KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A broken sewer line could leave a metro rescue mission on the hook for paying up to $20,000 in repairs as the facility looks for generous people to step forward.
The Kansas City Rescue Mission opened a fitness and education facility last fall off East 11th Street on the same property as its Women’s Center, which can house up to 20 residents.
With the facility offering special classes and programs, KCRM has already seen the project make an impact.
“Without this facility, I don’t think I would be here and I don’t think I would be the person I am today,” said Shalice Williams, who was once homeless but now lives at the Women’s Center. “It helps me stay focused towards my recovery and build better relationships.”
While the facility and its team have helped people in need, it now finds itself needing help from others.
Recently, residents and staff experienced plumbing issues inside the education and fitness center. They soon found out the facility had a big problem.
After investigating the matter, working with a plumbing team, and digging up numerous holes at the site, a broken sewer line was found to be the cause.
“Everything seemed to be working right until it wasn’t,” said KCRM Executive Director Joe Colaizzi.
Now, plenty of dirt and other visible signs of digging can be found outside the education and fitness center.
With just one working bathroom at the site, the issue has brought an inconvenient experience for staff and residents.
Aside from having to switch buildings to go to the bathroom, the KCRM team is now facing the reality of having to possibly pay a costly repair bill of around $20,000.
With the faith-based organization using a yearly operating budget of around $500,000, Colaizzi said the situation put the mission in a tough spot.
“We get stuck with a surprise we didn’t budget for with something like this,” he said. “You start whittling away like that and you have to cut down your staff, you have to cut down the number of people you’re able to help.”
The cause of the broken sewer line remains unknown but Colaizzi refrained from trying to find blame.
“To point a finger is really not fair to the people that worked so hard to build this place and generously gave time and dollars,” he said.
Instead, he hopes the community can rise up and help in the matter.
If someone were to donate time or money, Colaizzi told 41 Action News, it could make the situation much more manageable.
“My hope was that our community would come to our rescue as we come to the rescue of people that work in through our doors,” he said. “If all of us gave a little bit to assist in the problem, all of a sudden we have our problem solved.”
While the broken sewer line brings plenty of work ahead, Williams hoped generosity would come forward.
“I just pray everyday that this solution can be resolved and I can continue to recover in my program,” she said.
For more information on how to help Kansas City Rescue Mission, click here.
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