Center of Grace and Olathe Father’s Club – Serving our community with purpose!

By Steven Richmond, Olathe Schools Regional Chair for Father’s Club

Back to School Days – The Power of Presence

In a nation as resource-rich as the United States, it is both sobering and motivating to recognize the depth of unmet needs among children and families. Nationally, nearly 14 million children live in food-insecure homes—that’s 1 in 5 kids who don’t know where their next meal may come from. In 2022, over 780,000 children experienced the harshest form of hunger: very low food security, where meals are missed altogether. Alarmingly, 28% of households with children reported insufficient food in the past week alone. Why is this relevant to school supplies? because most food insecure homes also share the challenge of having other basic needs met too.

Despite being the wealthiest county in Kansas, Johnson County is not immune. In Olathe USD 233—the state’s second largest school district with 28,600 students—25% to 29% qualify for free or reduced-price meals. That means 7,100 to 8,300 students in our own COMMUNITY face daily uncertainty when it comes to their most basic needs.

We often hear of Johnson County being referred to as “the bubble,” where affluence can insulate rather than illuminate, it becomes even more critical to ask: Are we truly connected to what our KIDS, DADS, and COMMUNITY are experiencing? Are we authentically present?

That’s why organizations like Father’s Club and Center of Grace are shifting the narrative—one act of service at a time.

A Model of Partnership:
Center of Grace & Father’s Club

This spring, Olathe Father’s Club began exploring local partnerships to serve the COMMUNITY with purpose. The Center of Grace was started in 1999 as the Mission Outreach campus of Grace United Methodist Church. They had a vision then of a community building that brought together the most vulnerable and those with a desire to make a difference. Through the years, Center of Grace has grown and become a stand-alone non-profit organization, financially independent from the church.

CENTER OF GRACE’s mission is to offer a safe space of hospitality for all; attend to basic, health, and education needs; and provide opportunities to share, learn, and grow into self-sufficiency.

Our COMMUNITY is a diverse, unique blend of people from backgrounds spanning class, race, culture, and language. The Center of Grace sits in the heart of downtown Olathe, an ideal location for programs that benefit our whole community – from the most vulnerable in need of basic services, to those looking to bring self-sufficiency and stability to their lives. Inspired by our many community partnerships, our mission is to build relationships that lead to lasting change for our city.

It truly does take a village. Each year Center of Grace provides a back-to-school event. Their community partners provide them with the resources to provide each kiddo with a voucher for a pair of shoes, a new back pack, school supplies, three pairs of underwear, and three pairs of socks.

Overall, Center of Grace had 106 volunteers contribute their time, talent, and resources towards this event. From making donations, procuring and delivering supplies, sorting, and assembling school supply bags by grade. 14 volunteers from Father’s Club were privilege to walk alongside families through every station, offering not only supplies but encouragement and dignity.

Jessica Ferrell, Center of Grace’s Operations Director, provided a great infographic summarizing the impact of this year’s Back to School event. Jessica offered us a relevant statistic from the weeklong event:

• 1,148 total students received support
• A 33.2% increase over the previous year
• Father’s Club helped serve 468 students in one day

“Thank you all so much for the incredible turnout from the Father’s Club during our Back-to-School event last week. Your presence was not only essential to making the event run smoothly, but it also brought an amazing energy to the space. Especially in your interactions with the families.

As I’ve shared before, when fathers show up for children in our community, it makes a powerful and lasting impact, one that can’t be measured in numbers alone.

We’re also so grateful for the thoughtful letter you shared with our staff. It meant a great deal to our team to feel seen and supported in such a genuine way.

Thank you again for being such a valued part of this work. We couldn’t do it without partners like you.

 – Jessica Ferrell, Center of Grace – Operations Director

More Than Service—It’s Shared Purpose

The impact of this effort was not just logistical but deeply relational:

Parker Mitchell, a soon to be 7th grader at California Trail Middle School said “It was nice helping people. Also, I met and connected with a lot of new people.”

“What a great way to show and share your love for your community than volunteering with the Center of Grace.  I got a bonus of serving with my 12-year-old daughter.  I loved watching her serve.’ – Robert Mitchell – California Trail DAD

  “I’m very fortunate. Fortunate to be part of an organization that feeds us opportunities for community service. Fortunate that these opportunities get us out of our normal bubbles, to serve those who are less fortunate. And fortunate that we can share these experiences with our kids, and model the behavior of service for our community. We all benefit.” – Brody Dorland – Olathe South DAD & Chapter Chair

“I enjoy giving back to Olathe through community service. This was a great event and appreciated seeing so many kids excited for the new school year. I would definitely serve at this event again!” – Dan Payton, Olathe South DAD

 “I love spending time helping the community with my dad. It felt good knowing that we were helping families have a good start to the school year.” – Kohen Soukup

“It was amazing to see how many people Center of Grace helped. I was glad to be part of it.” – Gabe Richmond – Olathe East Freshman

“This experience was made even more meaningful to us when Center of Grace allowed our children the opportunity to serve alongside us. These moments do more than meet material needs—they shape hearts and teach lifelong lessons. By walking with families in love and humility, we had the chance to instill in our children the virtue of serving others with purpose, dignity, and joy. – Steven Richmond – Olathe East DAD

When DADS and families show up intentionally and repeatedly, they build trust. They reinforce COMMUNITY. They demonstrate that compassion is a responsibility, not a luxury.

Why It Matters Now

In a culture that is increasingly isolated, digital, and distracted, authentic COMMUNITY engagement matters more than ever. KIDS need to know they are seen. Families need to feel supported and DADS need to be invited into purpose-driven spaces where presence becomes power.

Partnerships like the one between Father’s Club and Center of Grace remind us that even in one of the wealthiest counties in the country, needs remain great. But so does the potential for meaningful impact—when we serve together, with humility, intention, and hope.

• To get involved with a Father’s Club chapter at your school, visit the Chapters page on our website.

• If there isn’t a chapter currently at your school and you would like to know more about starting a Father’s Club chapter, visit the Contact page and fill out the form with your details and we will be in touch!