Storm drops tree on Lawrence Homeless Resource Center roof, no structural damage

A storm-driven tree crashed onto the roof of Lawrence’s Homeless Resource Center at 944 Kentucky St., but the downtown nonprofit kept serving people after the damage was cleared and the building was checked for safety.

Executive director Brett Hartford said the tree caused no structural damage. Rain from the storm did flood one room inside the center, but city crews removed the tree before the building opened later that day. Even with the cleanup underway, the center stayed focused on the same work it does every day for people who rely on it for food, hygiene and a place to connect with services.

The storm hit Lawrence hard. In about six hours, it dropped as much as 3 inches of rain, while strong winds flooded rural roads, knocked down trees across the city and contributed to a power outage at the University of Kansas. The Homeless Resource Center was one of the places caught in that broader disruption, but its core services kept moving.

Hartford said the center turned to the public for help with dehumidifiers on social media, and community members loaned some. Once the doors were open, the building served dinner to 75 people, kept its downtown trash-pickup work program running and continued to offer showers, mail access and laundry. That continuity mattered for a site that serves as one of Lawrence’s daily access points for people experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity.

The center, once known as the Drop In and Rest Center, rebranded in 2024 as the Homeless Resource Center in part to improve name recognition and fundraising. That change came as the organization was trying to do more with limited space, including about 800 square feet for laundry, showers and other resources. Local service materials now list the center as offering weekday housing help, case management and mental health services, alongside hot showers, laundry, phone and internet access, a mailing address, recovery groups, life skills classes, job readiness support and Bible studies.

The storm also put a spotlight on how heavily the community depends on the center. A July 2025 report said HRC services were being used 30% more in 2025 than in the same period in 2024. With Douglas County and the City of Lawrence having approved the five-year plan A Place for Everyone in 2024, the center’s ability to stay open after a roof hit by a falling tree showed how local homelessness services are expected to function: keep people connected, even when the weather turns rough.