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Homeless Camp Proposal | Artist Wes Benson

Courtesy of Wes Benson
Kansas City based oil painter and illustrator Wes Benson says he paints what he finds beautiful.

The Downtown Council proposes ways to help Kansas City's homeless population, and a Kansas City artist shares a deeply personal story about overcoming addiction.

Segment 1, beginning at 4:49: The Downtown Council is proposing a temporary camp to help Kansas City's homeless.

The homeless population in Kansas City could be approaching Great Depression levels because shelters can't take in as many people during the pandemic. The Downtown Council has stepped into the breach by supporting a series of organizations that help the homeless and proposing a temporary homeless camp near the Paseo.

Segment 2, beginning at 28:54: How a Kansas City artist found his path to surviving addiction.

After a long battle, Kansas City artist Wes Benson conquered his addiction to opioids. Today, he runs a secular AA group called “Freethinkers,” aimed at helping people empower themselves to recover from addiction. He also sponsors several addicts and cautions them not to backslide during a pandemic, when it’s especially easy to do so.

When I host Up To Date each morning at 9, my aim is to engage the community in conversations about the Kansas City area’s challenges, hopes and opportunities. I try to ask the questions that listeners want answered about the day’s most pressing issues and provide a place for residents to engage directly with newsmakers. Reach me at steve@kcur.org or on Twitter @stevekraske.
Chris Young is an Assistant Producer for KCUR’s Up To Date. Contact him at chrisy@kcur.org.
As senior podcast producer for KCUR Studios and a host of A People’s History of Kansas City, I interview everyday people and dig through old newspaper articles to unearth stories of the visionaries and renegades who created this region. I focus on bringing the past to life, so we can all better understand the city we live in today. Email me at mackenzie@kcur.org.