newsletter

East Kansas City Church Has ‘Huge’ Impact on ROR Pantry When two Kansas City, Missouri, churches merged a little more than a decade ago, the members decided that the Greek word for fellowship captured the spirit of the congregation. One way Koinonia Bible Church, at 7020 Richmond Ave., carries out that mission today is as…

Husband and Wife Team Draw on Personal History in Leading ROR Parenting Class Assisted by his wife, Sebrina, Michael Jones is the lead pastor of Grace Connection Church in Independence, Missouri, and runs Render’s Hope Community Development Corp, a nonprofit based at the church that helps at-risk youth. The blended couple has eight children and…

Saying Goodbye Can Be Toughest Part of River of Refuge Program No matter how daunting it can be for parents to enter the River of Refuge program, it can be even scarier to exit: Graduates must apply the principles they have learned without the support of the staff and other families living here. The time…

Bike Shed Purchase Just One Example of Lenexa Couple’s Service to River of Refuge The kids’ bikes River of Refuge has for its families are no longer easy prey for thieves. Lenexa, Kansas, residents Ed and Carol Pasley made sure of that by buying a lockable metal shed and enlisting a volunteer assembly team from…

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.…