Former fighter in the ring leads the fight against hunger

Feeding and Fellowship // Photo courtesy of The Kansas City Heroes

Drive past Washington Square Park on any given Tuesday evening and you will see lines of Kansas City residents waiting in line for dinner. For a majority of them, this is one of the few guaranteed meals that they will receive throughout their week, and they’ve come to rely on it.

Jennifer McCartney // Photo courtesy of the Kansas City Heroes

Kansas City Heroes founder Jennifer McCartney has spent every Tuesday night for the past six years preparing and serving meals for those experiencing houselessness in the area. Rain, shine, or even blizzard, McCartney and her crew have never missed a picnic. 

McCartney was raised by a single mother, learning struggle and hardship very early in life. Through the trials and tribulations, she was always thankful for the kindness that was extended to her and her family throughout her life. Her upbringing cultivated a fighting spirit within McCartney that ended up leading her to become a professional boxer.

The same drive and determination that helped McCartney achieve her goal of becoming a professional boxer is what drives her in her mission with the Heroes.

“The mission at Kansas City Heroes is simple: to cultivate a growing community of heroes who pay it forward to those in need of a hero,” she says.

The group considers “Being Blessed by Blessing Others” to be their personal motto. This comes straight from McCartney’s experiences with anyone in her childhood that recognized their need, and stepped up to make a difference in her life.

The group was formed in 2018, shortly after McCartney underwent an emergency surgery. She says that it was while she was in recovery, and being lent so many kind and helpful hands, that she realized all of the kindness that was shown to her throughout her life.

Though the Heroes will support anyone in their community that may be in need of a helping hand, those that are houseless or are in housing transition are the group’s main focus.

Among those in attendance on Tuesday night were Brooke, her boyfriend Eric, and their furry friend. Having been given the honor of hearing a bit of their story, it quickly became clear just how important that the Kansas City Heroes are to them and the rest of the houseless community.

Brooke has been experiencing houselessness since 2018—around the same time McCartney and her team were just getting started.

“It wouldn’t have been possible to make it through the eight months of being houseless without them,” Brooke says. “They all made sure that we stayed warm and showed us that they cared.”

The care that the Heroes has for those that they serve is incredibly apparent when attending a Tuesday night picnic. Despite falling victim to a recent roller derby injury, McCartney was up on her feet, greeting and giving hugs to everyone that came through the line.

Brooke & McCartney // Photo courtesy of the Kansas City Heroes

The care that the Heroes shows to those around them does not draw any barriers. Like Brooke, several of those in attendance had animal companions. McCartney and her team collect dog food throughout the week as well, which they are able to provide to anyone that needs it during their Tuesday evening picnics.

Thanks in part to the help of the Heroes, Brooke and Eric were able to secure jobs and housing after spending about eight months on the streets. They finally had a place to call their own. The Heroes helped the couple move into their new space and provided them with what the basic needs to get back on their feet.

In the interest of paying the kindness that was extended to them back, Brooke and Eric began volunteering with the Heroes. However, after renovations to their building led to a drastic increase in rent, the two unfortunately found their way back on the streets.

While the story may be that of Brooke and Eric, theirs is unfortunately not an uncommon one.

According to the most recent point in time count done by the Greater Kansas City Coalition to End Homelessness, about 1,600 citizens of Jackson County are houseless. Of that 1,600, only about half of them were staying in a shelter.

Many of the shelters within Kansas City exist with an incredible amount of barriers and obstacles. Individuals may be required to check electronics and cell phones, or shelter options may not allow those in need to bring their children into the shelter with them.

Organizations such as ZeroKC, Kansas City’s strategic plan to end homelessness, are aiming to solve the root of the issues. However, many of the issues that lead to, and perpetuate, houselessness will take a lot more time, money, and people to solve.

This leaves many of those impacted by houselessness asking the important question of: “Who is able to help me with my needs now?”

While both are just as important as the other, McCartney and The Kansas City Heroes exist in that much needed gap. Instead of trying to change the narrative and entire systems, the Heroes main goal is to meet people where they’re at and impact each life, one at a time.