KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A Kansas City nonprofit’s unconventional fundraising idea has sparked real support in the fight against homelessness.
A few weeks ago, Artists Helping the Homeless (AHH) launched a car off a cliff in Alaska, a stunt that turned out to be a success.
“We had a certain fundraising goal prior to going up there, and if we could hit this number, that would be great. We blew through that number," said Ben Keefe, who came up with the idea.
The event drew attention on social media and sparked an outpouring of donations, a welcome windfall at a time when many nonprofits are feeling the pinch, according to the Center for Effective Philanthropy.
Keefe drove the car to Alaska and was there for the launch. It was his longtime daily driver, a Honda Fit.
“It felt like it built,” Keefe said. “After I had already been on the road for a couple of days, a guy reached out to me and said, ‘Hey, I’ll be an anonymous donor … Every donation you get up to $5,000, I’ll match it.’ But he didn’t even come on board until we’d been in this like three or four days. It wasn’t beforehand. He saw it as it was happening in real-time and thought, 'I want to be a part of this.'"
The funds raised will benefit AHH's various programs, including a respite house the organization purchased last year. Founder Kar Woo explained the mission behind this facility.
“We can provide them that safety net to help them thrive, not to survive,” he said. “A program that can provide a true continuum of care so that they’re not having to switch from one program to the next, to the next.”
Brandon Tuscan knows this journey of healing firsthand.
“I was just incarcerated when I met Kar Woo,” he said. “I heard about him, gave him a call. He picked me up, and I became part of the program.”
Tuscan talked about the chaos in his life stemming from addiction, a struggle that felt insurmountable at times.
“I wanted what was best; I wanted to do the right thing. But trying to keep up with real life on top of addiction, it felt hopeless,” he said.
The nonprofit houses about 200 people each year, but its focus is not just on stabilizing lives; it emphasizes growth.
“I’m more focused on healing,” Tuscan said. “You know, taking things slow, really thinking things through, and making soundproof plans.”
For Tuscan, the support he received from Woo and AHH provided him with a safe environment to rebuild his life.
“Woo allowed me the ability to have a safe place to grow and get my life together," he said.
Thanks to the inventive efforts of AHH and the contributions of thousands, individuals like Tuscan are finding a pathway from chaos to calm, transforming lives one story at a time.
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KSHB 41 reporter Grant Stephens covers stories involving downtown Kansas City, Missouri, up to North Kansas City. Share your story idea with Grant.
