kansas. And there's not enough support, there's not enough resources," Lamb said. "We don't like the numbers because they're going up. We wish they would be going down, but because they're going up, we want to be able to do everything we can to provide hope for those that need it.”
The demand is high. At any given time, the shelter could have 30 women and children in its care.
"We're constantly getting calls because we're 24/7," Lamb said. "We are the only domestic violence shelter in Wyandotte County, Kansas City, Kansas. Nobody else in Wyandotte County do what we do.”
He says a house like Erin’s House 2 was much needed.
"This is the first of its kind in probably better than 20, 30 plus years," Lamb said.
Erin's House 2 gives survivors a close-to-home option for safety and the chance to transition to a new life.
"Women that are fleeing their abusers, they don't have to travel far. They can find safety and security right here in the community in which they live," Lamb said.
The Langhofers opened the first Erin's House in 2024 in Kansas City, Missouri. That location has impacted 42 families since it opened. This second house brings the same mission to Wyandotte County — a partnership that grew beyond anything Tom had imagined.
"When we first started, I had no idea that we would end up partnering to create this house," Tom Langhofer said.
Nearly a year ago, I toured the home with Tom when the walls didn't even have paint on them.
"There was termite damage, there was unstable floors. And kind of like life. Life's not always easy, in fact life can be hard and challenging, and it seems sort of fitting that this house had to go through trials and tribulations. Just like we all do," Tom said.
Tom said the day brought a full range of emotions.
"It just gives us a lot of joy knowing that even though she isn't with us anymore, her life is still continuing to touch those that have been affected," Tom said. "We're very happy, and you know, but at the same time, we're still grieving the loss of Erin. But this does help with our grief, knowing we're doing something good.”
For Tom, the journey has been guided by something bigger than himself.
"I don't believe what happened to Erin was God's will, but what I do believe God has led us on is to take something bad and turn it into good," Tom said.
He finds peace knowing Erin's impact will carry on long after they are gone.
"That's, I think, the cool thing, after we're long gone. Erin's legacy will continue. That brings us a lot of peace," Tom said.
As for the women who will one day walk through the doors of Erin's House 2, Tom has a simple prayer.
"I hope and pray that when they leave, they have hope again," Tom said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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