Gustavo shows us the damage to his house.
Written by Elena Chan, Community Development Director
Over the past week, I’ve had the privilege of getting to know a beautiful family and of experiencing the community come together to help provide for them in their time of need. Gustavo and Cinthia live in the Prescott Neighborhood of Kansas City, Kansas. They have seven children, ranging in age from three to fourteen. Gustavo is a hard-working entrepreneur with his own painting business. He is a Christian who is dedicated to providing for his family and helping those around him. On Tuesday, January 23rd, his family's life was turned upside down when a fire broke out in their home. Thankfully, they were not at home when the fire occurred, but the house and everything inside were severely damaged.
This is when the community stepped in. The Red Cross offered assistance, and the children’s schools provided school supplies and some clothing. Greg Take, a member of the Prescott Neighborhood Association, found out about the fire and reached out to other community organizations to find resources for the family. Adelante Thrift was one of these organizations. We invited the family to come to the store to pick out clothing, shoes, and household items that they needed as well as to return when they are ready to refurnish their house. As we met the family and began to fully understand the complications of their situation, Mission Adelante partnered with Greg to look for further resources. The greatest challenge facing the family was housing. Gustavo told us that the insurance would only pay for two more days at their hotel and hadn’t released any funds to recover their losses. We reached out to various community organizations who might offer housing solutions. We went with the family to Avenue of Life, a local community development ministry, to see if they could help. Not only was Avenue of Life able to assist the family with food baskets, diapers, and hygiene products, they gave us the good news that Gustavo’s family qualifies for their program to receive temporary one-week housing at a hotel followed by up to 12 months housing rent assistance. This was a huge relief for the family! This program will provide stable housing so they figure out their next steps.
Gustavo and his family are unaccustomed to asking for help, but they are grateful for the assistance of community organizations after this disaster. He is dedicated to getting back to work so he can continue providing for his family on his own. He also mentioned to Adelante Thrift that once he’s back on his feet, he’d like to come to the store and do some painting free of charge. Mission Adelante is proud to be a part of this community of strong families and compassionate organizations who partner together to meet the God-sized opportunities and challenges that we encounter in Kansas City!