For the past 10 years GH&H has compassionately collaborated with human services organizations, nonprofits, businesses, corporations, the community at large and beyond to fulfill its mission to support domestic violence survivors, provide essential resources to end period poverty, empower college bound and non-traditional students and inspire cancer patients, lifting all those we serve to live their best life.
GH&H has supported domestic violence shelters and places of refuge from KC to Texas since the 2013 launch to collect period products and items of dignity. We have donated approximately 1 million period products to them, to schools, churches, the homeless community, women and girls’ organizations, the local community, across the country and to 14 countries and counting! We are excited to launch the “Way of Escape from Domestic Violence Initiative,” at the 10th Anniversary Gala. The life-saving purpose of the Way of Escape from Domestic Violence Initiative will aide women clients and residents of domestic violence shelters in the KC metro area with funding and resources to EQUIP, EMPOWER and provide “A Way of ESCAPE from Domestic Violence, leading them to live life to their fullest potential free of violence and abuse.
We are dedicated to ending period poverty and mission to provide resources to do. We celebrated our third anniversary of our First Saturdays – FREE PERIOD PANTRY February 2023, in collaboration with St. Paul AME Zion Church in Kansas City, Kansas. GH&H provides period products, underwear and items of dignity that are donated to community recipients that attend every first Saturday of the month except in January and July. To date, the period pantry has given over 11,000 period products to the community.
The Education Is Your Passport Scholarship program continues the legacy of our founder’s McCallop great- great, great and grandparents/family to advocate for equality and the right for black and brown students to receive an education. Jessica’s great-grandfather, Robert L. McCallop Sr. founded the first bus company in Johnson County, Kansas to transport black and brown students to public schools from Johnson County to Wyandotte County, Kansas, allowing them to receive a full public education. There is a prominent and permanent exhibit of the McCallop family at the Johnson County Museum. The family legacy is from slavery to school buses to scholarships and service to all mankind.
The Education Is Your Passport Scholarship program benefits underserved, high-achieving, college-bound high school seniors and nontraditional students, including adult single parents pursuing higher education. Each year, scholarship recipients are recognized, and their achievements are celebrated at the Education Is Your Passport Scholarship Awards Program. Since the scholarship program was established in 2015, we have awarded ninety-five college scholarships, including five full-ride scholarships to MCC-Penn Valley, to college-bound students in our community. Our goal is to provide scholars with the necessary tools and resources required to attend and graduate college while mentoring life skills, offering community service and corporate career experience opportunities. In addition, we annually host, Operation Backpack, in collaboration with Councilwoman Ryana Parks- Shaw. August 2023 will be our 4th year. Since 2020, we have donated over 5,000 backpacks filled with school supplies and our LOVE Bags PERIOD, filled with period products to support students and menstruators, providing the necessary education tools and menstrual care products to students.
The LOVE Bags 4 Cancer Donation and Delivery Events uplift nominated outpatient and hospitalized male and female cancer patients annually in honor of Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day. Giving Hope & Help has partnered with Kansas City metro area hospitals in Kansas and Missouri to hand deliver the LOVE Bags 4 Cancer. Nominated cancer patients receive a LOVE Bag 4 Cancer with a gift card via U.S. mail for Valentines and Mother’s Day. We also host a breast cancer brunch in October for breast cancer survivors and warriors in collaboration with Senator Barbara Anne Washington. October 28, 2023 will be our 3rd year hosting the event to uplift and inspire breast cancer warriors with a brunch, LOVE Bag 4 Cancer filled with gifts, toiletries and novelties.
Over six hundred cancer patients have been inspired and uplifted with the LOVE Bags 4 Cancer since February 2015. Jessica was inspired to launch this initiative in honor of her late niece, Tieara, who fought cancer for six years.