River of Refuge newsletter, March 2025

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 mornings, where their volunteer duties include cleaning around the building and working in the food pantry.

L.I.F.E. is short for Learning In Future Environments, and Raytown special educator Vivian McKinney views the participants’ work as internships. The interns are students aged 18 to 21 who have completed their academic requirements but remain in school to learn the skills needed to transition to adulthood.

“A lot of times our people are so protected that it’s hard for them to realize that they’re growing up and yet they have obligations and responsibilities and are accountable in the way that an adult is … “ McKinney said.

[River of Refuge is also fortunate to partner with Life Unlimited’s My Day program out of Lee’s Summit, Missouri, a daytime habilitation program designed for adults with disabilities.]

McKinney said working in outside environments helps interns learn to take directions from supervisors who they need to get to know. Preparing parents to help their kids move on is also a big part of L.I.F.E. University, McKinney said.

McKinney expanded the district’s life skills program for special education students into L.I.F.E. University three years ago.

This is River of Refuge’s second year as an L.I.F.E. University site.

Interns also work at other nonprofits and the HiBoy Drive-In in Independence, Missouri. The district also owns a “transition house” in a neighborhood behind Raytown High School, and interns assist in a district copying center.

River of Refuge Executive Director Pam Seymour said L.I.F.E. University interns add diversity to the organization and offer an opportunity for staff to work with the young adults.

“I’m super glad they’ve chosen us as a training ground because we are always in need of help and happy to work with volunteers regardless of their abilities,” she said.

One intern is a vacuuming perfectionist, and Seymour said, “We always look forward to having him here because we know he’s going to do a really good job, and he takes great pride in his work.”

L.I.F.E. University’s wall-of-fame continues to expand with graduates who have gone on to jobs. One recent graduate is working at Doughboys Donuts in Raytown, Missouri.

Aubrie, 19, was an intern working at River of Refuge earlier this month. She was cleaning tables and chairs in a meeting room.

“It makes me happy when it is nice and clean and neat,” she said. Her post-graduate plan is to work at her mother’s pet grooming business.

Too often, McKinney said, special education students lose their way upon leaving high school. The result can be mental illness, physical ailments, and suicide.

“We are creating an opportunity for them so that that is not their future,” McKinney said.

“Our goal is 100% community engagement upon exit from school, and community engagement can look different for different people,” she added.

“Some people want jobs, some people don’t, and so we talk about volunteering or attending a day program or joining clubs or other organizations — what will enrich your life so that you don’t spend the rest of your life on the couch?”

 

Volunteers Organize Second-Floor Storage Area

Our second-floor storage area is a lot more organized these days after some welcome volunteer assistance from members of Country Club Christian Church in Kansas City, Missouri, and local employees of the Benesch engineering firm.

The volunteers straightened sorted clothes donations, hung items on racks, and straightened up a nook we have carved out for birthday gifts that families can pick out for their children.

“It has been really great to have all the volunteer help because we wouldn’t be able to accomplish the things that they’ve accomplished if it had just been us,” said Executive Director Pam Seymour.

The gift nook is a nice benefit for our families. Parents learn to celebrate birthdays frugally, and if gifts don’t fit into the household budget, they can choose from items donated to us.

 

 

 

 

FROM THE DIRECTOR

Happy Spring!

It’s nice to hear the birds chirping each morning and not to don my heavy coat as I set out to work. Fingers crossed that we are done with nasty weather, but my gut tells me we could still get a dose before Mother’s Day. (I hope I am wrong.)

As we prepare to plant our 16 raised beds with spring crops, I’m excited to think about the possibilities in our teaching kitchen, with classes scheduled for the rest of the year.

We hope to add five hens to our flock in the coming weeks. A few of our “girls” have continued to lay throughout winter, but certainly not enough to feed a full house of families.

We are particularly excited about a Life Skills class that we already have scheduled for the fall, taught by staff at The Center for Conflict Resolution. The class is set to begin at the end of September and run for eight consecutive Mondays.

We worked with this group in 2023, and they were kind enough to condense their class into eight one-hour sessions to accommodate our families’ schedules.

Conflict resolution is one of the most important classes we can offer. Many of the challenges we see today are caused by children, teens, and adults not knowing how to settle disputes calmly, peacefully, and respectfully.

In closing, some people have asked if we are affected by the cuts to federal funding for nonprofits. The answer is a qualified no.

While our budget is not directly impacted, we could feel spillover effects if our nonprofit partners and friends lose funding. We also fear that the families we serve could have their benefits reduced or eliminated.

I am concerned that we will all feel the pain if funding decisions throw sand in the gears of the interconnected work of nonprofits.

While we could do more if we used federal funding, we could also lose a lot when it suddenly shuts down. I am proud of our diverse funding stream and thankful to all of you who contribute to River of Refuge, either monetarily or through volunteering.

Until Next Time,
Pamela Seymour, Executive Director