Many years ago I worked for a residential treatment center for homeless and delinquent youth in a small town in Missouri. Every Sunday we took our children to a local church. It frankly was hard to find a church who would accept our “family” because our kids did not act or dress or come from the same family backgrounds as everyone else in this small town.

The fifth boy who joined our “family” was an African American youngster from KC. This small town in the late 1960’s was still very segregated so I called the pastor of our church to tell him that we were bringing this young boy with us. He said that would be fine but to call him when we left home so he could meet us in the church parking lot.

When we arrived at church the pastor met us and walked our new child down the church aisle with his arms around his shoulder. As people in the pews saw what was happening, the church became silent and almost immediately about one-third of the members quickly and in outright disgust, using very crude language, vacated the church in protest. They were not willing to attend church with an African American child. The pastor did not preach too long that morning because the folks that stayed in the pews had already demonstrated they understood his sermon message – to be accepting and welcoming of all God’s children.

Our pastor was Jim Spainhower (who later became the State Treasurer of Missouri). Jim recently celebrated a “significant” birthday and I wanted to acknowledge him for his act of kindness to my “family” many years ago. His message of accepting and welcoming all God’s children still needs to be emphasized and practiced in today’s society.

As many of you know, our foundation office is located on the corner of 18th and Prospect Street in Kansas City, Mo. As I drive to work every morning I purposefully drive through various neighborhoods that are adjacent to our office. The 64127 zip code where our office is located has one of the highest crime rates in the city, high foreclosure rates, high drug use and low owner occupancy rates. As you drive, you'll see many people waiting in lines at bus stops, boarded up old buildings and homes, no full service grocery stores and an abudance of liquor stores and fast food restaurants. Unfortunately, people are shot in this neighborhood on a somewhat regular basis.

Hard working, church going, law abiding people who live in this part of the city will tell you that the living and economic conditions are getting worse year by year. With the revitalization of our downtown -- only a few blocks away -- many people thought that east of Troost Street would benefit from this economic development. It simply has not happen. Thanks to the efforts of Buck O’Neil and many generous donors the historic and magnificent Negro League Baseball Museum was built several years ago, but the entire 18th and Vine area has not made much progress since.

When neighborhoods and the people who live in this zip code have no hope that their living and economic conditions will improve, gang activity, crime, violence and poverty related conditions flourish.

It doesn’t have to be this way. As a community, we must work toward quality educational and training opportunities and good paying jobs with health benefits that are needed to provide hope for a better life for those in this important neighborhood of our city.