Jewish Family Services of Greater Kansas City (JFS) has stepped up to partner with Kansas City’s only emergency overnight shelter for LGBTQ+ youth, providing food, cleaning supplies and hygiene items for the shelter’s clients through the agency’s Brookside Food Pantry.  

Teresa’s Place, operated by SAVE, Inc., one of Jackson County’s largest housing nonprofits, reopened in the summer of 2025 with a new name after shutting its doors in 2025 due to a lack of funding. A generous gift from a family foundation, along with funding from Kansas City’s low barrier shelter initiative, allowed the Midtown shelter, formerly known as Pride Haven, to resume operations. 

“We are thrilled to be able to help Teresa’s Place with the food they need to provide their young clients with delicious, nutritious meals,” said Maggie Haghirian, chief program officer at JFS. “Along with the individual clients we serve on a monthly basis, we value the agency partnerships that let us reach those in need in other parts of our community.”

Teresa’s Place offers LGBTQ+, unhoused 18-24-year-olds a safe place to sleep, eat and access housing, job and educational resources, as well as support from trained staff. Youth can stay at the shelter for up to 90 days, giving them time to locate other housing options and avoid the risks of becoming unhoused. Shelter staff and volunteers work together to prepare and cook hot meals for breakfast and dinner to eat alongside shelter residents at a large, communal kitchen table. Non-perishable items and packaged leftovers are also provided to clients to eat for lunch during the hours they spend away from Teresa’s Place during the day.

Teresa’s Place receives food donations from other area nonprofits and community volunteers who drop off food for the agency’s kitchen as well as prepared meals to serve immediately or freeze for later. Despite this, the shelter has struggled to access important food items such as meat, eggs, dairy and gluten-free items, as well as hygiene and cleaning supplies.

“This partnership with JFS allows us to prepare more nutritious, diverse meals for our vulnerable clients,” said Mary Brewster, assistant director of program and services at SAVE, Inc. “We are very grateful for these generous donations of the food these youth need the most.”

Each Friday, a rotating team of volunteers, organized by Jewish community member Martha Gershun, pick up food and supplies put together by JFS Food Pantry staff and deliver the boxes to Teresa’s Place.

“Teresa’s Place is doing vital work to protect the most vulnerable youth in our metro,” said Angela DeWilde, chief executive officer of JFS. “Helping provide much needed food and supplies is part of our commitment to provide essential human services for people of all faiths, ages, cultures and identities who are facing challenges in everyday life or times of crisis.”

Donations can be made to the JFS Food Pantry by dropping off food and household items at one of its two locations or in the orange JFS barrels at The J and most synagogues, or by purchasing items from their Amazon Wish List. Financial donations can be made through the JFS website at jfskc.org/ways-to-give. 

Donations can be made to support Teresa’s Place at saveinckc.org/teresasplace.