Author Archive for: Catherine

Entries by Catherine Kolkoski

Don’t Believe Everything You Feel

I’m a house parent on property of a transitional living facility—Hillcrest Platte County (HPC). We have several young adults in our program ranging from the ages of seventeen through twenty-two. These young adults have found themselves at HPC for various reasons, but I’m glad that each one is here. Recently, we did an activity that […]

Interning at Hillcrest Platte County

Are you interested in the opportunity to work within a community of people who truly care about you at a human level? Nowadays, with college graduates placing a greater emphasis than previous generations on purpose-driven work and work-life balance—isn’t compassion and understanding in the workforce something that we’re all seeking? Let me be the first […]

Finding Community through Trivia Night

Here at Hillcrest Platte County, we believe that community is essential for life. Proverbs 27:17 reminds us, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” This truth resonated at our recent trivia night hosted by The Hillcrest Thrift Shop – Platte City, as we witnessed our volunteer and staff members pool together during this […]

From Supporter to Case Manager

“I truly believe that God knew long ago that this is where I should be.” -Lisa Guess I have donated clothing and household goods to the HPC Hillcrest store for the 12 years I have lived in Platte City. I didn’t know much about the program during that time, but I always heard great things. […]

Meeple-A-Thon

What is a Meeple-A-Thon? Meeple-A-Thon KC is a once-a-year, family-friendly, board game marathon—benefitting Hillcrest Platte County’s Young Adult Housing Program. Meeple-A-Thon 2021 will feature tournament events such as Warhammer 40k, Freeblades, Magic: The Gathering, etc. In addition, there will be various interactive activities such as the “Paint and Take” table, an available gaming library to […]

No ordinary thrift stores

Hang out long enough at any of our HPC-Thrift shops, and you will find that these are no ordinary thrift operations. Staff and volunteers meet together each week to ban together and make available to the public the seemingly endless influx of donations that come from local supporters daily. A real melting pot if you […]

Gala 2020: Online and on Point!

As the world has grappled with COVID-19 and shelter in place measures, the social calendar has been, of course, wiped clean. However, when it comes to celebrating, where there’s a will, there’s a way. For the Hillcrest Platte County staff, Covid-19 didn’t have to mean an end to philanthropic get-togethers. We live in a magical […]

The Blessings of Apartment Sponsorship

Jane’s Story Jane* grew up in a single-parent home. Her mother worked hard to provide for them and always made sure Jane had what she needed. After graduating from high school, Jane took a full-time job. She continued living with her mother and began contributing a little of her earnings towards the monthly expenses. The […]

I am Thankful and Grateful

The following letter was written around Thanksgiving by a former program participant. Another wonderful example of how your donations make a difference in the lives of those in our community. As I started thinking of things that I am truly thankful for, as I do most days, I realized that for thanksgiving I want to […]

From the Outside Looking in

Stop for a moment and picture the face of homelessness. Is the picture in your mind someone who works two jobs? Do you see a loving wife and the mother of three children? Does your picture show a twenty-two-year-old working towards a goal to graduate from college?