BREAKTHROUGH’S MISSION & HISTORY

Our mission is to create an inclusive and supportive community where individuals impacted by poverty or mental illness can discover opportunities, foster resilience, and improve their quality of life.

 We envision a world where individuals enhance their well-being to achieve their full potential through supportive social practice and holistic social services.

1. Faith: We, as a mission agency of the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas, believe that God is love, and this love compels us to treat others as we would want to be treated, without exception. Everyone in our organization is welcome and valued, regardless of race, faith, gender, sexual orientation, or life circumstances. We strive to embody and share God’s love with every human being.
2. Dignity and Respect: We value the inherent worth and dignity of every individual, treating each person with respect, empathy, and compassion.
3. Inclusion: We believe in creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels valued, heard, and included, regardless of their background or circumstances.
4. Collaboration: We recognize the power of collaboration and partnership in achieving our goals, working together with individuals, communities, and organizations to create meaningful and sustainable change.
5. Innovation: We are committed to innovative approaches and continuous improvement, seeking new ways to address the complex social challenges those impacted by poverty or mental illness face.
6. Integrity: We uphold the highest standards of integrity, honesty, and transparency in all aspects of our work, ensuring accountability and trust in our relationships with stakeholders.
7. Advocacy: We aspire to “Breakthrough” barriers, challenge stigmas, and cultivate communities that embrace justice, diversity, compassion, and hope, fostering lasting positive societal change for those we serve.

In the early 1980s, the Episcopal Church held a nationwide fundraising drive for outreach, with each diocese receiving a portion of the money raised. In Wichita, our local diocese used the funds to establish Venture house in 1983. 

Since 1983, Breakthrough has…

• Removed the barrier of hunger, freeing those served to focus on something besides their next meal
• Provided thousands of unemployed parents with job search support, empowering them to find meaningful employment and provide for their families
• Taught thousands of at-risk youth how to improve their response to conflict, enabling them to avoid incarceration and to become productive adults
• Educated those struggling with managing their disability benefits, allowing them to maintain shelter while paying down debt 
• Supported those suffering from persistent, severe mental illness, helping them to become productive, independent citizens.

In our nearly four decades of existence, Breakthrough has helped over 30,000 Wichitans break through the cycles of poverty and mental illness, thanks to people just like you joining the cause and giving generously. But our work is far from complete. Today, Breakthrough serves more people than at any point in our history. Poverty and mental illness continue to wage war on thousands of your fellow citizens. We need people who support our mission to partner with us, freeing a new generation from vicious cycles and improving their lives, and our community as a whole.

In 2018, we changed our name from Episcopal Social Services to Breakthrough. We diligently asked questions and listened carefully to people in our community and those we serve. As our organization grew and our services expanded, we identified the need to clarify and simplify our many services under a single, impactful name.

Drawing from our history, and building on the power of helping people overcome poverty and mental illness, our name is now “Breakthrough.” It is a powerful word that represents the focus of our organization, to help those hurting in our community break through the cycle of poverty and mental illness. Love moves us to empower those towards independence and freedom. Love breaks through pain. Hope breaks through despair.

The name is part of an overall brand strategy to grow awareness in the community of the services provided by Breakthrough and increase the donor and volunteer base we have as an organization.

Breakthrough / Episcopal Social Services fully complies with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and related statutes and regulations in all programs and activities. For more information, call (316) 269-4160 or download the Title VI procedure and form below.