Stories of change and resilience from Kansas City communities

These stories share how people and groups in Kansas City adapt to challenges and create positive changes. Each article gives an example of individuals or communities facing hardship, then taking action to move forward.

Neighbors saved and repurposed a historic Rosedale church by sharing space and working together on neighborhood projects. City leaders advanced plans to open a low-barrier homeless shelter that offers medical care, beds, and support for people recovering from illness. Families in Johnson County keep traditions alive at the county fair while adapting with new activities and club projects. A Kansas City baseball player honors his late father during important moments in his sports career. The local community at Mean Mule Distillery supports each other after the founder's unexpected death, inviting people to gather and remember. Kansas City residents show how they endure change and support each other in both personal and public ways.

Learn how Rosedale Methodist Church was one of several churches that popped up to serve workers at the Kansas Rolling Mill. And how the little Wyandotte County town’s rise and fall eventually led to an alliance of Methodists, Mennonites and Disciples of Christ called the Sharing Community in Rosedale. By Monty Davis

NO. 1: FIND OUT HOW THIS HISTORIC CHURCH BECAME AN ANCHOR FOR KC’S ROSEDALE COMMUNITY

Southwest Boulevard linked KC and the little town in Wyandotte County. | Published July 23, 2025 | Read Full Story by Randy Mason Monty Davis

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The Johnson County Fair draws between 50,000 to 60,000 people each year. It kicks off this year on July 26. By Courtesy photo

NO. 2: WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT 2025 JOHNSON COUNTY FAIR: LIVESTOCK SHOWS, MUSIC & WRESTLING

The annual Johnson County Fair will be held from Saturday, July 26, through Saturday, Aug. 2, at the fairgrounds in Gardner. | Published July 23, 2025 | Read Full Story by Debra Skodack

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Mean Mule has been distributing its products in Kansas and Missouri for about a year. By Mean Mule Distilling Co.

NO. 3: KC’S MEAN MULE DISTILLERY FOUNDER KILLED IN HIGHWAY MOTORCYCLE CRASH

Kansas City distillery founder Jeff Evans, of Mean Mule, died in a motorcycle crash Sunday. The community is remembering his craftsmanship and humor. | Published July 22, 2025 | Read Full Story by PJ Green

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Josephine Kelly Crothers, center left, talks with Chris Culp during Monday Night Church on Monday, Aug. 14, 2023, at the Independence Boulevard Christian Church in Kansas City. Culp goes to the church every Monday for food, clothing, and physical therapy with Care Beyond the Boulevard. By Zachary Linhares

NO. 4: AFTER YEARS OF TALK ABOUT A MUCH-NEEDED HOMELESS SHELTER, KC HAS A SITE & A PLAN

Kansas City has had federal grant money to use for a low-barrier homeless shelter for years. Now it has a site and plan for how to use it. | Published July 22, 2025 | Read Full Story by Chris Higgins

Kansas City Royals right fielder John Rave during a game at Kauffman Stadium earlier this season. By Denny Medley

NO. 5: JOHN RAVE’S HOMER THRILLED HIS FAMILY. HIS THOUGHTS WERE WITH ONE WHO WASN’T THERE

John Rave shares how he pays tribute to his late father at every game. | Published July 23, 2025 | Read Full Story by Pete Grathoff

The summary above was drafted with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in our News division. All stories listed were reported, written and edited by McClatchy journalists.