I stopped in to see Toni this week and she is doing great. She had just gotten off work and was hanging out with her dog, Shade. Before coming to Interfaith years ago, Toni and Shade were living in a tent in a friend’s back yard.

Is a new name bringing residents of a Hutchinson neighborhood closer together?

The question is explored in a new article in The Journal, from the Kansas Leadership Foundation.

Read the article here and learn more about the community lead revitalization in this historic Hutchinson neighborhood.

New senior housing project envisioned for Lincoln area

Interfaith Housing Services Inc. is pursuing the potential development in southeast Hutchinson of 16 residential units for those age 55 and older.

The Hutchinson-based nonprofit corporation owns vacant land at the southwest corner of South Plum Street and East Avenue G. It is adjacent to a smaller housing development in the 700 block of South Elm Street for people with developmental disabilities. A close neighbor is Lincoln Elementary School, 315 E. Bigger St.

Southwest Bricktown gets a new neighbor as IHS moves its third house in a year

It took about an hour to move a house from 30th Avenue to West Avenue A Thursday but a year to work out the details.

Union Valley Bible Church purchased the home, behind the church, at 3005 N. Halstead in January 2017. The church was experiencing growth and needed more parking space.

The 1950′s two-bedroom home had been well cared for and valued at $78,000.They didn’t want to tear down the house. So they found a solution by offering it to Interfaith Housing Services, said Pastor Steve Hodgson. They accepted the gift, making it the second house IHS has moved in a month and the third in a year.

Read the whole story here.

When Ivy came to us, at 95 years old she was no longer able to climb the stairs to her bedroom. Nightly, she had to physically drag herself up the stairs and crawl to her room. Imagine the hardships her body endured and the mental anguish as she sat at the bottom anticipating the grueling ascent as she ended her day and was ready to rest. 

At her lowest, Toni was living in a tent with her beloved dog Ghost. She spent her days gathering aluminum cans to get enough money for a “tall boy” from the liquor store. This was the life that Toni led, when hope seemed far away.

One morning, as she watched the sun rise she had a moment of clarity. “If anyone is going to change my life, it has to be me.” 

You may remember Lawson Little from our last newsletter. Lawson became an Interfaith rental tenant after his release from prison. Rental Property Manager, Clint Nelson, told Lawson about the Kansas Individual Development Account (IDA) Program. He completed the financial education course and began saving every month.

For years, Judith taped plastic bags to her ceiling to catch the leaks coming into her home. A two time cancer survivor, for her rain meant stress, hard work, and a constant reminder of the deterioration of her home.

 “It has been a privilege over the years to watch people’s lives be transformed by the unique opportunities this organization provides. I am honored to be a part of continuing its impact and sustainability as Interfaith looks to the future and explores the ways we can continue to serve the people of Kansas,” Moore said.

A preacher’s son, Lawson, has been in his share of trouble. Even though he was raised in an affluent family, he chose to run the streets of Chicago as a young adult. At age (58), he was finally done playing the “streets” game. He prayed for God to remove his chains and lift him out of that life.