AdHOC Group Against Crime opening center for healing and justice in an East Kansas City neighborhood

The Ad HOC Group Against Crime gave KSHB 41 reporter Alyssa Jackson a first look at its new center on Kansas City's East Side. Alyssa covers Kansas City, Missouri. Share your story idea with Alyssa.

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Kansas City's East Side welcomed a new neighbor this week — The ADHOC Center for Healing and Justice.

The center, located at Benton Blvd. and East 31st St., is designed to continue the longtime organization's mission to bring peace and justice to struggling Kansas City neighborhoods.

The building took about 11 months to build. The Center City Economic Development Fund, which uses money generated from a one-eighth sales tax, helps revive central city neighborhoods.

The Hope Center donated the land.

"In nearly 49 years, AdHOC Group Against Crime has not had its own space in quite some time," said AdHOC President and CEO Damon Daniel. "There are generations that haven’t heard about AdHOC Group Against Crime or our founder Alvin Brooks."

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When the building opens to the community, people will see AdHOC's history and its founder, Alvin Brooks, as its foundation.

Ad HOC started in 1977 after nine African American women, considered "women of the evening", were murdered along the Prospect Avenue corridor.

The new space allows the group to have room for its healing and justice programs.

Daniel said: "Justice and healing go hand in hand. Folks who've lost loved ones to violence or homicide — even if that person is arrested and put through the criminal justice system. That’s just one side of it. There's still a whole journey."

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The center will provide legal services, mental health resources, crime intervention and education.

It will also implement a concept from St. Louis with a trauma room providing a "Bric Box" or bullet-related injury clinic.

The wound care room, which will cater to victims with bullet fragments still in them, will be run by a University Health doctor and UMKC medical students.

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KSHB 41 Kansas City Reporter asked Daniel about recent crime statistics mentioned by KCPD and the Jackson County Prosecutor's Office that show homicides and non-fatal shootings are down compared to the past few years.

"I'm not quick to pat anyone on the back, including ourselves, in terms of numbers trending down, because one homicide is one too many,"Daniel said. "The fact that we still have people getting shot in different instances and people are still solving conflicts with a gun and so many young people have access."

Daniel said he also wants to use the space to invest in youth leadership — calling youth and young adults under 25 to share their vision for the community.

The center will open on August 1st with a back-to-school bash and community celebration from 1pm to 4pm.

There will be bounce houses, food trucks, free haircuts and braids for children.

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