Northeast Neighborhood Ministry’s

“Kid’s Connection”

521 N. 7th St  (7th & Ottawa Sts),  913-651–6366
[the former Stovall Pharmacy Building]

This ministry began 6 years ago as a cooperative effort of Independent Missionary Baptist, St. Paul’s Episcopal and St. Paul Lutheran Churches. An outreach program committed to connecting kids to a Christian Community and providing a safe afterschool location, Kid’s Connection is for elementary age children in the NE Neighborhood of Leavenworth. Free to the participants, volunteers and healthy snacks are needed. Kid’s Connection is run entirely on donations of time, product and money: if you have an enriching activity, or the time to reach out to children, Kid’s Connection is the place to be! To volunteer, or to ask questions, contact Pastor Ed, 682-0387. Stop by Kid’s Connection anytime for a visit and get a free bag of popcorn!

Open Hours:
Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays & Thursdays, 3-6 PM
“Kid’s Connection” will be closed over the summer


Advisory Board
Margaret Hanawalt
Rev. Ed Mease, Secretary
Suzie Mohrman
Carol Sharp, Chairman

Site Manager
Roxie Summers – Site Mgr.
Matthew Denney – Asst. Site Mgr. 

 

You may hear that KID’S CONNECTION RECEIVED THE 2011 “SPIRIT OF HUMANITARIANISM” AWARD from the Leavenworth County Human Service Council … but, that’s not exactly true: the faithful volunteers at Kid’s Connection are the ones with the true spirit of humanitarianism – and they are the ones deserving of the award! When you see them, please thank them: Alison Guimund, Janet Jackson-Knight, Sue Klotz, Becca Mease, Suzie Mohrmann, Carol Reese and Carol Sharp. We also welcome our new Site Manager, Roxie Summers. 

 

 

The following article was printed in “County Magazine”

Northeast Churches Connect with Kids

By Jennifer Lindsey

Contributing writer

What do you get when you have a new grocery store, an old pharmacy and three area churches? A safe haven for kids in northeast Leavenworth.

The Northeast Neighborhood Ministry is a cooperative ministry comprised of St. Paul Lutheran, St. Paul’s Episcopal and Independent Missionary Baptist Church and is responsible for giving life to an uplifting program called Kid’s Connection.

Since its inception in 2003, Kid’s Connection has offered a location for kindergarten through 8th grade students to go for games, contests and camaraderie. It also presents educational programs, computer access and snacks, all in a faith-based atmosphere. Kid’s Connection calls home the old Stovall Pharmacy building at 7th and Ottawa.

Randall Minnis is the Kid’s Connection site manager. He explains the divine intentions that made it all come together. It started when the new Dillon’s grocery store opened in west Leavenworth on Eisenhower Road.  Stovall pharmacy joined forces with the new store leaving a vacant building at 521 North 7th Street. Dillon’s promised to donate the building to the first church who would answer the phone. St. Paul Lutheran took the call. St. Paul Pastor, Ed Mease, had been ministering to the local community for several years. With this new development, he became inspired. He invited area churches to help come up with good ideas regarding the Stovall building.

Several churches got involved at first, but week after week, only three remained: St. Paul Lutheran, St. Paul’s Episcopal and Independent Missionary Baptist Church. Representatives from these places of worship started a planning team and spent the next 18 months with their heads together. In December of 2004, Kid’s Connection had a name and a home. It is currently funded by church commitments and private donations. And in its second year of operation, the program is going strong.

Minnis is also an integral part of the endeavor. He was looking for a way to reach out to his community as he was concerned for young people in his northeast neighborhood. When he saw them staying out late and setting disturbing trends, he knew he had to help. Minnis says the mission of Kid’s Connection is simple.

“The primary objective is to offer sanctuary to youth in the northeast area. A safe place to go.” Minnis was a sociology major at Creighton University. He also has his social work certificate and has completed some grad work at KU and University of Nebraska at Omaha. In addition to his site manager duties, he offers the kids assistance with conflict resolution.

Kid’s Connection averages about 22 kids during the week. A few less attend on weekends. A recent educational endeavor includes a partnership with K-State 4-H nutrition that sends a representative to demonstrate a snack/nutrition activity once a week.

Minnis says he is happy to help these kids and takes his mission seriously. He went down the wrong road earlier in life and found himself in a Kansas City homeless shelter praying for guidance. He had family in Leavenworth and relocated here. He says part of his restoration is to just be there for these young people.

“For lots of kids, we are their church.”

Parents get a tour of the facility when they first drop off a child. There’s also talk about the rules and regulations. Minnis says a member of Northeast Ministry wondered if Kid’s Connection would be tagged as a babysitter, but that concern quickly subsided.

“We talked about that in the early planning stages. Would we be seen as a dump off? But that’s ok, because parents need a respite too.” Minnis says they just want to give these kids whatever they need. Whatever that means. He says he talks openly about his faith, but no one is ever beaten over the head with religion.

The Northeast Ministry would like to reproduce Kid’s Connection in other areas of the city and they have a five-year plan in place to address that possibility.

Program hours run Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. For more information about Kid’s Connection, call Randall Minnis at (913) 651–6366.