2001
The women’s group decided to start cooking food on Mondays and inviting neighbors to come in and eat. On Thursday, October 18, 2001, after six, intensive months of congregational revisioning and under the leadership of then Sr. Pastor, Rev. Lee Chiaramonte, the Micah Ministry began by unanimous vote of the Church Board. On Mondays, with six trained Saint Paul School of Theology seminarians, two hospital chaplains, one security guard, Independence Blvd. Christian Church members, volunteers committed to outreach to the poor, an ethics-based “mom-to-mom” counseling program, and a clothing pantry.

2002
Six months later, the Micah Ministry added “Robert’s Café,” a free, table-based, restaurant-style supper ministry named for lifelong IBCC member, Robert Long, and a homeless guest also named Robert, who froze to death on KC streets in 2002. Suppers began in the Friendship Room with Ida Snyder as our 1st Executive Chef. Her assistant was Rose Alice Chandler, who became the 2nd Executive Chef the following year. That 1st Monday we fed 9 reluctant guests; the 2nd, 35, and by the 3rd Monday we fed 75 people a chili dinner. By May 2002, the Robert’s Café had moved into the church Fellowship Hall. Country Club Christian Church became our first partner-community,
providing significant, recurrent volunteer and financial support. IBCC gave Veronica’s Voice, a peer-based prostitution recovery program, a free office in the south wing and invited them to counsel at Micah; attorney Jolie Justus came on board to provide guests twice-monthly free legal advice; Micah counselors became chaplains to New House Shelter for Battered Women. A G.E.D./life skills ministry was added, conducted by Rev. Laurie McKim, deacon of St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church. The clothing ministry expanded greatly and free haircuts and manicures
were provided twice that year by local hairdressers.

2004
The graduate family counseling students from Friends University started providing free psychotherapy to individual guests and families and Micah’s “Urban Work Camp” began for US/Canadian youth to sleep over, learn, and serve during a 3 to 5 day summer stay at IBCC.

2005
4 student interns from UMKC’s School of Pharmacology provided a year of legal drug counseling to guests. At least 200 neighbors were being served weekly.

2007
More than 40 seminarians had served field internships at the Micah Ministry. By year’s end, Darrell Cantrell became our 3rd Executive Chef. Rev. Sharon Cantrell became licensed and was the 1st outside minister yoked to Micah. Multiple congregations from various faith traditions began bringing regular volunteer groups and donating meals and resources.

2016
Care Beyond the Boulevard, founded by Micah volunteer KK Assman, came to office in the church and began offering free medical care during Micah. CBB also takes a medical bus to special stops around the city where people are experiencing houseless-ness.

2019
Micah was weekly serving more than 900 sit-down suppers on Mondays. Over 50,000 plates of supper were served in 2019!

2020
Due to Covid19, and a lack of HVAC/filtrated air in most of the building, The Micah Ministry began providing most of our services outside, including hot to-go meals. Nov 1, 2020, IBCC installed Rev. Mindy Fugarino as Pastor and Executive Director of Micah. Rev. Sharon and Darrell Cantrell were named co-directors of Micah, though they had been organizing much of the ministry for years.

2021
Care Beyond the Boulevard extended its free clinics by adding Saturday mornings in addition to the Monday nights. Other partners like Church of the Resurrection’s Grocery bus and a Mobile Vet are also making regular visits on Saturdays. Nov 2021, Fruition KC, a ministry of IBCC, began opening the sanctuary for comfortable seating for those in line for food from 430-530pm. They provide opportunities during that time for community organizing, live music, art, public leader Q&A, voter education, registration, and community building. Harvesters began monthly visits to register people for food stamps. IBCC/The Micah Ministry began fundraising and grant writing for HVAC to allow inside service to resume.

2022
Co-Directors, Rev. Sharon and Darrell Cantrell, retired, retaining ongoing consultant roles. Micah Core Team Leaders each took management roles of their respective “branches” of The Micah Ministry’s outreach, and began deepening their skills for conflict resolution through monthly meetings.

2023 (Current)
1,500 items are handed out weekly of children’s and adult clothing. Many different ministries have emerged, thrived, and concluded over the past 2 decades, but we continue to serve hot, to-go meals along with hygiene items, free medical care from Care Beyond the Boulevard, clothing, support in receiving the Federal Stimulus checks, mail, and various other special requests. Seasonally, we sponsor back-to-school provisions and Christmas gifts at Christmas time. We often have partners like Team Jesus who bring extra clothing and portable showers, KC Public Library does Lead to Read for books, and Harvesters is providing SNAP sign-up assistance. By the Spring of 2023, we usually serve 700-800 meals per week. We rely on the help from hundreds of volunteers from various secular and religious groups all around the metro to make this ministry happen.