River of Refuge newsletter, August 2026
Hard work of staff contributes to success of River of Refuge open house
River of Refuge Executive Director Pam Seymour (far left) gathers with open house attendees in the lobby during the Aug. 1 open house.
River of Refuge held its first-ever open house this month, and old-school marketing helped make the Saturday morning event a success.
The open house drew about 40 attendees, thanks in no small measure to the cookies and invites that Program Manager Cathy DeCamp and her team personally delivered to businesses and nonprofits near River of Refuge. It was the staff's idea.
“We’re in a world where, when we have an event … or we need something, we post it on social media,” said Executive Director Pam Seymour. “The only people who go door to door [now] are people trying to sell you something. It’s a lost art, and people just don't do that anymore. And so, I think that speaks volumes about our staff.”
Some of the nonprofit attendees handed out information about their organizations, including one of River of Refuge’s mental health partners, which provided breakfast burritos to attendees. River of Refuge’s night manager handed out information about Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous.
Visitors also included one gentleman who has an outreach program for young men and boys. He visits River of Refuge regularly to donate a cartful of goods his wife picks up through her job at a discount store.
Seymour led attendees on a tour of the facility. It was a tight squeeze fitting the large group into the residence hallways.
iver of Refuge’s backyard neighbor also came with her husband and son. The relationship with the family has blossomed over their mutual affinity for chickens. Seymour takes care of River of Refuge’s 11 hens, and the mom cares for chickens at their home. (See story below.)
The chickens were a high point of the facility tour, and the attention they drew illustrated the benefit of the open house, Seymour said.
DeCamp had razzed Seymour for showing every nook and cranny, but it was just after she showed off the basement that Seymour offhandedly mentioned the exit
eading to the parking garage, the raised-bed vegetable gardens, and the chickens.
The group clamored to see the gardens and the chickens.
“My goal for a tour is for each person to come away with something that sets us apart from another organization, whether it be the chickens, whether it be therapy, whatever it is,” Seymour said.
“I want them to say, ‘Oh yeah, that's River Refuge. They're the people that … [fill in the blank]. “Because everybody who walks through here says, ‘I had no idea you did all this.’”
Sisters in Christ were among the presenters at the open house.
Back-to-school event comes with backstories
A group from Golden Gate Lodge No. 58 delivers school supplies for students living with their families at River of Refuge.
Kids are back in the classroom, and River of Refuge held a back-to-school event for its families on Aug. 10.
The evening event included handing out school supplies and providing haircuts.
River of Refuge did not have many families with school-aged kids at the time of the fair.
But Executive Director Pam Seymour said donors’ generosity meant there will be leftover supplies for children living with their parents at River of Refuge when the second semester begins after the first of the year.
“Nobody ever talks about that,” Seymour said. “What if you need more?”
The school supply donors were Raytown Christian Church and Golden Gate Lodge No. 58, a Masonic-affiliated group.
ach group's participation has a related story that underscores Seymour’s belief that it’s always good for River of Refuge to show visitors around the building and to have staff out in the community.
First off, members of Raytown Christian Church attended River of Refuge’s Aug. 1 open house. Raytown Christian is a faithful supporter of River of Refuge, but members did not know the building had a food pantry until they took a tour during the open house.
In discovering that, church members said they would conduct a dairy drive for River of Refuge families in the fall. The idea came about when Seymour told the church
embers that River of Refuge families especially enjoyed the dairy products they received when coming to the church during its summer feeding program.
Meanwhile, the connection with the lodge came about when Program Manager Cathy DeCamp met River of Refuge’s backyard neighbor at a Raytown school district health fair about a year ago.
It turns out that not only did the woman have expertise in raising chickens (See above story), but she was also a member of the lodge. Her connection resulted in the lodge donating $1,500 worth of school supplies to River of Refuge.
FROM THE DIRECTOR
It’s no secret that nonprofits cannot thrive without the support of dedicated volunteers.
The spotlight often falls on the folks who help with all types of tasks around the organization.
But let’s not forget that board members donate their time to provide critical assistance to the agency’s executive team — and they frequently fall into the first category of helping out with programming.
That’s why River of Refuge’s August board meeting is so special. That’s when we vote in new board members and select board officers.
Every year, we have amazing people join our board, and this year is no different. We couldn’t be more pleased with this year’s new additions.
Audrey Manito is a senior counsel with the firm of Shook, Hardy & Bacon. Her background includes co-founding a nonprofit focused on eliminating sex trafficking in Houston. That nonprofit is still successful years later. You can learn more about Audrey here.
Clifton “Clif” Holly is an attorney with the firm of McCarthy, Leonard, Kaemmerer & Miller. He focuses on construction law and is also a highly experienced civil engineer.
Jacky Falkenberg is the owner of Off Your Plate, a social media management firm. She has helped many businesses across the U.S. succeed with social media and branding.
And lastly, we are extremely grateful for the return of former River of Refuge board president Amelie Ballinger. She termed out a couple of years ago, and she’s happy to return in a board member position without the stress of being president.
Welcome to all!
Speaking of new things….. Welcome, Monopoly Acquisitions!
They are the proud new owners of Two Rivers Psychiatric Hospital.
The new owners began work to secure the facility the day they closed on the property. This property has been problematic for us since it went dark in 2018. It is a haven for theft, vandals, and who knows what.
Rumor has it that it may become a self-storage facility or townhomes. The new owners are not new to the community; they own many properties in the Raytown area.
Until Next Time,
Pamela Seymour, Executive Director