Jim Payne, a longtime supporter of The Rare Breed Youth Outreach Center, said he received some shocking news Thursday when he reached out to speak with a case manager.

As he has for years, Payne has been collecting Christmas gifts for the formerly homeless kids and young adults who are now in Rare Breed's transitional housing program.

"I was told all of the case managers have resigned," Payne said. "It's topsy-turvy down there. I'm not sure what's going to happen."

The Rare Breed Outreach Center is a program of The Kitchen, Inc., a nonprofit founded by the late Sister Lorraine Biebel back in 1983 as a soup kitchen. Over the years, programs were added to provide stability and housing for the homeless.

On Friday, the News-Leader talked to two Rare Breed employees, a case manager and grant writer. Both asked their names not be used but said they have given notice of their resignations.

The case manager confirmed what Payne had been told: All of the Rare Breed case managers have either already left or have given notice. The case manager said two resigned in November, and the remaining two have resigned this week.

The case manager wondered if the center will open its doors after their last day on Dec. 24.

Abbie Dynes, who works at the front desk, cannot be there alone, the case manager said.

Dynes was a Rare Breed client as a teen. She became staff about five years ago.

Reached by the News-Leader, Dynes said she has no intention of resigning but declined to comment further.

Samantha Sudduth, who had been The Rare Breed's coordinator for several years, is no longer with the organization.

Sudduth, too, declined to comment.

Roz Palmer is spokesperson for The Kitchen, Inc.

Palmer said she cannot comment on personnel issues.

"Quite frankly, there has been nothing put out to staff at this point," Palmer said Friday. "As far as I know, it's business as usual."

The Kitchen's CEO Meleah Spencer and Richard Russell, president of The Kitchen's board of trustees, came to the News-Leader to talk about the future of the youth services program.

Russell called the timing of the resignations "less than ideal."

"But I'm confident in this team. It's a fantastic team," Russell said. "And I guarantee they are going to pitch in and do what needs to be done to take care of these kids. That is the number one thing ..."

Spencer agreed.

"It is unfortunate that some folks have put us into a place where we are needing to now pitch in and come together as a team to cover those open positions," Spencer said. "... We will do whatever it takes to make sure our youth are served in our community."

According to The Kitchen's website, the nonprofit is taking applications for the following positions: Youth Services Coordinator, Coordinator of Veteran Services, Youth Services Case Manager and Intake Case Managers for the veterans program.

In October, The Kitchen announced it would temporarily adjust hours at The Rare Breed to allow for "program restructuring and staff training." The center would no longer be open in the evenings as a drop-in center but would be open during the day for services, by appointment only.

Then in November, The Kitchen announced the center would no longer be open after 5 p.m. but would continue to offer case management services during the day. The "drop-in center" is now open from 3-5 p.m. Rather than serving dinner, volunteers are encouraged to bring to-go meals that youths can take with them.

The Rare Breed is open for youth services 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday and is located at 301 N. Main Ave.

Donations are accepted 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

History of The Rare Breed

According to a 1999 News-Leader story, about 20 people were part of the "Safe Haven for Homeless Youth" — an effort to create a safe place for Springfield's homeless and runaway youths.

The Kitchen's founder, Biebel, was among them. She offered The Kitchen to be the sponsoring agency for the kids' shelter, which would later be named The Rare Breed. According to that article, the group dreamed of having a center that was open 24 hours but settled on 3-11 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Since 2000, it has operated as a drop-in center for at-risk and homeless youths. It was a place where young people could get a shower, food, do laundry, use computers and just be safe for a few hours in the evenings.

During the day, youths could work one-on-one with staff to achieve certain goals, such as doing an assessment, applying for housing, acquiring personal documents or going to the doctor.

As recently as 2012, the center was open until 11 p.m., according to a press release from Community Foundation of the Ozarks.

In 2017, the center went from closing at 8 p.m. to 7 p.m., according to a News-Leader story.