Kansas City organizations launch $250k fund to support families of victims of gun violence
Kansas City-area organizations have come together along with Mayor Quinton Lucas to launch a $250,000 fund meant to cover funeral expenses for victims of gun violence.
“This will be a huge difference for our community,” said Damon Daniel, president and CEO of Ad Hoc Group Against Crime. “Ad Hoc Against Crime receives dozens of calls weekly from family members requesting financial assistance with paying for the funerals of loved ones impacted by violence.”
The KC Common Good Fund was created to help families cover the sudden funeral costs for victims of gun violence, especially for those without the financial means or life insurance.
Lucas was among the speakers at a press conference at the Linwood YMCA Community Center Tuesday morning to announce the fund.
“We come here today to recognize a few challenges but also opportunities we have to tell people that the lives of their loved ones matter, that our community cares about them and their families, and want to make sure that we preserve their memories and their legacies,” Lucas said.
The fund is a partnership with KC Common Good (the organization managing the fund), Ad Hoc Group Against Crime, KC Mothers in Charge, the YMCA and Lucas.
As of Tuesday, KC Common Good, a nonprofit established in 2018 to give resources to people in need, will provide up to $5,000 per request for funeral cost assistance, according to the organization. Anonymous donors recently gave $250,000 to the fund.
The first recipient of those funds is Amapola Ambriz, whose 16-year-old son Carlos was fatally shot in December 2021. Ambriz attended Tuesday’s announcement to share her son’s story.
“Every day is a struggle without my son,” Ambriz said. “We want to thank Common Good for the support that they are giving us .... This [money] will go toward his tombstone.”
Sarah Knopf, the director of resource and program development at Amethyst Place, spoke about the benefits of helping people fund their loved ones’ funerals.
“When Amapola lost her son, what she wanted was to bury her son with dignity as soon as possible and get at least a little bit of closure,” Knopf said. “We found that the system isn’t designed for people who don’t have a savings account of $10,000 or don’t have life insurance. The last thing that a mother who lost her son needs to worry about is money.”
Families in the Kansas City region can apply to the fund up to six months after their loved one was killed. While there are financial supports available from states, victim’s compensation can often take months to come.
“We must act with the urgency that is called for in a crisis. The State of Missouri offers limited aid and compensation for this kind of loss, so it often comes down to the victims’ families to compensate for funerals,” said Klassie Alcine, president of KC Common Good, in a news release.
“We want the community to know they have a trusted local organization they can reach out to for help, and so far, we’ve witnessed the unique dynamic of a community in need stepping up so they can continue pay it forward through the Common Good Fund.”
Last year, Kansas City saw its second-deadliest year on record, with 157 killings, according to data maintained by The Star. Many of the homicides were fueled by gun violence. In 2020, 182 people were killed, making it the worst year on record.
For families seeking funeral cost assistance, they can apply for funds here: https://kccommongood.org/commongoodfund.
To support the fund, the public can donate online at kccommongood.org or mail a check to KC Common Good, 1100 Rockhurst Road, Kansas City, MO 64110.
This story was originally published March 1, 2022 at 2:03 PM.