Cross Lines Community Outreach

Our Mission

The mission of Cross-Lines is to provide people in the Kansas City area affected by poverty with services and opportunities that encourage self-confidence, meet the needs of today, and provide the tools for future self-sufficiency.  Cross-Lines was established in 1963 as "a place of hope" for those struggling with the hardships of poverty. We are a safety net for our community. We provide direct assistance to at-risk families, the elderly, and single individuals struggling to make ends meet. Cross-Lines was built on a simple idea - that poverty borne problems could be answered best by looking to the community for solutions and working together to tackle them.  For more than 50 years Cross-Lines Community Outreach, supported by a network of businesses, churches and individuals, has provided a daily safety net of services for at-risk families, the elderly and individuals. Cross-Lines has three main program areas:Hunger ReliefHousing StabilizationBasic Needs As a snapshot of Cross-Lines programs, here are just some of our service statistics from 2018:68,968 meals were served in the Community Kitchen8,997 individuals received emergency groceries through our Healthy Choices Food Pantry25 individuals including 8 children who were homeless were moved into permanent housing208 individuals received rent assistance to help them remain housed644 individuals received utility assistance14,993 low-income seniors received a box of food commodities1,076 individuals received a Hope Tote filled with toiletries and cleaning items1,200 individuals were able to get free clothing from our Thrift Store508 individuals were able to access more than $167,000 in medical assistance through the Kansas City Medicine Cabinet