KANSAS CITY, Mo — Partners for Peace, the Multidisciplinary Public Safety Task Force and various community groups canvassed Independence Avenue in Kansas City, Missouri, on Wednesday.
For Willie Vaughn, the founder of Rolling with God ministries, it felt different than he expected.
"It's bringing back a lot of memories," Vaughn said.
According to police, the area they canvassed from Benton to Hardesty Avenue is a known hot spot for crime police. Kansas City is at 172 homicides.
Vaughn walks the area a miracle after thinking it could have been him.
"Sept. 21, I was shot at. I got shot sitting in my car. The young lady with me got shot 17 to 18 times," Vaughn said. "It was traumatic, and you would think it took me off the streets, and it did, but I went right back out there doing what I was doing."
As groups asked the community what they need, Vaughn and Gregory Parr with Neighbor2Neighbor broke away to reach people who may struggle with addiction.
Parr said his approach is intentional for anyone he sees on the street.
"Hey, I'm in long term recovery," he said. "[I] Tell them my name and if they know anyone who needs help from drugs. I don't specifically point them out."
To make another step toward Independence Avenue being safer, they are having conversations with people who see the struggles of their neighborhoods everyday.
KCMO Mayor Quinton Lucas said their approach with these groups is listening to the community.
"We need to have kids grow up in our community and not think murder is like a natural ailment that just happens to people you know," Lucas said.
Part of Parr and Vaughn's reason for their outreach is to show people that change is possible.
"The turning point was seeing my life pass me by," Vaughn said. "One day, I stepped out of myself to look at myself."
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