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A long-time Fort Scott business is liquidating its assets.
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Across America, 13 million kids live with hunger, and 22 million rely on free or reduced-priced school lunches. Gordmans, part of the Stage family of stores, is partnering with
No Kid Hungry to ensure children have access to the nutrition they need through meal programs in their schools and communities.
This July, in time for back-to-school season, Gordmans’ Thanks program is giving guests the opportunity to support No Kid Hungry through purchasing food-themed lunch totes, water bottles and drawstring packs that feature unique characters and fun sayings kids will love and parents will approve.
Gordmans will donate 50% of the retail sales price of each item sold to No Kid Hungry, which will fund efforts to provide meals to children in need. Gordmans will donate a dollar for each social media post mentioning #fuelkidsfutures and invites guests to share favorite meals that fuel their day or their child’s day. With as little as $5, No Kid Hungry can provide up to 50 meals for a child.
“We are pleased to partner with No Kid Hungry to raise awareness of the critical issue of child hunger in our communities,” said Michael Glazer, President and CEO of Stage. “Millions of kids in America face the school day on an empty stomach because there isn’t enough food at home. Childhood hunger is real, but we can change it. We invite our guests to join us in this effort to ensure that no kid goes hungry.”
Visit gordmans.com/nokidhungry for more information, and to purchase these products online or find a store near you.
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About Stage Stores
Stage Stores, Inc. is a leading retailer of trend-right, name-brand values for apparel, accessories, cosmetics, footwear and home goods. The Company operates in 42 states through 646 BEALLS, GOODY’S, PALAIS ROYAL, PEEBLES, and STAGE specialty department stores and 141 GORDMANS off-price stores, as well as an e-commerce website at www.stage.com.
About No Kid Hungry
No child should go hungry in America. But 1 in 6 kids will face hunger this year. No Kid Hungry is ending childhood hunger through effective programs that provide kids with the food they need. No Kid Hungry is a campaign of Share Our Strength, an organization working to end hunger and poverty.
WEEKLY CHAMBER COFFEE REMINDER
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Pastor James Collins of Fort Scott’s First Southern Baptist Church recently released a book titled, “Don’t Throw The Believer Out With The Baptistry Water: The Best Of The Point Is… Volume 1.” The book is a collection of his weekly faith-based newspaper columns. For the past three years, Collins has written “The Point Is…” for the Fort Scott Tribune. Last year, he began syndicating to outlets across the United States.
“Since my stories have a point, I called my column, ‘The Point Is…’ I never dreamed God would use my writing to reach so many people.” Collins said. “I have received many emails, calls, and letters from folks telling me that they were blessed in some way by something I wrote. It is humbling.”
Collins writes simple stories with a spiritual message. “Jesus taught using parables – simple stories that illustrate a heavenly truth,” he said. “I have a love affair with the Word and with words. The good news of Jesus Christ is not supposed to be so complex. It is so simple a little child should be able to understand it. I tried to keep it simple and easy to read. This book is they type of book that you can start in the middle and read both ways. Each column stands by itself.”
“My motivation for putting this book out was to show how God can use anyone,” Collins said. “My wife once told me that if God can use a talking donkey, He can surely use me too.”
Collins often uses amusing events from his own life in his writing. His book has been called, “Chicken Soup for the Soul with a sense of humor.” When the book was released in May, it became an Amazon bestseller in the Christian Humor category.
Collins said the proceeds from sale of the book are going to construction costs for the expansion of his church. Since 2016, he has served as senior pastor of First Southern Baptist Church. They recently broke ground on a new edition that will serve as a Family Life Center.
The book is for sale locally at the church and at special events. “I am excited to be signing books at the LibraryCon,” Collins said. The LibraryCon will be held at the Fort Scott Public on July 20th from 10 am until 2 pm. “I hope that our community will come out and support our library at this event,” he said. “I also hope that our community will support our church expansion by purchasing a copy of my book.”
“Don’t Throw The Believer Out With The Baptistry Water: The Best Of The Point Is…Volume 1” is a 254-page publication, contains 14 chapters, and retails for $15. It is available from Amazon and at the website www.thepointis.net.
On May 29, the Shirley Yeager Animal Friends Foundation finalized the sale of their 4,000-square-foot facility on 20 acres in southeast Bourbon County.
It was purchased by Zachary and Aubry Ross of Fort Scott.
On April 23, 2011, the ground was broken and construction began on a 2,000-square-foot animal shelter called Lee’s Paws and Claws. Not long after, an addition doubled the size of the shelter.
The foundation began with a bequest from Shirley Yeager. While generous, it was not sufficient to build and operate a no-kill shelter. The shelter was built with funds donated by Marjorie “Lee” Weast.
SYAFF is a private corporation which has been granted 501(c)3 not-for-profit status by the IRS. It receives no tax monies from the City, County, or State, relying instead on income earned on the Yeager bequest and the remainder of the Weast gift, as well as small donations, and, very occasionally, grants.
While the community’s support for the foundation’s mission has been strong, donations have not kept pace with increasing needs and rising costs. The overhead on such a large facility created a negative cashflow and eventually threatened the long-term financial viability of the organization.
In addition to the high overhead, the location was an issue. The shelter was located on a gravel road seven miles from central Fort Scott. This discouraged people from visiting the shelter, especially to volunteer.
Last year, the executives of the SYAFF board of directors made the difficult decision to sell the facility, with the goal of transitioning to a more economically-sustainable business model in a more affordable location. Earlier this year, the shelter moved into a smaller facility at 8 North Judson Street which they are renting. At the end of this year, decisions about a long-term location will be made.
The foundation’s shelter is now doing business as “Fort Scott Paws & Claws Animal Shelter.” A ribbon-cutting was held at the new location on May 16.
During the first few weeks it was open downtown, the shelter had more volunteer hours than in all of last year. The convenient location has also allowed the shelter to expand retail sales as another source of income.
The new shelter houses cats and kittens in two rooms, just as it did at the previous location. A major change is that dogs are not housed at the shelter; instead, they now are housed in foster homes. Living with a family rather than being caged in a kennel is much better for the dogs’ health and behavior. The foster “parents” are able to provide accurate descriptions of the dogs’ personalities, making it easier to make a good match with potential adopters.
Applications for adopting or fostering can be found at FSPawsAndClaws.org. Donations, which are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law, can be left at the shelter or mailed to PO Box 667, Fort Scott. The shelter is open Monday through Saturday from 10:00 am until 4:00 pm.
Fort Scott Washateria is a full-service laundry mat that is slated to open in August at 501 S. National. In addition, a community clothing distribution system will be located on the property.
Lori Lovelace is the manager, her mother Carol Oakleaf, is the investor/owner.
The business venture came about when Lovelace was doing research for an investment her mother would be interested in.
“I found that Leroy (Walker, her husband) was paying $100 a month to have his rags cleaned. And I did research on laundry mats. Being part of the community, I think the community needed something like this.”
They bought the former gas station on National Avenue in December 2018.
Darren Crays, local signmaker, made the new sign that hangs atop a pole of the former gas station to let the community know the business is coming.
In what is reminiscent of decades past, the laundry will offer to pick up and deliver or one can drop off their laundry.
“We will come to your home, pick up your stuff, wash it and dry it and take it back to you,” Lovelace said.
“If you have sensitive skin, we will provide what is needed,” she said.
Alteration of clothing and ironing services will also be offered.
The machines will all be “state of the art,” Lovelace said, and include heavy-duty washers and dryers. Thirteen washers and 16 dryers.
There will be a children’s section with a blackboard wall, TVs and bean bags, she said.
A hospitality section will have free coffee and tea and have vending machines.
“There will be free WiFi in the folding area and charging stations,” she said.
The hours will be seven days a week from 8 a.m to 8 p.m.
“At least three employees will be needed, with more later,” Lovelace said.
There will be loyalty cards, and the business will take debit and credit cards, she said.
“If you buy $20, you get $22 worth of washing and drying,” Lovelace said.
An investment in Fort Scott
Lovelace’s other job is real estate appraiser, with Phoenix Inspection and Appraisals Inc. The laundry facility will be under the umbrella of Hawkeye Investments LLC, with her mother.
Walker is owner of Carhelp Mobile Mechanic.
“We believe with marketing, the venture has potential to be successful,” she said.
“You can make a quality investment in Fort Scott that people will accept and use,” Walker said. “Everybody I’ve told is 100 percent excited.”
Fort Scott Community Closet
A project Lovelace and her mom are initiating is a clothes pantry that will be in a small building, 12 by 20 foot, adjacent to the laundry mat.
Lovelace said she heard about the Beacon, a local helping ministry, recently closing the clothing segment of the ministry, so she is providing a place for donated clothes to be taken.
The Fort Scott Community Closet, the title of the clothes pantry, will be sponsored by the area churches, she said. “The churches will decide how to operate.”
“Donated clothes will be sorted and cleaned and put in a separate building on the property,” Lovelace said. “We can give away clothes and that’s my intention.”
“I am figuring the 501 3c right now,” she said.” I need people that will be on the (Fort Scott Community Closet) board. We purchased the shed that will be there, a spot on our property. We will provide the initial sorting then wash them.”
“Anyone interested in being on that board that is civic-minded, let me know,” Lovelace said.
She can be reached at 620-215-1314.
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