Antonio Mejia is a community resource coordinator at the Mattie Rhodes Center in Northeast.

Born and raised in the Northeast, Mejia attended St. Stephens Academy before joining the military.

“After the military, I wanted to come back to the Northeast because this is my home,” he said.

“I saw the things that were going on and I thought it needed more programs here for the kids to do. That’s why I came back here to Mattie Rhodes to be a community resource coordinator to be able to help kids and families and schools and create more programs, so it gives the kids something to do rather than going home and being bored.”

The Mattie Rhodes Center on 148 N. Topping offers a variety of community resources and Mejia said he is grateful for all the chances he has to help his neighbors.

“I have the chance to help different families everyday,” he said. “Once they gain that trust with Mattie Rhodes, then their kids become a part of Mattie Rhodes and are here everyday for every program and they become like our little brothers and sisters. What I love about Mattie Rhodes is that it’s people from the community helping the community. We are here, we are in the center, we are in Northeast, it’s within walking distance for most people, and we are always here to help.”

What he said he loves most about the Northeast is the diversity.

“My favorite thing about the Northeast would be the fact that this is the melting pot of all of Kansas City. There are so many different ethnicities and cultures here that you can’t even keep up. That’s the one thing that always made me love Northeast.”

If you ever stop by the Mattie Rhodes Center, say Hi to Antonio!