Shalom House

Shalom House

2100 N. 13th St.  (map)
Kansas City, KS  66104
913-321-2206

Foe more information please contact the Shalom House Shelter Coordinator James Davidson at 913-321-2206 or jdavidson@ccsks.org.

In 2007 Shalom House transitioned from being a Catholic Worker house into a Catholic Charities shelter. It continues to operate as a homeless shelter for up to 25 men.

 Our Home

Shalom House was founded in the tradition of the Catholic Worker movement, founded by Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin during the Depression.  We provide a place to sleep, breakfast and dinner, clothes, showers, and referrals for medical and employment assistance. 

Our mission is to fulfill the words of Jesus in Matthew 25: “What you do for the least of these brothers, you do for me.”

In all that we do, we strive to practice the discipline of hospitality, whoever the guest.  We believe that each person who walks through our door is our brother or sister in Christ, and we strive to act accordingly. 

Your Time
Volunteers who offer dependable assistance are the lifeblood of Shalom House.  The opportunities to help are numerous and apply to groups, families, and individuals.  Here are some examples of volunteer options:

–Evening Meals:  Groups, families or individuals can prepare a meal for 30 people either in their home or at the shelter.  Most often, cooks also help serve the meal buffet style, then sit down and eat with us.  Volunteering in this way can be done on a consistent basis (once a month) or groups can fill in open dates on our calendar. 

–Specialty Volunteering:  Individuals who would like to help with housework or other specialty jobs are welcomed.  Professionals willing to offer free services (electrical, mechanical, plumbing, carpentry, legal) are always needed and greatly appreciated. 

–Living in Solidarity with Us:  We invite people to come and share our lives, joining our live-in community.  This is perhaps the most challenging, and most rewarding, commitment that one can make to our work.  Students and recent college graduates are especially encouraged to live and learn with us.  Please call the house for more information on this commitment. 

Your Donations
Donations come in many forms, but all are vital to our existence. 
–Monetary donations:  Most of the monetary donations are used to pay utility bills and for house repairs and maintenance. 

–Men’s clothing:  Work pants and jeans are especially helpful, but we have a variety of clothing needs.  It is most helpful if you call before bringing clothes, to assess our particular needs at that time. 

–Household items:  We also rely on people to donate soap, cleaning supplies, toiletries, and other typical household items.  For specific needs, please call the house. 

Our Community
Community is an attempt to live together and love one another, even amid the failings natural to human beings.  Shalom House is a community. 

While many believe that the closest communities have members with many commonalities, our community is filled with diversity.  Some come willingly to Shalom, and others are forced by circumstances to seek refuge here.  Some come for a few hours, a few days, while others stay months or even years.  Some of us seek shelter and companionship, some of us seek a way to help others, some come in an attempt to live the Beatitudes. 

Community is not homogeny.  It is the willingness to accept one another no matter how we arrived here.  Community is learning to live with others as the Holy Spirit instructed the first Christians.  “They will know you by the way you love one another.”

When families come to cook their first meal, they might never guess that their concept of “family” will grow to include all they have served and all who have served them.  You  too are invited to be part of our community.