Commissioners discussed providing aid to Safe Haven, which is the only homeless shelter in the area, during the Parsons City Commission meeting on Monday, Nov. 17.
Taylor Mooreland of the American Advocacy Initiative and Paula Kern, a Safe Haven board member, were present on behalf of the organization.
Mooreland said the shelter was very close to shutting down.
“We can’t put it much simpler than ‘they need help,’” Mooreland said.
In recent years, the City has given funds for roof repair on the building. According to Mayor Verlyn Bollinger, this was in 2024.
City Manager Jeff Cantrell said he did not know a lot about the organization.
“What I have found is that there is a degree of public speculation — that is not fact, that is speculation — as to how the dollars have been spent in the past, and how the dollars get dispersed,” Cantrell said. “I might suggest that the governing body has the authority to direct staff to do an audit of sorts; to go back 12 months to review their expenditure history, to go through their books, to examine their cash position, and to report that then, back to you all. So that you can ensure that money is being utilized in a manner that is consistent with what the public would expect.”
Cantrell said this procedure is what he would recommend for funding requests received from the podium.
Commissioner Leland Crooks said that it would be a good practice.
“We get requests a lot. We need to know where the money goes and make sure that it is right,” Crooks said.
Kern then presented some financial records: “It’s not very detailed. I haven’t been looking at the books very much myself lately. But, I am stepping up now.”
Kern said that while she has been on the board for a long time, she hasn’t been a very good board member.
“I was brought aware that Safe Haven was probably going to close if we don’t do something, and I said, ‘Gosh, we just — last year — got money put into the Parsons Area Community Foundation. This is the first year we can actually receive funds into that endowment. It would be a shame to have that close now,’” Kern said. “My hope is that I can get enough cash to get us through the end of the year — to get through the 14th of December — and then we’ve got some great new board members, that I think are going to step up and make a difference.”
Kern noted that throughout the shelter’s tenure, they have served as a shelter for over 700 individuals. While the shelter
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has been less active in 2025 due to the poor health of the current director, the shelter is also currently in use, according to Kern.
She also said there are $2,000 in bills due that need to be paid before the end of November, which is the highest priority for the shelter.
Cantrell said he or another city staff member would meet with Kern to go over financials and information and report back to the commission.
In other business, Dec. 2 was declared Giving Tuesday or Match Day for the Parsons Area Community Foundation. More information will be included in a separate press release.
The next Parsons City Commission meeting will take place on Monday, Dec. 1, at 6 p.m. in the City Commission Room at City Hall, 112 S. 17th St., Parsons.
