St. Mark’s Parish sponsors an apartment at Hillcrest Transitional Housing at 401 N. Spring St, Independence, MO. Our Hillcrest ministry is charged with the upkeep of this apartment as well as funding the cost of the sponsorship. The upkeep requirements are to stock the apartment with food and kitchen items, clean the apartment after the resident has vacated, and replace any furnishings that have been taken. We need cleaners and strong volunteers to bring up furnishings from the warehouse when needed. The ministry will also provide a “Welcome” meal on the first day the family moves in. We are looking for volunteers for three different types of help 1) to clean the apartment 2) to stock the apartment with various items and 3) be a part of the group that will cook the first meal for the family. We will also immerse ourselves in the care of our residents after they have graduated from the program. This type of caring can be to provide help in cleaning the yard if the resident moves into a house, paint, provide Christmas or a meal.
In order for us to maintain this apartment, we look to parishioners to help us provide the items that we need; such as small kitchen appliances, cleaning supplies and food donations. The ministry is also charged with providing the funds needed to sponsor the apartment. The cost of the apartment is $5000 a year. We host a Chili Dinner and Horse Races fundraiser in late October/early November of each year in the Parish Center. Many hours of planning go into this fundraiser and we look to parishioners for help in sponsoring a Horse or horse race at this event. It is a fun evening and approximately $4200 is raised to help pay the rent. Many volunteers are needed for this event, so if you are interested in helping us please contact Hilda Beck. We meet on occasion for meetings that will be scheduled ahead of time.
Hillcrest Transitional Housing is just that; a transitional housing program providing a Christian environment that helps homeless families become self-supportive, self-reliant contributors to society. Primary programs focus on moving families from homelessness to self-sufficiency within 90 days. In exchange for rent/utility-free housing, residents are required by written agreement to work full time, obey the program guidelines, and attend volunteer taught classes in life skills, employment, community living, and budgeting. In addition to housing and life-skills counseling Hillcrest provides the following through a network of community support: auto repair/donation, food pantry, medical assistance, dental work, GED classes, haircuts, glasses, school clothes, work uniforms, etc.
Although Hillcrest Transitional Housing provides a supportive Christian environment, it places no religious requirement on any resident, and no volunteer, resident, or donor is discriminated against because of race, creed, ethnicity, or religion