But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother have need, and shuts up his heart of compassion from him, how dwells the love of God in him? ~I John 3:17
In the summer of 2019, Nick and Samantha McDaniels felt a burden for the homeless and unsheltered of Warrensburg that would not go away. Past efforts in town to provide a stable shelter had met with various insurmountable obstacles. Missouri is not friendly to the homeless: scorching summer heat and freezing winter winds alike disrupt the lives of people exposed to them. The McDaniels could not shake the feeling that it was wrong to go through the routines of what is a “normal” life for most of us, while this group of our neighbors are daily physically suffering.
At the same time, a group of faithful community members had been meeting regularly and discussing options to meet the same needs. Coalescing under the group name Johnson County Cares, they were brainstorming, researching, and offering practical relief to the homeless on an ongoing basis. Multiple potential options were being explored for solving this knotty problem.
These two components met on August 22nd, 2019, at the Country Kitchen in Warrensburg. There was excitement, uncertainty, enthusiasm, and much peace that two major sides of the same conundrum were being solved through the cooperation of the two efforts. From that meeting, the reality of Refuge On Ming was born.
Refuge On Ming
On October 25th, 2019, Nick and Samantha purchased a house specifically for the purpose of a homeless shelter. Mobilizing such a project is surprisingly complex. The house had many unforeseen maintenance needs that have demanded some detailed, specific, and expensive solutions. There have been codes requirements of which we were not initially aware. A sprinkler system had to be installed.
The core group of volunteer leaders has grown and solidified over the months, and includes experienced experts in areas of social work, education, and ministry. Managing the operations of a project like this will be a massive, ongoing undertaking.
The house is now called Refuge On Ming, and the city of Warrensburg granted the necessary certificate of occupancy on November 9th, 2020 for a 12-bed shelter, with capacity increasing by the end of this year to 20 beds. Staffers have been hired and the shelter opened on November 10th at 7 pm and has been open every night since. We invite you to partner with us to fulfill the mandate of Jesus to love our neighbors and give to those who have need as we have been abundantly blessed.
Children’s Shelter
When resources allow, the foundation also will begin interior construction on a large building just outside of Warrensburg to be used for the purpose of an emergency placement children’s shelter. This as-yet unnamed project is desperately needed by a state system that is overburdened and understaffed. When children are taken from their homes by social workers due to conditions outside of their control, they need a safe and stable place to go. Sometimes these children experience long waits in caseworkers’ offices, only to end up in overcrowded foster homes or shelters in the KC Metro area. In spite of the many wonderful people, homes, and shelters that exist to meet these needs, the need is always greater than the resources. We will provide a healthy place for children, especially those from rural counties in our region, to shelter while waiting for a more permanent solution to whatever their family crisis may be.