The Lord's Diner, a nonprofit organization in Wichita, has joined forces with the City of Wichita and other groups to enhance their efforts in assisting people experiencing homelessness. The collaboration involves providing meals to the Emergency Winter Shelter, which will transition into the Multi-Agency Center (MAC) for Homelessness.

Emily Thome, director of The Lord’s Diner, emphasized the importance of coordination among various organizations. "Many agencies are doing a lot of really great things in Wichita, and we want to avoid duplicating services," she said. This approach aims to ensure that community resources are utilized efficiently.

The city’s emergency winter shelter is currently located at the former Park Elementary School on North Main Street. It is being reconfigured into a 24/7 walk-in shelter as part of this initiative. "Wichita has had an emergency winter shelter for a long time, but it has never had a 24/7, 365-day walk-in shelter for anyone looking for a place to stay," Thome noted.

For The Lord’s Diner, this partnership means adjusting its operations by changing its hours at the Broadway location from 5:30 to 7:00 PM. This adjustment is intended to reduce overlap between guests eating at both locations. Thome explained that they are ensuring adequate food portions at the Emergency Winter Shelter to address this issue.

While The Lord's Diner caters not only to homeless individuals but also those struggling financially in downtown Wichita, Thome believes these changes will allow them to better serve all patrons. "We can be more intentional, conversational, and relational with them," she stated.

Thome expressed enthusiasm about continuing collaboration with other nonprofits and city officials to improve support for people experiencing homelessness.