The beating heart of a community is the people who live in it every day. To support people, Kansas City has dozens of specialized organizations that provide essential community resources including those for: violence prevention and intervention, youth, victims, reentry, employment, and community violence intervention. 
Each of Kansas City’s community resource organizations plays a pivotal role in shaping the future of our community. No one is an island, and each of these organizations help make Kansas City a safer, stronger city. We can both celebrate our colleagues for their exceptional work in serving our communities and raise awareness for those who might benefit from their services.
Cross-Functional Organizations
KC Common Good
KC Common Good convenes the doers and change makers in Kansas City to address the root causes of violence by working together to build organization capacity, share data, evidence and learnings, and collaboratively create a safer Kansas City for all. KC 360, our flagship program based on the model from the Empowerment Network of Omaha, brings together communities, organizations, businesses, elected officials, and law enforcement to approach violence reduction on a united front.
City of Kansas City, Missouri
The City of Kansas City, Missouri is an essential partner for all these organizations. From funding to legislation, to raising awareness and leading the charge for change, our local government is working towards the exact same goals all other community organizations are—to reduce violence in our community.
Violence Prevention and Intervention Organizations
Aim4Peace
The Aim4Peace Violence Prevention Program is an evidence-based, public health method to reduce trauma and prevent violence, especially retaliatory violence, in Kansas City, MO neighborhoods most impacted by community violence. The Aim4Peace program has a team of proactive first responders who provide one-on-one case management, teach conflict resolution skills, intervene in violent situations to broker peace, and appear at hospitals after penetrating injuries occur to prevent retaliatory violence.
Ad Hoc Group Against Crime
AdHoc works to bring healing and justice to Kansas City Metro communities. Those that have experienced violence resulting in the loss of life are met with compassion and assurance that they are not alone. AdHoc provides a pathway towards healing, with the help of licensed counselors who go into the homes of families and offer therapy.
“We collaborate with a variety of organizations at every level—whether it’s law enforcement, police, prosecutors, or other social justice and social service agencies. We strongly believe we cannot do this work alone. Strengthening collaboration is key to moving forward and bringing real healing and justice to our community.” – Damon Daniel, president and CEO of AdHoc Group Against Crime
Kansas City Metropolitan Crime Commission
As a nationally recognized nonprofit, the Kansas City Metropolitain Crime commission both develops strategies for and operates innovative programs that bring people and public safety agencies together to power a safer, better Kansas City community. Their programs include Crimestoppers TIPS line, Metropolitan Community Service Program, Second Chance Rish Reduction Center, and Surviving Spouse and Family Endowment Fund.
Kansas City Youth Services Organizations
Guadalupe Centers
Guadalupe Centers of Kansas City aims to improve the lives of Latinos in the Kansas City region and remains the longest continuously operating organization serving Latinos in the United States. Guadalupe Centers operates out of 12 different facilities throughout KC and provides community-based services in the areas of Health and Human Services, Education, Youth Recreation, Workforce Development & Adult Education, and Summer & After School.
High Aspirations
High Aspirations serves youth in Kansas City’s urban core, working to raise African American males’ aspirations by initiating innovative ways to improve the quality of their lives spiritually, emotionally, socially, and academically. It does this by planting an all-African American, faith-based mentoring program in the heart of the city. High Aspirations aims to increase social capacity and lead to a better quality of life for all, beginning in the inner city and resonating throughout the world.
ProX
ProX provides high school students with equitable access to real-world opportunities, empowering them to develop essential skills and connections for success in education and the workforce, while fostering meaningful partnerships with employers and the community to drive lasting impact. ProX seeks a future where all high school students are equipped with transformative real-world experiences, empowering them to succeed in careers and education, and strengthening the regional talent pipeline.
Youth Ambassadors
Youth Ambassadors is a year-round educational employment program for underserved teenagers, providing trauma-informed programming for Greater Kansas City youth (ages 14-18) through social emotional learning, trauma healing, and anti-violence programming. Their youth receive specialized training in Health & Wellness, Youth Entrepreneurship, Community Development, Life & Job Skills, and Creative Expression.
“What we’re trying to do is really surround young people with protective factors that decrease the likelihood that they will become victims or perpetrators of violence. We provide opportunities for young people to have their voices and their experiences validated.” – Dr. Monique Johnston, executive director, Youth Ambassadors
Youth Guidance
Youth Guidance’s flagship programs, Becoming a Man (MAN) and Working on Womanhood (WOW) are school-based programs aimed to help young men and women grades 6-12 learn, internalize and practice social cognitive skills, improve social-emotional competencies, make responsible decisions for their future, and become contributing members of society. Youth Guidance uses clinical theory and practice as well as trauma-informed practices in their work.
Victims’ Services Organizations
KC Mothers in Charge
KC Mothers in Charge aims to reduce violent crime through prevention, education and intervention, and to guide and support the families of victims. They do this through homicide scene support, home visit support, funeral home visits, vigils, family support calls, criminal justice system navigation, individual or family counseling, and monthly support groups.
“When a mother loses a child and they’re grieving, it is our purpose to be there. We’ve never done something that feels so right.” – Founder and Program Director Rosilyn Temple
KCPD Victim Assistance Unit
The Victim Assistance Unit (VAU) provides crisis intervention, referrals to support services and information regarding victim rights, compensation and the criminal justice system to any victim, witness, family member or survivor of a violent crime who has suffered physical, psychological or economic harm as a direct result of a criminal offense.
Reentry Services
Returning Citizens Career Campus at Lansing Correctional Facility
The vision of Returning Citizens Career Campus at Lansing Correctional Facility is to transform the corrections system and justice system, fostering an environment of hope and opportunity for returning citizens. It does this by training incarcerated individuals, preparing them to enter the workforce upon release, providing them with the credentials they’ll need for work in high demand industries.
Second Chance Risk Reduction Center
“We have to think more about the criminal justice system as continuing throughout a person’s life. After all, 99% of people who are incarcerated will go through the reentry process. We need to practice agressive collaboration and adequately fund reentry and wrap around support services.” – Lead Resource Specialist Brittany Peterson
Employment Services
Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce
The Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce is the largest business membership organization that represents more than 2,000 companies and 300,000 employees across the Greater Kansas City region. They are also an integral part supporting the work of the Public Safety coalition.
Heartland Black Chamber of Commerce
The Heartland Black Chamber of Commerce (HBCC) partners with all types of businesses owned-and-operated by black business entrepreneurs. Its core focus is on the launching, developing, promoting, sustaining, and growth of the black community. Their work with black businesses helps create more positive opportunities for at-risk youth across the Kansas City metro.
Community Violence Intervention (CVI)
What is Community Violence Intervention?
Community violence intervention (CVI) is a community-led and evidence-based strategy, aiming to reduce violence in communities by addressing the root causes of violence. They focus on people who are most at risk of being victims or perpetrators of violence, and can help them find housing, education and employment.
CVI programs are informed by and tailored to local communities and specific at-risk community members. Because of this, CVI organizations must develop meaningful relationships within the community to earn trust.
Lyrik’s Institution
Lyrik’s Institution, founded in 2019, is a cognitive-based program that allows its students to master the creative arts of their choice and take part in paid internships to become market value assets. Lyrik’s internships offer career opportunities that pay a living wage and give at-risk youth a creative and economic outlet to succeed and create an environment for young adults to thrive in.
The New P.O.S.S.E.
Peers Organized to Support Student Excellence (POSSE) is a direct youth outreach and intervention program that creates a positive community and opportunities for young people already experience violence through gang membership and neighborhood acts of violence.
“You have to create another positive gang for them to be a part of. If we put money and resources into kids experience violence, we can make a big difference in our city.” – Ossco Bolton, founder of The New P.O.S.S.E.
Serving the Community, Together
Now, more than ever, Kansas City’s community resources organizations are collaborating to help those who need it most. Working alongside neighborhood associations, faith leaders, education professionals, business, the city and the police, we are aligned in the goal of addressing the root causes of violence throughout our region.
If you are interested in learning more about these and many more organizations, please consider joining us at our next KC 360 meeting. This group of more than 80 organizations meet every Thursday at 9 a.m. at the Magis Activity Center on the campus of Rockhurst University.
