Mission :

reStart Inc. is an interfaith ministry with homeless persons committed to providing shelter and supportive services to homeless men, women, youth and families with the goal of helping them move toward independence and self-sufficiency and ending homelessness in our community.

reStart Inc. is the outgrowth of an overnight emergency shelter established by an inter-faith group in 1983 at Grand Avenue Temple United Methodist Church in downtown Kansas City.  A non-profit corporation for the purpose of serving homeless persons was created in 1984. reStart has been providing on average 80,000 bed nights of emergency and transitional shelter to approximately 6,000 homeless guests (men, women, and families) annually since 1991.

The following programs are offered on behalf of homeless individuals and families:

Overnight Emergency Shelter: A warm place to sleep and a nutritious meal for 33 women and 60 men.

Family Emergency Shelter: Room and board for up to 30 days, including counseling, case management, and children's programs for 17 families.

Transitional Living: Room and board for up to 24 months for a maximum capacity of 36 single adults and a maximum capacity of 38 families with children, including counseling and case management.

Youth Services: Emergency shelter for 10 youth ages 12 - 18 and street outreach for runaway and homeless youth.

Youth Transitional Living: Transisitonal living for 4 youth ages 16 - 21 for up to 21 months.

Homeless Services Center: A day drop in center that offers case management, substance abuse counseling, housing and employment counseling and referrals, showers, mail, phone and laundry services in a safe environment for chronically homeless individuals.

Permanent Supportive Housing: Permanent housing and customized supportive services provided on-site at A New Start, a 21-unit complex and the Vocational Living Center, a 12-unit complex for chronically homeless adults.  Truman Medical Center’s Behavioral Health Network’s Assertive Community Outreach team provides assessment and screening, outreach case management, and psychiatric treatment.

Economic Development: Hands-on training to help homeless people acquire jobs by providing on-site employment to current and immediate past residents. Participants are offered promotional opportunities and some have moved up the ranks to become members of our management team. reStart residents are also eligible to participate in our two preferred-referrals programs for employment ---- an agreement with the Full Employment Council and a program with UPS that places individuals in meaningful jobs with job coaches.

Supportive Services: Health care; educational assistance; chemical dependency support groups; life skills classes; housing assistance; and HIV/AIDS care.