Seven Days in Africa: ROR Case Manager Takes Mission Trip to Uganda The East African nation of Uganda covers about 93,000 square miles and has approximately 46 million people. It’s also a country where approximately 82% of households identify as Christian, and Uganda has tugged at Dianna Poston’s spirituality for years. Poston is River of…

River of Refuge Welcomes Assistance of Special Education Students The Raytown School District’s L.I.F.E. University prepares special education students for the next chapter of their lives, and River of Refuge is happy to play a supporting role in the program. Two or three L.I.F.E. University students spend an hour at River of Refuge on Tuesday…

Budgeting Classes Help River of Refuge Mom Rebound From Break-In to Disabled Car The 2002 Mercury Sable sputtered out on the interstate earlier this month as Tyler Buffington was headed to her Amazon job in Lenexa from River of Refuge. “I felt like everything was crumbling around me,” said Buffington, 31, who has been at…

Thanksgiving Connection Drives Vehicle Donation to ROR Family What’s better than a terrific stocking stuffer or a big box under the tree for a mom and dad with five kids ages 8 and under? How about a top-of-the-line, pre-owned Town & Country minivan in great working order? That’s the Christmas gift that Tamey Cherry and…

River of Refuge Has Recipe for Success with New Teaching Kitchen River of Refuge is heating up plans for its new teaching kitchen and has a champion in a locally famous brewer. Michael Crane, the successful founder of Raytown-based Crane Brewing Co., is one volunteer interested in conducting cooking classes next year for River of…

‘It Was Life-Saving’: ROR Program Makes Homemaker Dream a Reality for Mom of 7 Savannah Swenson grew up in gated communities in California and Texas, the daughter of a father who earned a good living in the auto business, moving the family to the Kansas City area to become an executive with a high-end dealership.…

Windows, Caulk, Elbow Grease Benefit River of Refuge Chickens With winter around the corner, the River of Refuge ladies are moving up. River of Refuge was happy to receive five donated hens in the summer, but the coup that came with them is drafty. The bump on Executive Director Pam Seymour’s forehead also illustrates the…

River of Refuge Volunteer Installs Dozens of Security Cameras Around Campus Set back from Raytown Road, River of Refuge’s building and grounds are tempting targets for illicit behavior. Improved exterior lighting is one way River of Refuge has deterred squatters, burglars, and vandals. And thanks to Hunter Shoptaw, one of its most dedicated volunteers, River…

‘This is not an opportunity that happens every day’ Federal Grant Would Fund Energy Upgrades at River of Refuge Imagine opening your electric bill and finding that it was about 140% higher than the monthly average you had paid the previous year and was two-thirds higher than the same month a year ago. River of…

Raytown Summer Meal Program Benefits River of Refuge Families School meals are lifelines for low-income families, but the need remains when classes dismiss for the summer. About two dozen volunteers work to fill that gap among families in the Raytown school district, including those living at River of Refuge, through a drive-up program they operate…