Lafayette House

08/29/2026

We were honored to welcome members of the Joplin Parkwood Class of 1975 to Lafayette House this week!

The class recently stopped by to present a generous donation they collected as part of their 50th class reunion in 2025. We enjoyed spending time with them, sharing more about Lafayette House and the work we do, and hearing about the meaning behind their decision to give back to our community.

We are incredibly grateful that they chose Lafayette House as the recipient of their reunion gift. Their generosity will help us continue providing compassionate and empowering services to individuals and children in our community.

Thank you to the Joplin Parkwood Class of 1975 for thinking of Lafayette House and choosing to make a difference through your 50th reunion celebration. We are honored to have your support!

We Save Lives. 💜

08/20/2026

Today, Lafayette House was proud to host a SAFETrack Missouri training for local law enforcement, nurses, and advocates working together to strengthen our community’s response to sexual assault.

SAFETrack is an online system that allows individuals to securely monitor the status of their sexual assault forensic evidence kit as it moves through the criminal justice process. Providing training on this important tool helps ensure the professionals involved have the knowledge and resources needed to provide a coordinated, informed, and transparent response.

We are grateful for the dedicated professionals who continue to learn, collaborate, and find better ways to serve those impacted by sexual assault. When we work together, we create a stronger system of support for our community.

We Save Lives.

08/10/2026

We loved being a volunteer spot for Kansas City University’s We Care Day! Thank you for spending the morning with us 💜

08/07/2026

When someone experiences sexual assault, they deserve choices, compassion, and support every step of the way.

Lafayette House is proud to partner with SANE Healthcare Services to introduce an innovative model for forensic examinations in Missouri. This partnership does not replace the exceptional care already provided by our local hospitals. Instead, it expands the options available so survivors can choose the setting and care that best meets their needs while ensuring they know their rights, have access to timely forensic examinations, and receive compassionate advocacy from the very beginning.

Together, we’re strengthening our community’s response to sexual assault by increasing access to forensic care, empowering survivors with informed choices, and providing consistent support throughout the healing process.

Because every survivor deserves to be heard, believed, and supported.

08/03/2026

As we officially welcome August, we're getting our school supply closet stocked and ready for back-to-school season!

For the children staying at Lafayette House, a new backpack filled with school supplies is so much more than pencils and notebooks. It's confidence. It's dignity. It's the chance to walk into the first day of school feeling prepared, just like every other child.

When you donate school supplies, you're not only helping a child start the school year off on the right foot, you're also easing a burden for parents who are focused on healing and rebuilding their lives.

Donations can be dropped off at Lafayette House, 1809 S. Connor Ave., Joplin, MO.

Every notebook, pack of crayons, eraser, and backpack makes a difference. Thank you for helping the children we serve begin this school year with pride, confidence, and the support of a caring community 🖍️

07/29/2026

This morning, our friends from Guaranty Bank stopped by to present us with a donation raised through their employee dress down days.

We are honored that their employees chose Lafayette House as the recipient of these funds. It is encouraging to have community partners who believe in our mission and invest in the individuals and families we serve.

Thank you, Guaranty Bank, for your generosity and for standing alongside us as we continue to provide safety, support, and hope to those who need it most. We are grateful for your partnership!

07/03/2026

We were surprised and honored to receive a generous gift from United Way of Southwest Missouri and Southeast Kansas to support the work happening every day at Lafayette House. This unexpected blessing will help meet our greatest needs and continue providing safety, hope, and healing to those we serve.

Thank you to United Way and everyone who supports their mission. Your generosity is making a lasting impact in our community. 💙

06/26/2026

When you provide safety, comfort matters.

As a 24/7 residential facility, dependable heating isn’t a luxury. It’s essential to ensuring the individuals and children in our care have a safe, comfortable place to heal.

We’re incredibly grateful to the W.R. Corley Memorial Trust for a $10,000 grant to help replace our 40+ year old boiler before winter arrives.

In honor of Bob Corley, whose legacy lives on through the Trust, we’re excited to introduce Bob the Boiler. We think it’s a fitting tribute to a gift that will keep our facility warm for years to come.

Thank you, W.R. Corley Memorial Trust, for investing in the comfort, safety, and healing of those we serve.

06/22/2026

Today, we join our community in mourning the sudden loss of Teddy Steen, a dedicated advocate, leader, and champion for those impacted by substance use.

In this work, when we share in healing, we also share in grief. The loss of a community partner reminds us how connected we are in the mission of serving others.

Teddy was a powerful voice for hope, recovery, and healing. While her absence will be deeply felt, we honor her by continuing the work she cared so deeply about and by carrying forward the legacy she leaves behind.

Our hearts are with Teddy’s family, friends, colleagues, and all those whose lives she touched.

It is with very heavy hearts that we share the passing of our founder and Executive Director, Teddy Steen.

Teddy was the heart of The ROCC and ASCENT. She built this organization with fierce love, deep conviction, and an unwavering belief in people and the power of recovery. She showed up every day with honesty, humor, and a kind of courage that could not be taught.

To know Teddy was to be encouraged, challenged, and cared for all at once. She celebrated others loudly, told the truth when it mattered, and never stopped fighting for the mission she believed in. Her impact on this community, and on each of us personally, is immeasurable.

We are devastated by this loss, and we know many of you are too. While our hearts are heavy, we are committed to honoring Teddy by continuing the work she started and carrying her vision forward.

We ask for your prayers, love, and patience for her family, our staff, and all those grieving her deeply.

If Teddy touched your life in any way, we’d love to hear those stories below. 💙