Project Change

Project Change is a Kansas City based not-for-profit organization comprised of teams of  businesses and individuals who are dedicated to making a positive impact in their community. Each team competes in a set of challenges via acts of creative community service, with the winners receiving money for their favorite charity. Win or lose, our teams’ cumulative efforts make life much better for numerous charities.

We have two upcoming challenge deadlines back to back.  Our first one is this Friday for Mission Underpants!!  Our goal is to donate 1,000 packages of socks and underwear to our charity of choice, Operation Breakthrough.  We are collecting new packages of all sizes for men, women and children, so if you would like to help us reach that goal, I would be more than happy to pick them up from you by Wednesday.

Operation Breakthrough is a nationally accredited, not-for-profit corporation that began in 1971 as a response to requests from parents in the central city for quality child care for children of the working poor.
The program began with 50 infants, toddlers and preschoolers at 31st and Paseo. In 1976, it expanded to include before and after school care. The Center moved to its current location at 31st and Troost in 1981. Since that time, it has added a broad range of social services to meet the needs of the children and their families. In 2006, Operation Breakthrough completed an expansion and renovation project that doubled the size of the facility and increased its licensed capacity from 353 children to 674.

Operation Breakthrough cares each weekday for more than 600 children, ages 6 weeks to 18 years. More than 98% of the enrolled families live below the federal poverty guidelines, most far below them.
About 25% of the children are homeless or near homeless, living in battered women's or homeless shelters or transitional living programs. Often they sleep on the sofas of friends or relatives, sometimes even living in cars, rundown hotels or abandoned buildings. About 25% of our children are in foster care or other placements due to abuse, neglect or other family crises. The average income of our families is $9,400.

Our last challenge is a room makeover and we have chosen to focus on the Science Room and Culture Room.  We hope to be able to donate items like a microscope, globe, maps of the world, books from different countries, little lab coats, goggles, different rocks and minerals, fabrics from different cultures, music cd's, a cd player and so much more.  We are also collecting used games, soccer balls, basketballs, bats, gloves/mits, jerseys, books and puzzles.  

Our office is so excited to be partnered with John A. Marshall to complete these challenges.  I can't wait to see the smiles on these precious little kids' faces next Thursday when we go do their classroom makeovers!!