Christian Rescue Mission Bans Kansas Atheists From Volunteering At Thanksgiving

By David Edwards
Monday, November 11, 2013 

A rescue mission in Kansas City has barred atheists from helping to feed the homeless for Thanksgiving this year, even though the group has volunteered the past two years.

The Kansas City Atheist Coalition announced the bad news on their website on Saturday that the Kansas City Rescue Mission had turned down an offer to assist with this year’s Thanksgiving event.

“Kansas City Rescue Mission has decided to use the meals they deliver as a chance to proselytize to its recipients by inserting religious literature into the meals,” the coalition noted. “They informed us that we ‘would not be a good fit’ (emphasis theirs) for volunteering with them, and declined to respond to any further inquiries.”

President Josh Hyde pointed out that the group had about a dozen members show up to volunteer at last year’s Thanksgiving Outreach.

Hyde said that the group would move forward with plans to adopt a family for the holiday season.

The Kansas City Rescue Mission website notesthat “[h]unger affects hundreds in Kansas City and KCRM wants to make it easy for you to reach out to our neighbors in need.”

“We’re counting on your help to supply the hundreds of pounds of food needed to provide 2,400 meals for hungry, poverty-stricken and homeless men, women and children through our three Thanksgiving community outreaches,” the mission says.

Last month, a group of atheist in South Carolina were also told that they could not volunteer at a the Spartanburg Soup Kitchen.