KANSAS CITY, Mo. — It’s been weeks since a mass shooting took place outside Union Station with 1 million people in attendance. As Kansas City continues to recover, one local organization is looking at ways to get at-risk teens involved in their community.
Over the past three years, the Mattie Rhodes Center and the Kansas City Police Department have teamed up to bring Kid Grit to Guadalupe Centers High School.
“Every day, every weekend, another young man and woman dead due to violence, so that’s what we’re going to talk about today," Brandon Walker with KCPD told Kid Grit students. "I am going to give my 'A' game every time I see you, because I love you and that’s what you need.”
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Walker holds discussions with a group of select teenagers from Guadalupe Centers twice a week. The goal is to give at-risk teens the support to deal with issues and emotions they’re facing while fostering a better community.
“We had students who needed additional space to talk about issues they were overcoming and working through," said Michael Meaney, principal at Guadalupe Centers High School. "It offers them the outlet to communicate with adults to truly understand and help problem solve.”
Currently, Kid Grit is being offered at Guadalupe Centers High School and Northeast Middle School. The group plans on attending a leadership event in Las Vegas later this year and is working towards raising funds, to learn more contact the school for additional ways to support.
