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Mission Adelante

10 Years of Generosity Transforming Community

10 years ago a former Hollywood Video store turned into Adelante Thrift & became a place of hope and community support. It’s easy to see what a special place thrift is when you shop there. I first connected to Thrift by taking members of my congregation to serve there one Saturday a month. While hanging up clothes we got to know each other, laughed and felt good doing something simple that would make a difference in the community.

Adelante Thrift moved into a former Hollywood Video. You can still see old movie posters around the store from the original tenant!

In November, I took over as Executive Director overseeing operations and was eager to jump into supporting Mission Adelante’s work through the proceeds generated from Adelante Thrift. Adelante Thrift started in 2015 with the goal of supporting the Wyandotte community through affordable shopping, employment, and a family-friendly retail space. Over the past 10 years the impact in Wyandotte County and Mission Adelante has been tremendous. As a non-profit community development initiative Adelante Thrift  generates funds to support the work of Mission Adelante, including English classes, Citizenship Classes, after-school programs, youth mentoring and leadership development, refugee resettlement, and more.  


Community Impact:

This Saturday as we gather for the 10-year Celebration, we recognize the hard work, prayers, and team work reflected in these significant numbers:

  • $790,000:  Money invested back to Mission Adelante’s programs and community

  • $4 Million: Money invested back into the community through staff compensation

  • $650,000: Money invested back into the community through sales taxes paid

  • 42,000: Volunteer Hours Served

Creating a community of belonging through employment

These numbers represent stories like Rosemarys- a recent new neighbor resettled through Mission Adelante from Venezuela.  Adelante Thrift was Rosemarys first job in the U.S.  Not only did it provide a stable job where she could earn income for her family, it became a place to develop friendships and practice English.  Many community members who have resettled or immigrated here arrive with little more than a duffel bag of clothing.  This past November a family arrived from a warmer climate wearing flip flops and very thin clothing- not ideal for a cold KC winter!  One of our Good Neighbor team members took the family shopping at thrift with the vouchers provided through Mission Adelante.  Together they shopped and the mom was able to pick out warm clothes for herself and her kids, toys for them to play with, and items that made their apartment feel more like home.  Being able to shop and choose items for herself during a tumultuous season provided a sense of independence and joy.

Rosemary working hard at Adelante Thrift

Customers love shopping for treasures

It’s not only a joy for newly arrived neighbors to shop here- it’s a treasure hunt for people who love a unique find, want to reuse or repurpose items, and spend less on high quality goods.  Many estate sale companies donate items they aren’t able to sell to Thrift which means that there are really good deals on name brand clothing, high-end furniture and household goods.  It keeps customers coming back because it’s the thrill of the hunt to find a Persian rug or vintage Mid Century Modern dresser for hundreds of dollars less than you would normally pay!

All ages can volunteer at Adelante Thrift

Who is my neighbor?

Volunteering at Thrift is an opportunity for discipleship and learning about our neighbors for the people who serve here from church groups, businesses, schools and teams.  A group of 10 executives from St. Lukes hospital served together hanging clothes for a team building activity and a way to support our community.  Youth groups regularly have a blast finding unique clothing as they serve here which always creates a lot of fun and laughter.  Recently a group of college students from Dordt College in Iowa spent time over Spring Break in KC volunteering at different locations, including Thrift.  When I asked them what they noticed about spending time here, they were quick to point out that they had heard at least 5 different languages spoken by people shopping here and that our community looked very different from their town.  By stepping out of their context, they were able to spend time thinking about what it is like to come to a new community and feel like a stranger.  They were challenged to think about what it meant to welcome and love people from all places once they returned to their campus.

Thanks Dordt students for volunteering!

Working hard & celebrating together

One of my favorite parts about Thrift is the incredible staff team.  Elizabeth, our general manager, has created a culture of celebration, hard work and respect.  I was wonderfully surprised that for Thanksgiving, Elizabeth arranged for a full catered Thanksgiving dinner for the staff with everyone bringing sides or desserts to celebrate.  Sitting together, eating and laughing, though we don’t speak the same languages, felt like a glimmer of the Kingdom of God. I am so proud of our staff team- their work ethic, friendliness to customers, and willingness to support and cheer each other on.  

Thanksgiving dinner at Thrift

It is a delight to serve as Executive Director and I can’t wait to see what the next 10 years will bring! I hope that you’ll join us for our 10 year celebration this Saturday, April 5th from 11am-2pm (3720 State Avenue Kansas City, KS 66102).  We’ll have food vendors, kids games, a 10% shopping discount and raffle tickets for anyone who brings in a donation.

Jessica Fick

Partner Engagement Director, Mission Adelante

Executive Director, Adelante Thrift

From Commerce to Corporate to Community

From Commerce to Corporate to Community

by Elaine Reimers, Adult Ministry Director

Mission Adelante has been and continues to be a place of refuge and a source of community for many. With its distinct mission of making disciples by serving, sharing life, and sharing Jesus with people from all places, Mission Adelante has touched thousands of lives over the last (soon-to-be) 20 years! Some of you may know that my family and I have been involved with Mission Adelante since the very beginning in some form or fashion. My four children have all grown up participating in Mission Adelante’s core programs at some point and we also attended the church as a family when they were younger. Personally, Mission Adelante is the place where my faith in Jesus has flourished most and where I have made the most meaningful connections and friendships. From attending Sunday night church to volunteering as a Level 1 ESL conversation partner, I had been blessed with the opportunity to serve and be served way before I joined the Mission Adelante staff in November of 2023.

Volunteering at Mission Adelante in 2009

Since joining the team, I have been faced with many challenges as a result of being the new kid on the block (Step by step! Ooh baby! -Ha! Sorry, I couldn’t resist!) I have had to learn and shift my attitude, heart, and habits to the non-profit and ministry world. My professional life began at the age of seventeen with a long stretch of entrepreneurship that ended in my early thirties. The experience of owning a business benefited me in countless ways, but something inside of me wanted to experience the freedom of working a “9 to 5”. It seemed like I was always overwhelmed with the on-call feeling that invaded my family time, cut mealtimes short, and robbed me of my sleep! An opportunity to try on a “9 to 5” arose after my life did a 180. I went from being my own boss to having a boss in the corporate world; and because of how unexpected this opportunity was, I felt that God had placed this job in my hands because he knew how desperate and shaken I felt. The pressure of financially supporting 4 children under the age of 12 and getting all the bills paid on my own was constantly on my mind and I had to find a way to make it regardless of the circumstances I was up against and the odds of failure.

““Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on. your own understanding; in all your ways submit to. Him, and He will make your paths straight.” ”
— Proverbs 3:5-6

This new office job was a breath of fresh air for me in many ways. I met some really great people who were with me through some very difficult times in my life. Many of my customers became friends and I really liked walking out of that building every day, leaving work at the door and arriving home with a clean slate. This job also provided me with a predictable schedule which allowed me to be more involved with my children; and I have to admit, the money wasn’t bad either once I was promoted to a Supervisor position. But as time went on and I neared my 6-year mark with the company, I began to dream of something bigger and more satisfying. I had no idea what that would look like for me but I would put it in prayer frequently and ask God what I should do. I had daydreamed about some sort of mission work abroad- maybe helping children with cleft palates receive the care and surgery they need, or feeding and helping the impoverished, or something like that. What I did not know, is that God had plans to plant me right here in my own backyard basically.

He moved the mountain and made a way when I was becoming discouraged and dissatisfied with the work I was doing. It was not fulfilling. I was getting to help people but I was helping them order weasand clips and carcass sheets (What in the whole wide world is that, right?! I KNOW! haha); and if their toilet paper did not deliver before they ran out, I would receive angry calls about how their plant would be shut down and they would lose thousands of dollars if they did not have the paper before the end of the day. Oops, there goes another $1,000 next day air for toilet paper! The pressure was ALWAYS on there. At times it felt as if there were no time to breathe. You can imagine the relief I felt when, after texting his wife about looking for another job, I received a call from Jarrett offering me a position at Adelante Thrift. I was unsure about taking the job at that moment so I told him I would call him to discuss it again in a couple days. I remember when I got him on the phone, I started talking about the position and he interrupted me so as to save my breath and told me to wait a minute because something really amazing had just occurred. It just so happened that the Adult Ministry Director at the time had just walked out of his office. She had shared her plans to leave Mission Adelante within a month's time and he was looking to fill her spot ASAP! Jarrett was sure that this position fit me much better than the position at Adelante Thrift, but the most affirming sign from God about this job opportunity for me was that the salary was EXACTLY the minimum amount that I had decided I would accept! It was even written and circled in the notes I had written down the previous day when I was making my calculations about whether to accept the position at Adelante Thrift, or not.

I am still amazed about how God works and moves for us and on our behalf! I cannot say that the transition from having my own business to “working for the man” to working in ministry has been easy by any means, but I do feel like I am right where I am supposed to be at this very moment. I have been blessed with not only a job that pays the bills, but with a community where I can serve and be served and I am so grateful! I look forward to what God has in store for me here as I pray that he will continue to hold my hand on the walk to whatever he calls me to do in the future.

Be part of our programs!

We are so excited for everything that is happening in our programs and we are grateful for all our volunteers who make everything possible. Would you consider partnering with us next trimester?

How can you help?

  • Pray for our program participants would create an impact in our community and grow with their walk with the Lord.

  • Volunteer – Come to our Observation Nights. For more information visit: http://www.missionadelante.org/serve

  • Donate to join us in building a multicultural community of disciples making disciples.

We’re Opening a Refugee Resettlement Office!

We’re Opening a Refugee Resettlement Office! 

by Jarrett Meek, Founder/Pastor/Executive Director


We are excited to announce a significant milestone in our journey of compassion and community development. We have received federal approval to collaborate with World Relief to begin Refugee Resettlement in the state of Kansas, focusing on the Kansas City region.

With this monumental partnership, Mission Adelante is positioned to provide Reception and Placement services starting in January of 2024 to refugees arriving from various parts of the world.   Mission Adelante has been approved to resettle 75 individuals in the first year of this new program, offering vital services that encompass housing, employment support, language assistance, cultural orientation, and more. Through collaborative efforts with our network of community partners and churches, Mission Adelante is committed to delivering these services with the utmost dedication and excellence.

Mission Adelante has been serving immigrants and refugees in Kansas City, KS, for 18 years.  For us, this passion for “loving people from all places” is an expression of Jesus’ commandment to “love your neighbor as yourself.”  Refugees are among the most vulnerable people in the world, having fled their home countries for reasons that include war, persecution, and significant human rights abuses.  The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimates that 108.4 Million people are currently displaced worldwide, with 35.3 Million qualifying as refugees, having no viable means of returning home safely.  These numbers are simply staggering, equalling more than 10% of the population of the United States of America.  We are honored to play a new role now in welcoming just a small portion of these beautiful people into our community.

As Mission Adelante steps into this work, we are more than pleased to announce that Kristen Maxwell, a familiar face and beloved friend of our community, has rejoined our staff to lead this effort.  Kristen led our children and youth programming for Bhutanese refugees from 2010 to 2017 before pursuing other roles in our community working with refugee families.  Kristen’s administrative gifts, along with her extensive experience working with refugees and her familiarity with Mission Adelante, make her an outstanding person to lead the charge on this new initiative. 

As is true with most of what we do at Mission Adelante, volunteers will play a critical role in helping us execute this new program.  We will be hosting two events in November to begin orienting potential partners and volunteers to this incredible opportunity.  The first event, on Tuesday, November 7th at 9:30AM, will be geared for church and community partners.  The second event, which will take place on Saturday, November 11th at 9:30 AM  will invite people who are interested in knowing more about what volunteering will look like to come and learn.  

Click here to RSVP for either of the informational gatherings! 

Be part of our programs!

 We are so excited to start our fall trimester and we are grateful for all our volunteers who make everything possible. Would you consider partnering with us this trimester?

How can you help?

  • Pray for our program participants would create an impact in our community and grow with their walk with the Lord.

  • Volunteer – Come to our Observation Nights. For more information visit: http://www.missionadelante.org/serve

  • Donate to join us in building a multicultural community of disciples making disciples.