Written by Megan McDermott, Latino Youth & Kids Director
What are you passionate about? What moves you and wakes you up in the morning, excited to begin the day? Are you making a difference in someone else’s life? One thing our Kids Adelante and LIT (Leaders in Training) volunteers are passionate about is sharing life with the kids in our community.
Mission Adelante started in a neighborhood ice cream shop in KCK with one simple word: Love. We deeply love and treasure the community that we serve because we believe the Bible calls us to love our neighbor as ourself. We believe that God’s call to love our neighbor is at the heart of all His commands, and finds a special expression in the way we extend hospitality, compassion, and friendship. Our volunteers also love our neighborhood and community, they love spending time with the kids and youth in our community.
As I reflected on the best way to convey why the volunteers enjoy serving the kids, the future leaders of our community; I decided to ask them to complete this sentence: "The reason that I like to volunteer at Kids Adelante and LIT is because:"
“It allows me the opportunity to serve the Latino community in a meaningful way by teaching the next generation to follow Christ.”
“I believe in what God is doing in our city through Mission Adelante, and I believe we are called to be among children and foreigners. Jesús is present when we become present to both groups, and the kids at Mission Adelante are a part of both groups. So, that means that Jesús is doubly present at Mission Adelante and who wouldn’t want to be a part of that?”
- “The kids have changed, and are still changing my life in many ways!”
- “When I witnessed the amount of grace and love that Mission Adelante had, I could see it was different. It is not solely a place to help people but a place people feel that their soul is at home.”
- “I feel the passion to be an advocate for people who fall through the cracks of society. As a Christian, I am called to love my neighbor as myself and to practice the grace that God has given me by including me in His kingdom.”
- “I like to look back on when I was kid in the program. Now, to be one of the volunteers teaching the kids, I feel like this place has become my home.”
What are the ways that God is calling you to love and serve your neighbor? Maybe it is as simple as committing to pray for the refugees and immigrants of our country. Perhaps, He might be calling you to take that next step and put that love into action in a more significant way. If so, take a moment to see how you can get involved as a volunteer at Mission Adelante: www.missionadelante.org/serve.
Current Needs:
- Would you like to help Mission Adelante in a practical way? Check out our Top Ten Wish List on Amazon at: Mission Adelante Top Ten List. Our highest needs are:
- Healthy Snacks for our LIT programs.
- Individual Dry Erase Boards for our Latino ESL program.
- It's Spring Cleaning Time: While you are cleaning out your basement, closets, and garage consider donating your gently used items to Adelante Thrift. We are in need of summer clothing (mens, womens & childrens), shoes, and housewares. Adelante Thrift is located at 3720 State Ave. Kansas City, KS. Donations are accepted Monday - Saturday,10 - 5.
- Donation Drive: Adelante Thrift's warehouse is empty and needs to be restocked. Please help us by organizing a donation drive at your church, business, or neighborhood. Please use our Donation Drive Form to set a donation drive, or call us 913-499-7215.