Founded by the Rev. David and Beulah Bulkley, the City Union Mission opened its doors in 1924 to provide meals, beds and religious services for unhoused individuals in Kansas City.
But 100 years later, the needs of Kansas Citians have grown. An estimated 1,800 people are unhoused in the Jackson County area, according to the most recent point-in-time survey last year.
In recent decades, CEO Terry Megli says City Union Mission has added emergency services, substance recovery programs, transitional housing and job development.
“With those four elements, we really believe that we can help somebody move past homelessness and become to have a stable, productive lifestyle," Megli told KCUR's Up To Date.
The goal is to help people escape the cycle of poverty for good.
"Through some short-term programming and life skill classes and and trauma healing counseling, they can be able to begin to discover who they really are, address the root cause and then begin to move forward with some healthy goals," Megli said.
Megli said 86% of the people who graduate from the Mission's nine-month recovery program have gotten jobs.
"We needed to move towards a highly trained staff, so we have addiction counselors now, we also have licensed professional counselors that are being able to provide that trauma healing that they need," Megli said. "I think that's been the significance for us, is pivoting to the mental health needs.
- Terry Megli, CEO and executive director, City Union Mission
