Belong…
This week is “belong” week, and although I wasn’t able to sit with a specific neighbor for this specific blog, I wanted to take the time to talk a little bit on the Community Center and the challenges that lay ahead. If you didn’t know, the KCB Community Center is a place where neighbors can find hope, social connection, and a real sense of belonging on a moment to moment, day to day basis. Every Monday through Thursday, our doors are open to welcome people facing homelessness, hunger, uncertainty, and a myriad of other things. But this sacred work that’s done both inside and outside these walls is at risk, and we need your help to keep it alive.
If you picture a typical day at the Community Center, you’d probably see something like this: A fresh pot of coffee is brewing, ready to be enjoyed by someone who needs a warm drink. A donation of bagels from Cassidys’ Corner Cafe and fresh bread from Hey Brother Baker! awaits. The KCB staff is getting ready to put their hearts out to however needs it. Then, a neighbor walks in on the verge of tears, unsure how they’ll afford groceries after a missed paycheck. Our team hands them something to eat, or maybe even a gift card, no questions asked, and sits down to hear them out. They end up talking about rental and utility assistance options and learning about resources they may qualify for. Across the room, a man who’s been struggling to sleep at night outside sits on the couch to rest peacefully for a few minutes. Another neighbor, fresh off a job loss, learns about Good Soil Industries, our program that connects people to meaningful work, grabs an application, and uses the computer to look for other work in the meantime.
In 2024 alone, KCB helped house 55 homeless neighbors and served over 1500 with hygiene kits, clothing, food, job training, support, and more. And each person leaves with more than resources, they leave knowing they belong to a community that cares.
In Bellflower, homelessness surged 58% from 2023 to 2024, according to LAHSA’s homeless count, and after our team and Community Center was one of the host sites for this years count, it looks like 2025 numbers aren’t going to improve much, if at all. This is a real crisis, and it’s one that our team deeply cares about beyond the numbers. These are real people; yes, some with pasts, but all with futures, and our Community Center can be a real lifeline to help someone realize their potential. KCB is a light in this crisis, as again, we offer not just services but a place where people are seen and valued. As one neighbor recently said at our weekly bible study, “Everything changed for me the moment I walked in here for the first time. I feel like I have a family now.”
But the truth is, we’re fighting to keep these doors open. Homeless services in LA County are undergoing major changes, and especially with the LAHSA situation unfolding, funding streams are becoming harder to secure. Nonprofits like ours are struggling to survive, and without steady donor support, we may not be able to continue serving the neighbors who rely on us each day, week, month, and year.
But you can make a difference. Your gift, $10, $50, $100, $1000, can keep our Community Center running, and help every neighbor continue to have a place to belong.
Donate a tax-deductible monetary gift today at kcbellflower.org/give and together, we can make sure that hope and belonging stay at this address for years to come.
Until next time…