Cross-Lines Community Kitchen

Who Can Visit?

The Cross-Lines Community Kitchen is open to anyone who needs a meal. No income check or proof of address is required to eat here. The kitchen serves breakfast and lunch Monday through Friday at the Don Bakely Community Annex, located at 646 S. 7th Street Trafficway on the Cross-Lines campus. During the summer, the kitchen serves a large number of children and families who need meals when school is not in session.

Good to Know

The kitchen serves about 150 people for lunch every day. Meals are served inside the dining room. Sack lunches are also available for takeaway to people on their way to work. Cross-Lines aims to include fresh fruit and vegetables at every meal.

Food & Essentials

The Community Kitchen offers warm, fresh meals including breakfast and lunch. The kitchen strives to provide fresh fruit and vegetables at each meal. Sack lunches for takeaway include items like sandwiches (bread, meat, and cheese), soft breakfast bars with fruit, crackers or chips, fresh fruit such as bananas, oranges, or grapes, juice, and bottled water.

How to Pick Up

Meals are served inside the dining room at 646 S. 7th Street Trafficway. You can walk in during meal service, Monday through Friday. Sack lunches are handed out each weekday morning to people heading to work.

Additional Support

Cross-Lines offers many other services beyond the Community Kitchen:

• Community Market: A grocery-store-style food pantry where shoppers choose their own items. Shoppers can visit once every 60 days and receive food based on their household size. This program currently serves Wyandotte County residents only.
• Emergency Rent and Utility Assistance: Help with preventing eviction and utility shutoffs for Wyandotte County residents.
• Street Outreach: Community Resource Navigators go out to connect people experiencing homelessness with services, healthcare, social benefits, and housing.
• Community Resource Navigation: Staff work one-on-one with families to assess needs, contact landlords and utility companies, and build a plan for stability.

Facilities

Free emergency shower services for people experiencing homelessness are available in the Community Kitchen, Monday through Friday from 6:00 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.

A reviewer also noted that laundry room access is available for those in need.

Ways to Give

Cross-Lines accepts several types of donations:

• Online donations and checks: You can donate at https://crm.bloomerang.co/HostedDonation?ApiKey=pub_4d93278d-d8e4-11eb-8a95-02bf22d030ab&WidgetId=416768.
• Circle of Hope Monthly Giving: You can set up a recurring monthly gift on the donation page. For questions, contact Kelly Gough Moran at (913) 281-3388 x248 or Kelly@cross-lines.org.
• Food and in-kind donations: The Community Market accepts canned fruits and vegetables, condiments (mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, salsa), dry and canned beans, canned soups, cooking oil, breakfast cereal, granola bars, and more. Hygiene and household items such as diapers (especially sizes 4, 5, and 6), shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, toothpaste, laundry detergent, and cleaning supplies are also needed. Food and goods donations can be dropped off at the Community Market during operating hours: Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. or 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
• Sack lunch supplies: You can donate bulk materials or assemble sack lunches off-site and deliver them to the Community Kitchen.
• Cold weather items: Winter hats, gloves, hand warmers, and adult-size coats are gratefully accepted.
• Planned giving: You can include Cross-Lines in your will or estate plan.

To arrange a donation or set up a food drive, call (913) 281-3388.

How to Join the Team?

Cross-Lines uses over 1,500 volunteers each year. Volunteer shifts are available Monday through Friday between 6:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. There are no after-hours or weekend shifts at this time.

• Volunteers in the Community Market must be at least 10 years old.
• Volunteers in the Community Kitchen must be at least 13 years old.
• All volunteers under 18 must have a supervising adult with them.

To get started, submit a volunteer application at https://volunteer.bloomerang.co/volunteer/#/join-party?k=y2mk5sj2z0n6h1. The Volunteer Manager will follow up by email with next steps.

Groups of up to 10 volunteers may also be welcome during regular operating hours. Court-ordered community service is available on a case-by-case basis for people 18 and older.

For questions, contact Volunteer Manager Rachel Magathan at (913) 281-3388 or RachelM@cross-lines.org.