Today we’d like to introduce you to Kevin Jean-Paul.
Hi Kevin, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Kevin Jean-Paul is the Program Director for Serve the World Charities ( S.T.W.) S.T.W. Partners with school districts. (Center & Raytown ) to end student homelessness and transform the way we deliver social services in our city. Kevin, his team, and community advocates partner with the School District & McKinney Vento families, who are seeking long-term sustainability but struggle to achieve it due to past and present barriers. “We strive to be the bridge they cross by providing long-term case management focusing on three areas: affirming their self-dignity through a strength-based approach, developing a renewed mindset through habit formation, and connecting them to opportunities to remove those barriers.” S.T.W. has successfully housed over 100 students and currently serves more than 80 students in the Center and Raytown School districts.
Kevin, a naive of Miami, Florida, has been living in Kansas City for twelve years. Before joining S.T.W., Kevin taught at-risk teens life /social-emotional skills at Youth Ambassador, a tenant advocate empowering tenants with KC Tenants and Heartland Center for Jobs and Freedom. Additionally, Kevin owned a transportation company that transported senior citizens and veterans to their doctor appointments in Jackson, Cass, and Wyandotte counties. Kevin holds a Master’s in Social Work from the University of Missouri-Kansas City and a BA in Advanced Biblical Studies and Intercultural Studies from Calvary University. Kevin Kevin’s Motto: You take you wherever you go, so let’s learn how to travel better.”
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The difficult road is like coffee without the creamer. At first, it is strong and has a bitter taste, but if one passes through the bitterness, there is a sweetness to coffee that few experience. That’s my perspective on the struggles I’ve experienced up to this point. Being a son of an immigrant growing up in Miami, Florida, I had multiple disadvantages in many facets, financially, culturally, and socially. I wouldn’t trade my childhood for anything, especially since it was filled with love, memories, and the ingenuity we develop; it’s priceless. However, financially, living in 18 homes across three states from kindergarten to 12th grade isn’t for the isn’t for the faint of heart; it also undercuts the possibility of building long-term wealth. Culturally, as I was growing up, my mother was as well. As an immigrant, the learnibg curve is steep, and she has shattered all expectations. I recall being the iInterpreter at doctors’ appointments or having to make decisions about paying bills before the age brief was short, and I reached adulthood by the age of 10. I haven’t built a theme park or own pet monkeys like Michael Jackson; however, I had to learn to live in the present and confront the anxieties that came with that lifestyle. Socially, being a black man in America has its perks, but the challenges far outweigh the positives.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am most proud of positively changing the trajectory of families as a licensed social worker and therapist. For example, when we met a family of eight, they were living in a hotel, without a stable job, a low income, and minimal hope that life truly favors the brave. After a year and a half, the students were on a pathway towards graduation, they were permanently housed, and Mom became the regional manager of the hotel where they were living. This is one of many stories of families achieving long-term sustainability. Too often in the Nonprofit sector, we compete rather than collaborate for the best outcomes for the populations we serve.
Additionally, funders hoard funds and become intoxicated by the numbers, failing to take the time to assess the lasting impact. Additionally, many times nonprofits, we believe our cape is big enough to save all, s we compete and foster shallow transactional partnerships. I’m proud we built strong cross-industry collaborations to create a lasting impact, supported by the numbers that demonstrate the work’s effectiveness. I have listed my philosophy of social work to highlight the things I’ve learned and live by.
We are coaches, not saviors: the direct service dollars we provide are bridge dollars to self-development
We believe people have the capacity to solve some of their problems with bridge dollars and coaching
We believe anything worth doing is worth evaluating
We believe in the seed, water, and harvest principle; we’ll not see the harvest of all our families, and it’s okay.
We believe in respecting families’ self-determination, especially when it’s difficult
We believe in respecting everyone’s inherent worth
We believe no matter how big or small, a WIN is a WIN, so we celebrate
We believe in best practices, so we collaborate rather than reinventing every wheel
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
Creating cultural artifacts that have a lasting impact. Additionally, those impacted can replicate some of those cultural attributes to others in their sphere of influence. Creative Impact is how I define success.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://servetheworldkc.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/servetheworldkc/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/servetheworldkc/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-jean-paul-lmsw-72868917a?trk=org-employees
