The group that started Eden Village of Kansas City are all part of a local not-for-profit Uplift, an offshoot of the Salvation Army, where they had been volunteers for years. Uplift currently drives to known homeless areas and camps serving approximately 300 homeless persons meals and other necessities three days a week. Eden Village of Kansas City’s current President, Terry “TC” Claudell decided they could do more. He shared this with now EVKC Treasurer Kerry and Secretary Phil and they started brainstorming and researching ways they can offer a solution. They knew early on they needed help and found an organization that was meeting the needs they were wanting to implement, Eden Village in Springfield MO. After meeting with Eden Village they learned that it IS POSSIBLE with the right team in place which included recruiting Kerry’s sister Katrina and Jim and Jennifer Schmidt.

This core group has been meeting with each other for several months organizing, and recently started looking at property. They formed the company, Three Dog Night Charities. This has nothing to do with the band, but they do like their music! But rather the saying, “it’s a three-dog night” referring to how cold it is going to get. The saying refers to wild or homeless dogs banding together in 3’s on cold nights to keep warm. TC, Kerry, and Phil took heart to that saying, in large part by seeing their homeless friends crawl into their tents or under a bridge in groups to stay warm, all while they were fortunate enough to go back to a warm house and comfortable bed. The three of them, would all stare at the ceiling as they worried about the people, they had just served that night, and made it their mission to do more. This is when Eden Village of Kansas City was born.