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

Loving Our Neighborhood

Loving Our Neighborhood

by Jarrett Meek, Founder/Pastor/Executive Director

Last week, I jogged over to Waterway Park for a little exercise before work. It was a beautiful morning in the neighborhood, birds chirping, sun shining, spring in its full glory. As I did some of my strength and agility exercises, I heard a familiar voice say, “Mucha energía, Pastor Jaime!” (“Lots of energy, Pastor Jaime”— people call me Jaime in Spanish). It was Ruth, one of our former ESL students. She was walking around the park also. I often see Ruth there in the mornings. Waterway Park was essentially a drainage gully when we first moved to the neighborhood. Several years ago, Community Housing of Wyandotte County (CHWC) filled it in and created Waterway Park. Now Waterway Park is a community gathering place for fun and exercise— it doesn’t matter what time I go, I’m guaranteed to see someone I know walking, jogging or playing in the park.

I popped into Sunfresh Market on 18th Street later that morning and ran into Leticia, who I have known for 17 years. We shared a hug and had a brief conversation in aisle 9. Sunfresh has been such a great partner for Mission Adelante for at least 15 years. If I don’t see the manager when I go, I almost always see a cashier, a produce stocker, or another customer who I know.

Later that day, I was at Kinship Cafe, meeting with a board member. TJ Roberts, the owner, is making a real impact in our community with his shop. His creativity, his excellence, and his engagement in the community are all part of what makes his small business an important part of the fabric of our neighborhood. We always talk a little whenever I visit. When I sat down for my meeting I noticed my auto mechanic, Danery at the corner table talking with someone on the phone. We didn’t get much chance to converse, but he stopped by my table as he was leaving and said hello.

I love our neighborhood— the small businesses and family-owned restaurants, taco trucks, the organizations helping to make it a better place to live, the little parks, and especially the people from all places. It’s diverse, it’s robust, and it’s thriving in beautiful ways. Some see the older homes, restless youth, the areas of blight, and the challenging schools, but at Mission Adelante, we see beauty and potential.

We believe that God cares about the places where people live, because those places have a lot to do with how people flourish. Remember, He took pains to describe Eden, the beautiful, fertile place where He put the first humans in Genesis 2. And in Revelation 21-22, He describes the New Jerusalem— a beautiful place, Eden restored. Of course, we won’t be able to restore “Eden” ourselves, but as Christians, we do exist as salt and light in a broken world. This means that we are part of God’s plan for bringing restoration and wholeness everywhere we go— spiritually of course, and physically as well. Christian community development is an important part of the testimony we give of the healing power of Jesus Christ and the future promise of His restoration of all things!

8 Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. 9 The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

10 A river watering the garden flowed from Eden; from there it was separated into four headwaters. 11 The name of the first is the Pishon; it winds through the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold. 12 (The gold of that land is good; aromatic resin and onyx are also there.) 13 The name of the second river is the Gihon; it winds through the entire land of Cush. 14 The name of the third river is the Tigris; it runs along the east side of Ashur. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.

An important part of our ministry has always been our personal engagement and investment in our neighborhood, not as outsiders helping from afar, but as insiders, serving, sharing life, and sharing Jesus from within. To be clear, our neighborhood has a lot of challenges, but we have chosen to make these challenges OUR challenges and work together, with our community, toward solutions. This means that we not only offer our programs and services to our community, but that we also collaborate with local government, businesses, schools, and other non-profits and churches in our neighborhood to make the place we live a better environment for all of us to flourish in. Our vision statement captures this dream for our community:

We envision a growing multicultural community of disciples making disciples, where people from all places are thriving and using our gifts together to transform our neighborhood and the world for the glory of Jesus Christ.

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LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES?

VOLUNTEER ORIENTATION

Join our team of volunteers for the summer trimester and be part of "loving people from all places." Attend our volunteer orientation on May 20th and find your place serving kids, youth, or adults in the immigrant community in KCK

For more information about volunteer opportunities visit www.missionadelante.org/serve

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Be part of our programs!

We are so excited to start our second trimester of this year and we are grateful for all our volunteers who make everything possible. Would you consider partnering with us this summer 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 volunteer orientation on May 20th. For more information visit: https://www.missionadelante.org/serve

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

Heroes and Champions: Part of the Fabric

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Heroes and Champions "Every story needs a hero who overcomes, and every hero needs a champion who helps them succeed." As a donor, you are a champion for the Lord's work in and through the lives of heroes from all places.  Heroes and Champions: On Becoming Part of the Fabric of the Community Dear Friends, My first thoughts as I write to you all are thoughts of gratitude for the important role you play as donors (champions) to the cause of "making disciples with people from all places."  You are such an important part of the ministry the Lord has given us in this community.  We couldn't do this without you!  Lately, we've been processing what long-term impact looks like for a ministry like ours.  I wanted to share a few thoughts with you here that give you a glimpse into an important part of our ministry philosophy and values. How can a ministry make a sustainable, long-term impact?  One if the keys is to become part of the fabric of a community.  Mission Adelante has been approaching ministry through this lens since our inception.  From our commitment to living in the community to the high value we place on partnership and developing community leaders, we believe that community transformation happens from within, in collaboration with partners from all over the city.  Our very first community partnership was formed with M.E. Pearson Elementary School, in September 2005.  In the first month after the ministry was founded, we joined forces with M.E. Pearson to offer an English class for the parents of their students.  Partnership is paramount in the recipe for long-term community impact.  It fosters the development of a network of resources and entities that care about the community and seeks ways to support one another and work together collaboratively for the common good.  In our case, this network takes many shapes and includes individuals, churches, businesses, schools, local government entities, and non-profits, from our own community and across the city.  It's becoming part of the fabric of a community on every level.    The launch of Adelante Thrift has accelerated and expanded our partnership capacity in ways we never imagined.  When Lena Chan, our Community Development Director, first shared that Adelante Thrift had partnered with over 75 organizations and entities over its first three years, I was surprised.  Some of these organizations include Kansas School for the Blind, Workforce Partnership, Laminate Works Inc., O-Ring Sales, Urban Scholastic Center, The Hope Center, Samaritan's Feet, SM East and Schlagle High Schools.  Urban schools such as Eugene Ware Elementary and private suburban schools like Whitfield Academy have found a common connecting point in Adelante Thrift.  And, church groups from across the city and from states like Tennessee, Iowa, and Arkansas have participated. Adelante Thrift is not only helping us become part of the fabric of the community, it is also creating fabric in places where none existed before.  After 13 years in this community and having seen such an explosion of partner connections through Adelante Thrift, we have a sense that our ministry is truly becoming part of the fabric of our city.  As we look ahead to 2019 and beyond, we are excited to see how the Lord will lead us to press into our partnerships and maximize these important relationships for deeper Kingdom impact and community transformation. Again, thank you for your very important part in this work.  You also form part of this fabric with us! In His Grace, Jarrett Meek, MDiv Pastor/Executive Director, Founder Donate Now Year-End Funding Needs: $65,000 We're investing in emerging leaders from our community and mobilizing gifted immigrant leaders to serve on our staff.  This is all part of transforming our community from within.  This year we're praying the Lord would provide $65,000 to help support compensation for our staff and apprentices "from all places." Would you pray about making a special gift this year-end?  Our ministry needs champions like you who believe in what the Lord is doing in our community! Giving by check or online is easy: Mission Adelante, PO Box 172076, Kansas City, KS  66117 www.missionadelante.org/give Donate Now Copyright © *|CURRENT_YEAR|* *|LIST:COMPANY|*, All rights reserved. *|IFNOT:ARCHIVE_PAGE|* *|LIST:DESCRIPTION|* Our mailing address is: *|HTML:LIST_ADDRESS_HTML|* *|END:IF|* Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. *|IF:REWARDS|* *|HTML:REWARDS|* *|END:IF|*

Will Adelante Thrift Be Profitable in 2017?

Customers lined up outside on March 14, 2015, waiting for the doors to open on our first day at Adelante Thrift.

Written by Jarrett Meek, Founder/Pastor/Executive Director

Last year at this time I was worried. The dream of Adelante Thrift was on the ropes after two years of preparation and a year and a half in business. How much longer could we make it? There were amazing things happening at the store, but we were still losing a lot of money. As I made phone calls to raise more cash for the endeavor, I had to answer the brutal question: "How long do we support a business-as-mission endeavor that is losing money?" I remember processing that question out loud on the phone, "I won't be coming back to ask for more money again. If we haven't seen significant improvement by this time next year, we'll be making some hard decisions." That was 2016.  

What is perseverance? What does faith look like when the results you're longing for can't yet be seen? I have a favorite line from the movie Pearl Harbor, spoken by Alec Baldwin as Lt. Col Doolittle. "Victory belongs to those who believe in it the longest." This quote eloquently expresses the interaction between faith and perseverance. The journey of Adelante Thrift has developed both faith and perseverance in me in ways that I couldn't have predicted and wouldn't have signed up for if I had known they were part of the deal. And yet, looking back, I wouldn't trade those lessons for anything. I'm a different person, a more mature leader, a more faithful follow of Jesus. And, here we are, entering the fourth quarter of 2017, with a real shot at a profitable year. God is so faithful!

As we press into the final quarter of the year, I'm so thankful for the many volunteers who've served, the individuals, businesses, and churches who've given merchandise and money, the customers who've shopped, and the staff from all places who've created a unique environment at the store that exudes the love of Christ. Will Adelante Thrift be profitable in 2017? Will the store start to realize it's potential in terms of financial impact on the community in 2018? I invite you to be part of answering these questions! Is it time to donate more stuff? Does your small group, your family, or your business want to come down and serve? Your treasures can transform a community. I invite you to help Adelante Thrift finish 2017 strong and celebrate our first profitable year!

CURRENT NEEDS:

• Help us finish 2017 strong! Volunteer with your family, small group, or business at Adelante Thrift. For more information or to sign up, go to www.adelantethrift.com/volunteer/ .
• Do you have a gently-used keyboard or acoustic guitar that you're not using? Adelante Arts Community needs it! We are in need of two keyboards and three acoustic guitars for our new program. Please email Gissell Vazquez at gissellv@missionadelante.org if you would like to donate an instrument.
• Are you interested in combining your love of the arts and disciple-making? Mission Adelante is launching Adelante Arts Community in January 2018 and is looking for volunteers to help! Visit www.missionadelante.org/arts for more information.

OTHER NEWS:

• You’re invited to the Mission Adelante Thanksgiving Open House November 11th from 2:30-6:30pm. Stop by and enjoy a relaxed afternoon at the Meeks’ home meeting members of the Mission Adelante staff and community, celebrating culture, and giving thanks for God’s faithfulness.  

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From Tajikistan to Mission Adelante: Introducing Elena Mamadnazarova

It's common to hear "Buenos días" or "Namaste" at the Mission Adelante office in the mornings.  However, if you stop by now, you are likely to hear "Dobrea utra" as well.  That's Russian for "good morning," and it's been brought by our newest staff member who comes all the way from Tajikistan!  Elena Mamadnazarova joined the Mission Adelante team in January to lead our community development ministry and is already making an impact.

"Lena" brings with her a Master's degree in International Development from Brandeis University, as well as over 10 years of international community development experience in Central Asia.  Her most recent role was managing the Central Asian office of the Norwegian Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Kazakhstan.  Her educational background, along with her depth of experience and cross-cultural competency have raised the level of excellence on our leadership team almost overnight.

Beyond her professional qualifications, Lena's faith journey is deep and inspiring.  She experienced being a refugee during Tajikistan's civil war, having to flee to Russia when her father's race and culture made their family the target of ethnic cleansing.  During this time she prayed fervently to a God she did not yet know for her father's safety.  God answered her prayers.  Later, when they returned to Tajikistan, Lena received Christ with a friend who invited her to attend a church that had been started by Korean missionaries in her town.  She grew and served and began to feel a calling to live out her faith in practical ways that would help communities.  

Of course, a relationship brought Lena from the East coast to Kansas City.  Her husband, Ray Chan is a pediatrician with Children's Mercy and they have a daughter, Samila who is three.  Together they are members of Christ Community Church where they attend the Downtown campus.  Lena has served at Christ Community as a member of their Global Leadership Team.  

Mission Adelante is delighted to have Lena on board and excited for her leadership as she helps our team turn individual transformation into community transformation!

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Adelante Thrift's Grand Opening: A Celebration of Collaboration! April 11th, 9:45 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

by Jarrett Meek, Pastor, Executive Director, Mission Adelante, Inc.

Chuck Allen and youth from the Urban Scholastic Center pray before volunteering at Adelante Thrift.

What better way to celebrate the Grand Opening of Adelante Thrift than with 15 partner businesses and organizations that have impacted Mission Adelante and have been a part of our community's ongoing transformation!  The fact is, our KCK community has been, and is being transformed by many individuals, businesses, and organizations who have invested time, effort, and resources in making our neighborhood a better place to live.  Some organizations, like Community Housing of Wyandotte County (CHWC) have been focusing on quality, affordable housing.  Others, like Urban Scholastic Center and Bethel Neighborhood Center invest in children and youth to develop leaders from our own neighborhood.  Chas Ball Sunfresh made a huge leap a few years ago by moving from its location  at 18th and Central to become the anchor for the new shopping center that replaced an abandoned truck stop and a run down motel.  KCK RBI started by Cle Ross, a KCK native, is "reviving baseball in the inner city."  This list goes on friends!  God is doing a beautiful work in our neighborhood, and it's a joy to be a part of it!  

This Saturday, April 11, Adelante Thrift will hold a grand opening celebration to feature many of our neighborhood partners, expose our community to the new store, and to thank all of those who have helped the dream of a thrift store that transforms our community become a reality.  There will be a brief ribbon cutting ceremony at 9:45 a.m. before the store opens at 10:00 for business.  Partners will host tables in front of the store promoting their own products and programs until 1:00 p.m. and the celebration will continue throughout the day until the store closes at 6:00 p.m.  We invite you to come by the store that day join the fun!

To volunteer as an individual, group or family, visit www.adelantethrift.com/volunteer

Current needs:

• The Bhutanese Leaders In Training are looking forward to shopping at the "Mission Adelante Money Reward Store" on April 29th.  We are in need of small items that the kids can "purchase" as rewards for their extra work this trimester.  Candy, cosmetics, craft items and soccer stuff is extremely popular. If you are able to contribute, please email Kristen Maxwell at kristenm@missionadelante.org.

A Great Serve Opportunity for Individuals, Groups, and Families at Adelante Thrift!

by Jarrett Meek, Pastor/Executive Director, Mission Adelante, Inc.

"We can feel the love of God in this place!"  What an amazing compliment for our brand new thrift store!  I believe that customers have been saying things like this because of volunteers who have gone the extra mile in serving!  It's exciting that the love of Christ can be expressed in so many ways, including through a retail store!  We invite you to be a part of loving and transforming a community by serving as a volunteer at Adelante Thrift!

Adelante Thrift opened it's doors to the public on March 14th, and now we're excited to offer fun, high-impact volunteer opportunities for individuals, groups and families!  With the doors open and all systems "go", volunteers helping with production (sorting, racking, steaming, pricing, and stocking) and department displays (organizing/decorating specific departments) will become one of our most important keys to success.  Keeping items on the shelves, priced low, and organized beautifully attracts customers AND provides the kind of pleasant shopping environment that makes people say, "Wow, somebody really cares!"  That somebody, of course, is Jesus , working through you!  

We invite you to come serve with us and transform community!  Serve once, serve occasionally, or serve on a regular basis!  Serve as an individual, a family, or serve with your group!  You make a difference!  

To sign up, please visit our volunteer page at www.adelantethrift.com/volunteer/!

n other news:

• Thank you to many generous donors who have helped to stock our LIT snack bucket!

current needs:

• Our Leaders in Training program has a “Mission Adelante Money Store” at the end of each trimester, where students spend “money” they have earned doing extra work and exhibiting behavior above and beyond what is expected of them to buy small prizes.  Our students have done an amazing job this year, and we need items for the store such as small toys and prizes of interest to 8-12 year old students by Tuesday, March 31st.  If you are interested in helping please contact Kristen Maxwell at kristenm@missionadelante.org or Megan McDermott at meganm@missionadelante.org.

Adelante Thrift to Accept Donations On-Site Beginning March 7, 2015!

Have you been saving up "treasures" in your basement or garage to donate to Adelante Thrift?  If so, you're a part of an exciting ground-swell of support for this new sustainable ministry project in KCK!  Soon, you and many others will have a few options for dropping off your donations and seeing your "treasures" become community transformation!

On January 15th we took possession of the thrift store space so we could begin transforming what has been a vacant and deteriorating commercial space into a thriving neighborhood business.  With permit in hand, our construction process has begun with demo work and is projected to be complete by February 20th; a pretty tight timeline, but within reach according to our physical space team!

Demo began on the Adelante Thrift site on January 15th.  We're on track for a March 14th opening day! 

As we prepare the store for a March 14th opening day, there are a few earlier options for those who are anxious to clear their basements of accumulating "treasures" and help provide the initial inventory for Adelante Thrift.

Church Donation Drives: A few partner churches are hosting donation drives at their churches before the store opens.  They have agreed to receive donations, during specific hours, on specific dates, for Adelante Thrift.  If you attend or live near one of these churches, you may contact the point person for those donation drives to find out more about dropping off donations at their sites. 

• Westbrooke Church- Friday, February 20 from 5pm-9pm AND Saturday, February 21 from 8am to Noon.  Contact the church office for more details: 913.888.4750.
• Mill Creek Community Church- Saturdays, February 21 and 28 from 10am-4pm.  Contact Carrol Moore: kevcarrolmoore@yahoo.com
• Heartland Community Church- Sunday, February 22nd.  Contact Ben Morrill: bmorrill@gmail.com.

Adelante Thrift Drop-Off: Beginning Saturday, March 7th, Adelante Thrift will be set up to receive donations at the store (3720 State Avenue, Kansas City, KS  66102).  Contact Matt Totsch for more information at store@adelantethrift.com.  We will be able to receive donations during the following hours:

• Saturdays (beginning March 7)- 10am-4pm
• Monday-Friday- 10am-4pm

No Home Pick-ups Yet: We have not yet set a date to begin doing home pick-ups.