My First Year as a Sheffield Place Board Member

 

Sarah Sanchex (l) with fellow board
member Missy Andeel at Off the Wall 2024

When I first applied for the Board of Sheffield Place, I was looking for a non-profit to join that had a direction but also felt like I could make an impact in my community. After my visit to Sheffield Place, I could tell it was special and I wanted to be a part of it.

I grew up with a lot of people in my life that could have benefited from a place like Sheffield Place, if they had ever been given the chance. Something that I am very passionate about is that I want to help women and their children thrive in a world that has not been built to represent or even protect them.

I have been looking for a group that can help me give back and truly feel like Sheffield Place was the place to do that. Our country (I believe) is in a mental health crisis that continues to lead to more and more people being unhoused.  

So much of our life is based on what we were born into. I am not saying that people cannot better themselves from a situation but when you are five steps behind other people it is a lot harder to get ahead and know how to get there and when there is addiction and/or mental illness people can be pushed even further behind.

Mental health facilities are so underfunded that it makes it almost impossible for people who are suffering to get the help they need. Being able to help even in a small way through an organization like Sheffield Place makes me feel like I am trying to be apart of the solution and not the problem. I have loved this first year as a board member and getting to know the incredible staff and the women and children that make up Sheffield place. I can’t wait to see how else I can help in the upcoming year.

Sarah Sanchez, Board Member

UMB Bank

 

A Cold Call that Opened a World of Opportunity

 

I would describe my introduction to Sheffield Place as a cold call that opened a world of opportunity. CEO/President Kelly Welch called my office at the East Patrol Division of the Kansas City Missouri Police Department and asked if I could attend an advisory council meeting at Sheffield Place. I agreed, without really understanding all the organization did. But over the course of several meetings, I began to understand how seriously Kelly and the incredible staff there pursued the organization’s mission and how that translated into tangible positive outcomes for those most vulnerable.

In addition to witnessing the Sheffield Place’s impact in the community, I have met some truly wonderful people and participated in events where I was able to meet clients whose lives have been totally changed, and in changing their lives, have changed the trajectory of their kids’ lives—it is truly amazing to see the potential people have when given the tools and opportunity to succeed. It has also been rewarding to meet the other board members who have donated time, money and talent to ensure Sheffield Place continues its success. I would challenge anyone to find a finer group.

After 34 years in law enforcement, I understand how important and wonderful it can be to make a difference. Sheffield Place makes a difference by bringing a calm to its clients' lives and has given many women and their families a safe place to live, and supported them to become wonderful mothers and productive citizens—these are lives and families that would otherwise have been disrupted by incarceration. I am truly honored to help in my small way in contributing to Sheffield’s great success!

 

Rick Smith

KCPD Chief (retired)

I Invest My Time, Talent, and Treasure Because I've Been Without a Home

It’s not hard to invest time, money and energy to an organization like Sheffield Place when you've experienced the devastation of being homeless.  

When my family’s home burned down, we experienced being without a home for a good while.  Relatives came to our aid but most of our basic supplies and cherished items went up in smoke.  

What I learned from that experience is that it’s important to have people and organizations in the community that know the importance of resourcing mothers and children. It’s one thing to provide shelter but it is another thing to teach mothers how to create and sustain healthy homes.  

Sheffield Place not only provides safe shelter but tools our families so they can manage their own lives.  In my opinion, this is the best part about Sheffield Place – teaching mothers and their children how to be self-sufficient in all areas of their lives. It’s a generational shift and I remain committed to making sure the mission continues. 

- Dionne M. King, Board Member, Sheffield Place

Tammy Edwards (left) and Dionne King (right)
at Off the Wall 2015

 

Why I Support Sheffield Place

Lundy Joyce, MS, MSW

Chair, Sheffield Place Advisory Council

I became aware of Sheffield Place through my volunteer activities at Kansas City Young Matrons. KCYM participates in writing and addressing thank-you notes several times a year and organizes a collection one month every year of “in kind” donations.  A member at KCYM invited me to “Off the Wall” which is one of the fundraisers Sheffield Place holds every year.  These experiences led me to support the nomination of Sheffield Place to become the beneficiary of the KCYM Magic Ball in 2021.

I was impressed after these interactions with the staff and learning the mission of Sheffield Place and looked forward for ways to continue my support.  Being on the Advisory Board allows me the opportunity to participate in contributions to the two primary fundraisers: “Off the Wall” in October and the annual Golf Tournament in June.  The “Back to School” cookout in August provides a fun opportunity to interact with moms and their children while providing backpacks with school supplies.  In October, a safe atmosphere is provided for the families to “Trunk or Treat,” and everyone dresses up in their favorite costume. These are just a few examples of activities created by Sheffield Place that connect families, staff, and volunteers.

There are many aspects of Sheffield Place that have earned my respect.  Their mission is “To empower homeless mothers and their children to heal from their trauma and become self-sufficient.”   They accept women who are continuing to struggle with addiction and their children. The program provides structure and services in a safe environment. The staff is accepting, kind and communicates their expectations.

Much of the success of Sheffield Place can be attributed to the staff.  They are dedicated and experienced.  They spend a great deal of time and effort acknowledging the community and volunteers that provide support.  They are genuine with their gratitude.  It is not surprising that they receive recognition for their efforts.  For example, they have received a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator 8 years in a row establishing their focus on transparency.

It is my goal to continue to support Sheffield Place and the women and children who are benefitting from this necessary and successful organization. 

Lundy (left) at KCYM ceremonial check presentation

Lundy at Trunk or Treat

Lundy with other KCYM members addressing 
a holiday mailing

 

 

Marveling at the Women's Resilience, Strength, & Growth

By Kathy Malone, LPC   

I was introduced to Sheffield Place via the Off the Wall event in the old Airline Museum. 

 

I was inspired, went on a facility tour, and was asked by Kelly Welch, CEO, to join the Sheffield Place Board.  It was a welcoming and warm environment and it enabled me to learn from the ground up how a successful non-profit is run.  I got to see what was involved in the day to day operations, as well as the fundraising, financial and governance side of Sheffield Place.  

 

I have been on the Sheffield board working in some capacity since 2018.  In the last few years, I have mainly helped out in clinical capacity and supporting staff. I am a Licensed Professional Counselor, and have experience working with trauma.  I love learning about our client care and advocating for our programs and staff. In this capacity I really saw how amazing the Sheffield Place staff and leadership team is, and how important and difficult it is to live out our mission. 

Kathy (right) with husband Pete at the
dedication of the SEVI House in 2021.

I am very proud of the work we are doing at Sheffield, and how we are doing it.

 

We work with women who have lived at the margins of society, and are often in very dire circumstances when they and their children walk through our door.  

 

Our approach to working with them, supporting them and loving them begins with seeing their innate humanity and dignity.  We treat them with respect, and compassion, even when they don’t always treat themselves, each other, us, or our property with respect.  We give them a safe space to heal from their trauma, and support to learn new behaviors. We set boundaries for their safety, model behaviors that will enable them to live within societies boundaries. We support them in getting addiction and mental health treatment.  We follow with on-going therapy and case management support to scaffold them to independent living.   We provide resources to help them become job ready, and find employment. We help them learn skills to parent better, and model ways to love and create attachment bonds with their children.

 

Then we wait, watch, hope, and marvel at their resilience, strength and growth.  We watch many of them become self-sufficient.  

 

We also accept (which is really hard) when they choose to walk away from the support and go back to homelessness, toxic relationships or using. We often welcome them back when they are ready to continue their recovery journey.

 

I feel uplifted, proud and honored to be a part of this organization (and sometimes saddened by the reality of how hard this work and world is).

Meaningful Difference

Missy Andeel, Sheffield Place Board of Directors

The phrase “meaningful difference” has stayed with me since my very first encounter with Sheffield Place. When I was newer to the area and looking to get more deeply involved in the community, my affiliation with the Junior League of Kansas City provided me with Board training experience. On the last day of that program, we were visited by several leaders of non-profit organizations in the community with Board seats to fill. When I listened to Sheffield Place CEO Kelly Welch talk about the mission of Sheffield Place – to empower mothers and their children to heal from trauma and help them become self-sufficient – and when she said she needed someone to lend some Human Resources expertise, it felt like a perfect opportunity to make a meaningful difference to the agency and to the clients it serves. 

I have remained involved for a decade specifically because of the ongoing opportunity to make a difference locally. As a Board, we have supported expansion of the facility for the last ten years because the need is so very great. We opened a second house (SEVI) in 2021 to increase the number of families we could serve. For every family that moves in, there are dozens more on the wait list. 

Just weeks ago, we closed on a property and have embarked upon a capital campaign that will enable us to build a third facility with additional housing units for families, more office space for therapy and case management, and classrooms for skill development. All three buildings are within very close proximity, which allows the families to fully avail themselves of services while they live onsite and, importantly, to stay connected for essential aftercare even when they have successfully completed the program and moved into their own secure housing in the community. 

Missy Andeel and Mark Orr at Off the Wall

  

I invite you to get involved by visiting Sheffield Place for a tour or lunch (where you will likely meet a client and hear their incredible story). Or please plan to attend one of our annual special events, either the Golf Tournament on June 7, 2024, or Off the Wall, our art themed gala with dinner and live music, taking place on October 5. It’s extremely satisfying to know that whichever way you get involved, you will be making a meaningful difference in the trajectory of the lives of local families, now and well into the future.

Missy Andeel, center, pictured with Off the Wall attendees Heather Farha (left) and Christy Zehnder (right)

I’m for the underdog - every rag-tag sports team, scrappy animal that finds its way home and single mother with fingernails dug into the ledge to keep her head above water. Hollywood often takes “the underdog” one step further portraying a con artist or a band of criminals carrying out an intricate art or money heist. Do you fall for it too? These movies are so convincing that by the end we’re all rooting for the bad guy.

But in the reality of our everyday life the underdog presents quite differently. Today’s underdogs are found in every city, in every school classroom and in a red brick building in the heart of Kansas City. Most every child during the height of the COVID pandemic experienced a developmental and/or emotional setback. During a time when socialization is pivotal to their development, they were forced to quarantine. When they needed to be watching faces and lips to learn how to correctly pronounce sounds and words, they were forced to look into masked faces. And when they needed people in their bubble for reassurance and support, they were forced to maintain “social distance”. Despite what they may or may not have received during that time, today they need even more.