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| Pat Kane |
Pat Kane's Crossroads Mission
1006 Second Street SW
Cedar Rapids, IA 52404
(319) 365-0707
30 AUGUST 2009: SW Cedar Rapids. It takes more than a major flood to discourage a big man like Daniel Eugene Patrick Kane--call him Pat, he'd say--from rebuilding his Crossroads Mission right in the water-wrecked heart of Cedar Rapid's Southwest side flood plain.
Pat recently conducted his fourth Sunday service at his new Crossroads Mission located at 1006 Second Street SW. Pat let me help with the musical accompaniment, and Kane sermonized at length on the necessity of good works to bolstering one's principles.
What makes Pat’s new location unique is that he and his 42 volunteer workers elected to keep mission operations right in the heart of Cedar Rapids flood-ravaged SW side--where their services are most needed, according to Pat. The area includes Czech Village, the Taylor School neighborhood, and the Time Check District, each of of them a unique community where flood-damage is still very much in evidence, as are the needs of residents still struggling to rebuild.
Pat's new mission headquarters include a tastefully done chapel, a kitchen, shower facilities, a community pantry, a community clothes-service, and offices on the ground floor. Two 1-bedroom apartments upstairs have been restored for use as transitional housing.
The Crossroads Mission is now the only service of its type on the Southwest side. It serves Cedar Rapids' growing population of homeless and near-homeless. Men, women, and whole families look to the Crossroads Mission for the type no-strings-attached assistance for which Pat Kane and crew are known.
Crossroads helps befuddled residents to navigate the new, far-flung network of referral and social services which had to relocate wherever possible since the flood of 08, all over town. Pat’s knowledgeable counselors know where most of them have moved, and help clients navigate that maze with greater ease.
For the walk-in homeless, showers and laundry facilities are available at no charge, as are clothing and food for those with a need.
The mission also offers "domestic violence rescues" for families in trouble. Crossroads Mission will pick up and transport victims, if necessary, to the mission. Once the domestic violence victim is out of immediate danger, Pat and his volunteers provide compassionate counseling to determine if a Waypoint Services advocate is warranted.
Since Pat's mission resumed operations in March of 2009, it has served over 1200 families. He is modest about the 50-hour weeks he puts in, and credits his loyal staff of volunteers, and his wife, Velma. "They are the heart and soul of this mission," Pat says. "Without them, I would never be able to do what I do." His work goes well beyond the bureaucratic and into the realm of the ecclesiastical, although he keeps his services on-denominational.
You needn’t live on the Southwest side of Cedar Rapids to receive Crossroads assistance, but people who do live there appreciate the convenience.
Pat’s sermon of last Sunday emphasized the value of good works--deeds that bring to life the tenets of every religion. Your correspondent invites readers to attend his services at 10 AM most Sundays. You'll hear the teachings of a man whose good works set an example for us all--Pat Kane.