Celebrate Hope 2025-2026: Why Kansas City
Needs Your Support Now More Than Ever
Amber cycled between jail, rehab, and homelessness. She was sleeping in cars and trap houses, bound in an addiction recovery program that started when she was just thirteen. She had lost custody of her daughter, Ellie, repeating the painful patterns of her own chaotic childhood. When her mother brought her to City Union Mission, Amber had hit rock bottom. “Okay, God, I’ll try you for a change,” she whispered as she entered our New Life Program.
Today, Amber is married, living in her own home, pursuing her nursing degree, and has been reunited with Ellie. She’s not just surviving—she’s thriving.
Amber is one of 3,247 individuals whose lives were transformed at City Union Mission last year alone.
The Need Has Never Been Greater
Right now, Kansas City families are facing a perfect storm of challenges. Housing costs in Kansas City have increased 23% since 2020, while food insecurity in Kansas City has risen to affect 1 in 8 residents. Our shelters are at capacity nearly every night, and demand for our services has increased 35% in just the past two years.
That’s why Celebrate Hope 2025 matters.
This annual campaign ensures we can continue providing the critical services our neighbors desperately need: emergency shelter, nutritious meals, addiction recovery programs, job training for the homeless, and a pathway to lasting stability.
101 Years of Proven Impact
Since 1924, City Union Mission has been Kansas City’s steady anchor of compassion. What started as a small homeless shelter has grown into a comprehensive network of life-changing programs. But our core mission remains unchanged: restore dignity, rebuild lives, and offer genuine transformation.
By the Numbers: 2024 Impact
- 412,000 meals served to hungry neighbors
- 89,500 nights of safe shelter provided
- 1,200+ individuals completed recovery and job training programs
- 78% success rate for program graduates maintaining housing after one year
These aren’t just statistics. They’re neighbors, families, veterans, and individuals who found renewed purpose when they needed it most.
How Celebrate Hope Changes Lives
Every dollar contributed to Celebrate Hope directly supports individuals on their journey from crisis to stability:
$50 can provide 10 nutritious meals
$150 can offer one night of shelter for homeless families
$500 can supply one month of addiction recovery programming
$2,500 can cover job training and placement services for one graduate
Every contribution makes a tangible difference. Visit our Celebrate Hope Page to see how your gift transforms lives.
But Celebrate Hope is about more than financial support. It’s about Kansas City coming together to declare that no one should face homelessness, hunger, or despair alone.
Three Ways You Can Make a Difference Today
Give Generously
Every contribution provides immediate relief and long-term transformation. Visit our Celebrate Hope Page to donate online, or mail your gift to City Union Mission.
Volunteer Your TimeWe need compassionate volunteers to serve meals, sort donations, mentor program participants, and share their professional skills. Sign up for upcoming volunteer opportunities at our Celebrate Hope Page.
Share Our MissionSpread awareness on social media, host a fundraising event, or organize a donation drive at your workplace or church. When you amplify our message, you expand our reach to those who need us most. For stories to share, visit our Stories of Hope page.
A Message of Gratitude and Hope
“I learned what it meant to be a mother instead of a friend to my daughter,” Amber reflects on her time in the New Life Program. “The people at the Mission understood my pain and taught me about boundaries, healing, and faith. They gave me tools I never had growing up.”
Amber’s graduation marked a turning point, not just for her but for Ellie, who received her own graduation certificate, symbolizing their shared journey toward healing. Clean for the first time since age thirteen, Amber excelled as a team leader at Chick-fil-A, moved into her own apartment, and began pursuing her dream of becoming a nurse. At church, she met Ben, the godly partner she had been praying for. In 2023, they married and celebrated their first Christmas in their own home—a testament to the power of restoration when a community refuses to give up on someone.
For 101 years, stories like Amber’s have been possible because of supporters like you—individuals who believe every person deserves dignity, families who give sacrificially, businesses that invest in our community’s wellbeing, and volunteers who show up week after week.
Join the Movement
This Celebrate Hope campaign, we’re raising $6.5 million by January 31, 2026, to ensure no Kansas City neighbor is turned away, no child goes to bed hungry, and no family loses hope.
Will you join us? Together, we’re not just providing emergency assistance. We’re restoring lives, rebuilding families, and renewing our city’s commitment to compassion.