Quindaro Community Center steps into spotlight after August storm in KCK

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — KSHB 41 reporter Rachel Henderson covers neighborhoods in Wyandotte and Leavenworth counties. Share your story idea with Rachel.

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The August 18-19 storm left damage across parts of northeast Kansas City, Kansas, but leaders at the Quindaro Community Center say it also highlighted the role the facility plays in the community.

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The center became a gathering place for recovery efforts after the storm, hosting services and connecting residents with resources.

“Since the storm, we were able to, I guess, be put on the map,” Facility Manager Patricia Henderson said.

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The center faced its own challenges during the storm. Henderson said the building lost power and water leaked into the building. Even so, staff opened the parking lot for community use.

“The only thing we had was our parking lot, and so we allowed the community to use our parking lot,” Henderson said. “Through that, we were able to collaborate with other organizations and other businesses and what not.”

One of those organizations included the Unified Government, which held a press conference in their parking lot on August 20.

Henderson credits the center’s director, Annette Gaitan, for helping facilitate the community partnerships that came after the storm.

The center has continued to see demand for help in the months since the storm. Henderson said residents are still seeking assistance for storm-related damage.

Chris Morrison/KSHB 41

“I was really surprised how many people are still coming through, calling, looking for services,” Henderson said. “They still need tree removal and debris removal. Some houses are still damaged, some cars are still damaged.”

Henderson, who volunteered to run the center after the previous leader died during the COVID-19 pandemic, said the experience reinforced the importance of community support.

“It shows me that community is important, and it’s important to be able to help each other and to be there for each other,” Henderson said.

The center, which is owned by First Baptist Church of Quindaro, offers a variety of programs and services, including financial assistance resources, entrepreneurship support, food distribution, computer access and community event space.

Henderson says her father was the church pastor for 28 years before retiring in 1999.

“If we can help ‘em, we want to be that help,” Henderson said. “Because that was part of the vision for the center, to be there for the community.”

For longtime resident Arnetta Warren, the storm damaged windows, screens and the plants she treasures outside her home. Warren, 83, has lived in the neighborhood since 1966.

John Batten/KSHB 41

“It’s messed up all my plants, but thank God, most of them came back,” Warren said.

Warren said she is encouraged by the help available to neighbors still recovering.

“Makes me feel good because a lot of people, they say they didn’t have insurance,” Warren said. “And they got a place a couple blocks over where they’re helping people that didn’t have insurance.”

Turns out that place is the Quindaro Community Center.

In addition to the entrepreneurship and financial programs they’ve been hosting for years, they’ve also been hosting the Small Business Administration’s disaster loan outreach center, which has extended its stay in town until October 22 and is open Monday to Friday from 11 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

You can reach the Quindaro Community Center at 913-321-5022 or by visiting 2726 Brown Avenue.

As recovery continues, the center has proven some flowers can grow in adversity, a lesson Warren’s seen firsthand.

“[It] tore the plants down there, but they came back,” Warren 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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