For many families across the Kansas City region, poverty doesn’t begin with long-term instability. It begins with one unexpected moment: a medical emergency, a car repair, a job loss, or a sudden rent increase. When there’s no financial cushion, a single crisis can quickly turn into a downward spiral.
January is National Poverty Awareness Month, a time to acknowledge the realities many of our neighbors face, and to spotlight the organizations working every day to prevent hardship from becoming generational poverty.
United Way of Greater Kansas City proudly supports many local nonprofit partners who step in at critical moments, helping individuals and families stay housed, fed, and employed. Here are five Impact 100 organizations helping families stay stable and build a path forward.
Connections to Success
Connections to Success focuses on helping individuals overcome barriers to employment and long-term financial independence. Through workforce readiness training, professional attire, coaching, and wraparound support, the organization helps clients move from instability to sustainable employment. By addressing both practical and personal barriers, Connections to Success empowers people to build lasting economic security for themselves and their families.
Grandview Assistance Program
The Grandview Assistance Program (GAP) provides emergency assistance to residents facing financial hardship, helping cover essentials like utilities, rent, food, and transportation. Because GAP is deeply rooted in the community it serves, staff understand the unique challenges families face and can respond quickly with support that makes a real difference.
Raytown Emergency Assistance Program
When families in Raytown, Mo., face an emergency, the Raytown Emergency Assistance Program (REAP) is often the first place they turn. REAP provides food, utility assistance, and housing support to help neighbors avoid eviction, utility shutoffs, or hunger. By stepping in early, REAP helps prevent temporary setbacks from turning into long-term crises.
Reconciliation Services
Reconciliation Services supports individuals and families in Kansas City’s urban core through food assistance, housing support, and workforce development. Their holistic approach recognizes that poverty is complex and that real solutions must address both immediate needs and long-term opportunity. From keeping the pantry stocked to helping someone secure employment, Reconciliation Services meets people where they are and walks alongside them as they rebuild stability.
United Community Service of Johnson County
United Community Services of Johnson County (UCS) serves as a lifeline for individuals and families facing financial hardship. Through food assistance, emergency financial support, and resource navigation, UCS helps neighbors stabilize during times of need. UCS also connects clients to long-term resources, including employment support and benefits enrollment, helping families move toward lasting financial security.
Supporting people experiencing poverty takes a community. Poverty often goes unseen, but its impact is felt every day by thousands of families across our city. Breaking the cycle requires early intervention, trusted community partners, and collective action.
Through partnerships like these, United Way works to ensure that when a crisis hits, help is within reach and that families have the tools they need not just to survive, but to thrive.
This National Poverty Awareness Month, we invite you to learn more, get involved, and support the work happening right here in our community.