Catholic Charities opens temporary operating sites after fire

Fire on 10th and Penn. Photo courtesy Tabitha Martin — Fire on 10th and Penn. Photo courtesy
Tabitha Martin

Catholic Charities of Kansas City- St. Joseph is operating out of two temporary sites after a fire damaged its new location on 10th street before the agency ever even had the chance to open the doors for business.

As plans are made to rebuild the agency’s location at 1123 S. 10th St. Catholic Charities said it’s continuing to offer emergency assistance and services to people in need in Northwest Missouri.

People in the St. Joseph community seeking help with food, rent, utilities and other urgent needs are asked to call 816.232.2885 to schedule an appointment with a Catholic Charities Emergency Assistance Coordinator. People with appointments will be seen at InterServ’s Wesley Center, 200 Cherokee Street.

First floor of the building after the fire was extinguished. Photo courtesy Catholic Charities

Northwest office staff will also be located at Midland Empire Resources for Independent Living. They will schedule appointments with all other clients at MERIL’s office at 4420 S. 40th Street, St. Joseph. To make an appointment, call 816.232.2885. Individual staff members can also be reached via email.

“We recognize that need for Catholic Charities in St. Joseph is greater than ever,” CEO Deacon Dan Powers said. “We’re grateful to the partners who opened their doors to us when we were in need – InterServ, MERIL, our Catholic parishes and the United Way of Greater St. Joseph. They prove what a compassionate community this is.”

Second floor where fire is believed to have started. Photo courtesy Catholic Charities

Renovations to the new Catholic Charities home in St. Joseph were underway when a fire that began on the second floor swept through the building Sunday, December 27. It was unoccupied at the time, but damage was extensive. Lisa Tulp with Catholic Charities said the plan had been to open the doors at the new location in mid-January prior to the fire.

Catholic Charities provides poverty-reduction assistance to nearly 5,000 St. Joseph area households every year. Services include emergency assistance, housing, workforce development, adoptions and parenting support. The agency also offers one-on-one case management for individuals, families, veterans and former offenders. Services continue without interruption at the main Kansas City office at 850 Main Street.

“We look forward to opening our doors and welcoming people to our permanent home in 2016,” Deacon Powers said.

A definite timeline for the opening was not announced but Tulp said the hope is to be in by late Spring.