Central Methodist University will play host next week to the director of Della Lamb, a Kansas City organization for community service, as he continues the Walk for Welcome across the state of Missouri. Ryan Hudnall will be part of a panel discussion on the CMU campus at 7 p.m. on Friday, September 11, in Linn Memorial UMC.

The Walk for Welcome is a month-long initiative in which Hudnall and others have set out to walk the Katy Trail from Kansas City to St. Louis to raise awareness for the welcome and care of immigrant families. Hudnall, along with Jaymes Schrock, founder and president of Como Comunidad in Columbia, will join a CMU international student on a panel at the event on September 11.

“On a day when we remember the devastating consequences of fear and division, we welcome a cause that raises awareness about how we can care for our immigrant neighbors and to see the beauty of their commonality to us as fellow human beings,” said Rev. Bill O’Neal, Linn UMC pastor. “This provides an opportunity for us to intentionally practice the holy response of hospitality, listening, and welcome.”

A national mission institution of the United Methodist Church, Della Lamb has developed a network of services that move children and families out of poverty and toward improved quality of life and self-sufficiency. Now serving the needs of more than 1,500 low-income or vulnerable families in northeast Kansas City, Mo., and the urban core, the organization has been at work for Kansas City for more than 125 years.

Como Comunidad is dedicated to breaking down barriers for Missouri’s underserved Hispanic communities. The organization provides support for education, translation, immigration, addiction recovery, and housing.​