OUR APPROACH

Intentionally walking beside neighbors through loving relationships and strategic development to accomplish the holistic transformation of neighborhoods in Shawnee County.

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Empowering Local Solutions

We recognize that outsiders can't solve community challenges alone. Traditional top-down approaches often fall short. That's why we take a grassroots approach, collaborating with residents to identify existing strengths and partner with them to create long-term, positive change. We believe the most creative and sustainable solutions come from the very neighborhoods they impact.

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SENT's 7 Core Values

The most creative long-term solutions are coming from grassroots and community efforts - from people who see themselves as ambassadors in their neighborhoods and communities.

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"Go to the people, live among them, learn from them, love them. Start with what they know, build on what they have: but of the best leaders, when their task is done, the people will remark, 'We have done it ourselves.'" - Ancient Chinese Proverb

"…it is far better to enter the neighborhood as a learner than an initiator." - Robert D. Lupton, Toxic Charity

"Authentic relationships with those in need have a way of correcting the we-will-rescue-you mind-set and replacing it with mutual admiration and respect." - Robert D. Lupton

“For most, reconciliation will not happen as a part of a normal course of events. It has to be intentional.” ― Wayne Gordon, Do All Lives Matter?

"Community transformation is about the quality of neighbors, not the quality of programs." - Robert D. Lupton, Charity Detox

“Misery (misère), the French sociologist Eugène Buret once remarked, “is poverty felt morally.”
― Matthew Desmond, Poverty, by America

"The gifts that we discovered multiplied. We were pleased to see that neighbors reached out to each other more often. And neighbors who used the gifts of other neighbors began to see the abundance that was both around them and within themselves. Also, when people from outside the neighborhood went “inside” and hired someone to cook a meal, or bought a piece of art, or got their nails done, they began to see ostensibly needy people as artists, economists, musicians, chefs, and entrepreneurs." - Excerpted from “Having Nothing, Possessing Everything: Finding Abundant Communities in Unexpected Places,” by Michael Mather

"If poverty persists in America, it is not for lack of resources." - Matthew Desmond

"Mercy combined with justice creates: immediate care with a future plan, emergency relief and responsible development, short-term intervention and long-term involvement, heart responses and engaged minds." - Robert D. Lupton (Toxic Charity)

"We don't heal in isolation, but in community" - S.Kelley Harrell

"Helping strategies, if indeed they are to be ultimately helpful, demand careful examination of long-term implications. There is no guarantee that unexamined charity will have a redemptive outcome simply because it ‘seems right’ or feels good to the giver." - Robert D. Lupton, Charity Detox

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We do this through our 3 Core Strategies

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How do we do this?

We operate with a strengths-based approach, continually identifying what we have and how we are growing. We recognize that key resources, like early childhood education, the Southside Filling Station, the Beat the Heat Initiative, and Mental Health Support Groups, help bridge the gap between where we are and where we want to be.

Thriving Together | At SENT, Inc., we believe in a proactive approach to health and wellness. We strive to empower our community members by offering preventative and intentional services, resources, and a caring environment.
We believe that every child deserves a nurturing and stimulating environment to embark on their educational journey. We are more than just an early childhood education center; we are a purpose-driven institution dedicated to the holistic development of children and the transformation of communities. We offer a creative and stimulating curriculum that encourages curiosity, fosters creativity, and supports the overall growth and development of children aged two weeks to 6 years. Our dedicated staff is committed to providing a warm and secure environment where children can freely explore, create, and discover life through play and exploration.
Everyone deserves a safe, stable, and affordable place to call home. SENT's goal is to purchase, renovate, and either sell or rent 15% of all SE Topeka properties by 2045. SENT is committed to the revitalization and redevelopment of our community through housing development. We purchase and renovate homes in the SE Topeka Neighborhood as well as build new homes, providing residents jobs and helping families with housing through renting or ownership.
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"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."

- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. -

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