Just-launched retail hub gets first tenant, battling ‘blight of the heart’ on Troost corner

‘We are each other’s bootstraps’ Transforming a long-vacant building along Troost into a space for neighborhood small businesses is about empowering the entrepreneurs already living and working in the east side community, said Father Justin Mathews. The newly unveiled RS Impact Exchange — built within the renovated, 1920-built Baker Shoe Building at 3108-3116 Troost Ave.…

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Former Hallmark, Crayola exec joins Reconciliation Services, shifting focus to equity of personal well-being

A nearly 20-year corporate veteran has joined one of the most prominent nonprofit operations on Kansas City’s east side — marking another new chapter for Troost-based Reconciliation Services as Kristen Harris starts work as its new COO. “This role is an incredible opportunity to combine my passion for community impact with innovative leadership,” Harris said.…

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‘We are each other’s bootstraps’: Pay-It-Forward cafe says pressure to serve neighbors is back

The reopening of Thelma’s Kitchen — a pay-it-forward restaurant on Troost Avenue — not only flips the menu on the “soup kitchen” concept, but serves as an anchor of compassionate, community-focused care in the face of neighborhood gentrification, said Father Justin Mathews. “We view what we’re doing here as kind of like urban acupressure,” said…

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