Welcome To Westport Cooperative Services
Since 1968, Westport Cooperative Services (WCS) has assisted over 200,000 Kansas Citians in the areas of senior care, education, health care, hunger, housing, childcare, domestic violence and community relations. The mission of Westport Cooperative Services is to encourage and develop cooperative solutions to community needs in the Kansas City Metro area.

Where There Are Problems, WCS Provides Solutions

Problem: Homebound seniors in need of good nutrition to keep immune systems strong. Due to physical or cognitive limitations many can’t get out to shop for groceries.

Solution: 8,200 nutritious meals delivered in 2010 to homebound seniors through our Meals On Wheels program. Along with the meals comes a friendly visit and noonday check to make sure they are doing well!

Problem: Medicare's increasingly complex insurance program is difficult at best to understand with all faculties intact. Mail from Medicare and its hundreds of privatized partners is confusing, and their automated phone system is complicated. Who can seniors turn to besides self-interested sales people?

Solution: WCS/Claim Volunteers provided expert Medicare Counseling for over 1,000 seniors and disabled, many with dementia, vision or hearing problems, to ensure their beneficiary rights and to select the best coverage for health care and prescription drugs.

Double Problem: 1) Homebound frail and elderly who need just a little help to stay in their own homes (rather than a tax supported institution) but can’t afford the extremely high cost for home help; 2) Talented caregivers without a way to help! Poverty level seniors who have energy, compassion and a lifetime of caregiver know-how need a connection and a little monetary help to be part of the solution.

Double Solution: 1) 224 frail and homebound elderly have received 76,000 HOURS of in-home assistance this year by caring, trained Senior Companion volunteers; 2) 84 poverty-level Senior Companion volunteers (average age 72) provided with small hourly stipends, on-going training and professional supervision, cost of transportation, an annual physical and recognition for their important contribution to our community.

Problem: Low income families lack back-to-school budgets. It’s time to go back to school, but the family budget is allocated to shelter and food — no dollars to spare for clothing, school supplies or a physical exam.

Solution: WCS’s annual WCS’s Back-To-School Celebration provides between 370-400 children with uniforms, underclothing, shoes, and backpacks filled with school supplies. A complete health screening is also provided. A host of WCS’s Back-To-School Celebration partners — Score-One-For-Health, KC Library, Parents as Teachers, KC Fire and Police Departments — are also on hand encouraging parents and children to view succeeding in school as the most important job they have.

Problem: Seniors home alone on Christmas Day.

Solution: Our Annual Christmas Day Dinner provides a family style traditional dinner and social for over 350 seniors, including holiday music, delicious leftovers and Christmas fruit to take home along with a gift — transportation provided.