Mission & Outreach

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad
tidings to the poor...liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free.”   Lk 4:18
 
Catholic social teaching is a central and essential element of our faith. Its roots are in the Hebrew prophets who announced God's special love for the poor and called God's people to a covenant of love and justice. It is a teaching founded on the life and words of Jesus Christ, who identified himself with "the least of these," the hungry and the stranger. (Mt 25:45)
 As a Catholic faith community, we strive to respond to God’s call to serve those in need just as Jesus served. We do this knowing that every person is our neighbor and we respond to their needs with mercy, humility and the servant heart of Jesus.

 
Causes We Support

 Bishop Sullivan Center - www.bishopsullivan.org  
816.231.0984

Bishop Sullivan Center: Our parish serves the homeless and working poor at the Bishop Sullivan Center (formerly St. James Place) the first Thursday and third Tuesday of each month. We serve already prepared food and beverages and help with kitchen and dining room clean up. Volunteer recommended minimum age: 12. We meet at the parish office to carpool at 3:30 p.m. and return to Presentation by 7:00 p.m. For more16 information, contact Christy Gruenbaum, 816.251.1107 or cgruenbaum@olpls.org

Heart & Sole Shoe Drive: Presentation Parish coodinates a shoe drive in November to benefit Bishop Sulivan Center's "Heart & Sole" Campaign to provide new shoes to children in the Kansas City, Missouri school district. Parish volunteers also go to designated schools to help distribute the shoes to children in need.

Catholic Charities - www.catholiccharities-kcsj.org
816.221.4377

Hope in Motion: Each Spring, Presentation Parish, OLP School, ECC, Children's Faith Formation and Youth Ministry participate in "Hope in Motion" to bring hope to those who hunger in the Kansas City area. The campaign brings together Faith, Family and Fitness to help those in need.

Lee’s Summit Social Services - www.lssocialservices.com 
816.525.4357

"Back to School" Giving Baskets: Each summer our parish collects school supplies for families served by Lee’s Summit Social Services and for our parish programs. Collection baskets are placed in the gathering space the first weekend of July through mid-July.

Giving Tree Service Project: Each Advent season, Presentation Parish collects toys, clothes and other items needed by individuals and families in the area served by Lee’s Summit Social Services, and elderly persons in Care Centers through its Giving Tree Service Project. The tree with gift tags is placed in the Mulligan Room from the third week of November to the second week of December.

Monthly Food Drive: A food drive is held the first full weekend of every month. (If the first weekend is a holiday weekend, the drive is held the second weekend that month.) All donated food is delivered to the food pantry at Lee’s Summit Social Services, an organization that helps the less fortunate in our community. Watch the bulletin for details of particular food items needed each month. Donations should be placed in the south side of the gathering space.
 

Operation Breakthrough - www.operationbreakthrough.org
816.756.3511

Detergent & Diaper Drive: Presentation Parish coordinates a detergent and diaper drive in June to benefit families in need served by Operation Breakthrough.   

 

San Rafael Cedros, El Salvador
jengert@olpls.org • 816.251.1135

El Salvador Committee: Our Lady of the Presentation entered into a partnership of friendship and hope with the people of the community of San Rafael Cedros, El Salvador in 2006. The El Salvador Committee works to foster this partnership as they coordinate sponsors for school students and provide education about life in El Salvador to our parish. The El Salvador Committee meets the first Tuesday of the month at 7:00 p.m. Contact Jo Engert, jengert@olpls.org or 816-251-1135.

Lenten Blessing Boxes: During the Lenten season, Presentation Parish participates in the "Blessing Boxes" almsgiving project. All monies collected support the Scholarship Program that serves high school and university students in our sister community San Rafael Cedros.

El Salvador Special Collection: In September, a special collection is taken to support the Scholarship Program that serves high school and university students in our sister community San Rafael Cedros.
 

Uplift Organization, Inc. - www.uplift.org
816.241.0060

Uplift Organization has been taking care and compassion to Kansas City’s homeless since 1991. Our parish serves on the second Monday of each month (and second Wednesdays in peak seasons) by delivering already prepared meals and supplies to the homeless in downtown KC. We leave at 4:00pm from Presentation Church and return by approximately 10:00pm. Volunteer minimum age: 15. For more information, contact Christy Gruenbaum, cgruenbaum@olpls.org, 816.251.1107.