2026 Blue KC Gamechanger Honoree Shannon Eli Reynoso – Month of October
Serving Her Adopted Hometown
When Eli Reynoso moved to Kansas City from Mexico City 18 years ago, she arrived with a college degree and an ambition to make a difference.
She immediately started volunteering with El Centro and now serves as the Vice President of Programs for the organization. In that role, she oversees a wide range of programs that provide assistance to Latinos primarily in Wyandotte County, but also in Johnson County; Kansas City, MO; and in western Kansas.
El Centro is a multi-faceted program that takes care of the whole person, not just one specific area of need.
“We have programs that include financial education, budgeting, computer skills, GED classes, and new business programs and some events that we can support them,” Reynoso said. “We’re just trying to find better opportunities and help them increase their income through their work.
“Housing is the new department at El Centro. We are encouraging Latinos to be first-time homeowners. We offer a year-long workshop with 12 classes that can help Latinos improve their credit scores and save for the down payment. We want to encourage the Latino population to be sustainable. It’s not just buying a house.
“We have advocacy in all our programs. We are educating and informing Latinos to be involved in the system, the financial system, the educational system, the health system. We want to help them be able to understand the processes. That’s why we have different programs here at El Centro to support all Latinos to be part of the community.”
The housing program is one of Reynoso’s primary initiatives. It’s not a new concept with El Centro, but “Bienvenido A Mi Casa” (“Welcome To My Home”) is a new program she started with El Centro’s CEO, Erica Andrade.
“We started this dream for ‘Bienvenido A Mi Casa’ in 2024, combining the training class that I took with a program she used to buy her home. It’s nothing new, but it’s a new product. Many years ago, El Centro was like the organization that financially supported many families to help them buy their own houses.
Because of her work, Reynoso is the October recipient of the Blue KC Gamechanger award. Founded in 2024 by Blue KC and the Kansas City Current, the Blue KC Gamechanger program recognizes an individual whose leadership inspires physical, mental, emotional and community wellness by creating healthier, more inclusive environments. This can be done through healthcare, education, sport or advocacy efforts. To nominate the next Blue KC Gamechanger, CLICK HERE.
Reynoso has a long list of mentors she’s served under, both with El Centro and outside. Now, she’s providing leadership to other Latinos as they assimilate into the community she calls “the best.”
“Kansas City is the best place, the best city,” she said. “It’s the best place to raise your family because it’s safe and it’s beautiful. We have a great population that can support each other, even during crisis situations.
“We see the love between each other. When the Latino population is suffering something, many other races just ask, “What do you need from me?” That’s why Kansas City is amazing.
“I’m from Mexico City. I lived in Mexico City until I was 32-years old. But I now view Kansas City as my home. That’s why I am working with El Centro, because I need to do something more, to give back the amazing things that I am receiving from this city.”
She’s thrilled to receive the Gamechanger award from the Current and Blue KC.
“As a soccer mom, this award is a great opportunity, because I have a daughter who has been playing soccer since she was 2½ years old,” she said. “Now she is 15 and playing varsity soccer at the high school. She is so proud because this opportunity connects my whole family. My husband loves soccer.
“To receive this amazing award from the Current is a win-win for my family and for my work and for me.”
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