LEAVENWORTH, Kan. — During our Let's Talk event in Leavenworth, multiple people told me that homelessness is a real issue in the city, but there's a shelter doing incredible work to address it.
So I went to the Leavenworth Interfaith Community of Hope to learn more about their mission.
Jennifer Christensen is the shelter’s interim executive director, but just a few years ago, she was only a volunteer.
She eventually bumped up to director of the night shelter, and she’s a candidate for the lead job, even though she knows it’s a tough one.
"I tell people the hardest thing about my job is sometimes you care about somebody more than they care about themselves," Christensen told me.
In this case, caring means looking past the surface.
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Driving around the picturesque "First City in Kansas," it's easy to think that homelessness isn't an issue.
"It's a surprise how many times people don't know that we're here," Christensen explained on a tour of the facility. "Sometimes it's just easier to act like the problem doesn't exist.”
But this shelter has the numbers that prove just how many people need help.
"Last year we served 249 unique individuals just in the night shelter alone," Christensen said.
The night shelter can take 35 people every night. There are no background checks, just two requirements: that potential guests live in Leavenworth County and are self-sufficient.
I spoke with a man named Philip, who’s been staying at the shelter for about two months.
"After being homeless for quite a while, and living under a bridge, and sleeping with one eye open all the time, everything I carry, as far as meds and things like that, made me a target," Philip told me. “It's very nice to have a place where you can rest your head safely."
But Philip gave me an even deeper insight into what it’s like to be homeless. It’s a thought that has more to do with the people who aren’t in his same situation.
"You can tell immediately if you're talking to someone and they have a sense of empathy,” he told me. “And it's nice of them to be here for us."
The shelter is also open during the day, serving meals to guests and providing a cool place to sit, all without city or county funding.
At least one staff member definitely has that empathy that Philip was talking about.
"For those that can see it as this, I would say it's a beacon of hope," Kevin Hawkins told me.
Hawkins is a staff member at the shelter, but he wasn't always. A few years ago, he was a guest here trying to get his life on track. He's here today because he wants to give back, and he told me there's still a long way to go.
"I would say we don't see 30-40 percent of the homeless in town," Hawkins said.
He described homeless camps in two other areas of Leavenworth where people stay, even though they know the shelter exists.
Christensen knows about those areas as well, and the people they haven’t yet reached.
But she told me that Leavenworth has something in common with cities all across the country—a lack of affordable housing.
"When we get them in here, the goal is to find that (housing) as quickly as possible,” Christensen said. “But, you know, for some, that takes a lot longer than others."
But every day, her team makes an impact. And they'll keep doing it in their corner of this historic town.
"Last year we got over 40 people housed, and those are the things that I hold on to every day," Christensen said.
Last year, 61 percent of the shelter’s guests were men, but they also care for children and families.
Those guests have access to a shower, laundry facilities, and can even rent a bin to store their belongings safely during the day.
You can visit their website to learn more about volunteering and donations.
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