Brandon Azim
Solutions ReporterI was raised on the East Side of Kansas City and feel a strong affinity to communities there. As KCUR's Solutions reporter, I'll be spending time in underserved communities across the metro, exploring how they are responding to their challenges. I will look for evidence to explain why certain responses succeed while others fail, and what we can learn from those outcomes. This might mean sharing successes here or looking into how problems like those in our communities have been successfully addressed elsewhere. Having spent a majority of my life in Kansas City, I want to provide the people I've called friends and family with possible answers to their questions and speak up for those who are not in a position to speak for themselves.
Contact me at brandonazim@kcur.org.
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Joey Thomas has been sponsoring a turkey giveaway for almost 20 years. But he says this year feels different. Low-income families and businesses are all struggling with higher prices, a long federal shutdown and smaller, delayed SNAP benefits. -
More than 200 times a month, graffiti appears on downtown walls, buildings and signs. City officials say they scrub the surfaces clean, only to see them tagged again the next day. But businesses and hotels are fighting back, sending the message that downtown Kansas City is a welcoming, thriving and safe place. -
Kansas City’s Wellness Court is partnering with a local yoga studio to offer a program called “Healing Justice.” It combines yoga, meditation, and cognitive behavioral therapy to reduce stress and recidivism among nonviolent offenders. -
Many Kansas City families are worried about their next meal. The government shutdown has left thousands of federal workers in the metro without a paycheck. At the same time, SNAP benefits have been cut back and delayed. Here’s a list of Kansas City-area pantries and kitchens who are meeting the demand. -
Desmound Logan, a car enthusiast and salesman, was tired of hearing about the loud and dangerous sideshows on downtown streets. So, the entrepreneur established a legal, safer place for the extreme car community to gather. -
The UTVs, or Utility Task Vehicles, will allow police to be nimbler and access areas hard for their patrol cars to reach. Equipped with sirens and police lights, officers will have the authority to pull people over and write tickets. The UTV's will be deployed in a variety of downtown areas including the Crossroads and River Market. -
Kansas City is a regional hub for federal offices and the almost 30,000 federal workers who make up the largest workforce in the area. Many of those workers are furloughed without pay, their agencies closed until the government reopens. -
As part of the celebration of the Jewish New Year, Jews take part in a ritual aimed at casting off the previous year's sins. On Wednesday, an activist group that supports the liberation of Palestinians gathered to urge Democratic U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II, a United Methodist pastor, to support a bill that stops the sale of some arms to Israel. -
Free Wheels For Kids provides bikes, lessons on how to ride and how to fix bikes. The founder is a one-person operation but has been partnering with Kansas City-area physical education classes so he can expand the reach of the program. -
Kansas City’s Transition Center has trained experts in conflict resolution, job training and wellness. Classes are giving hope to an increasing number of repeat offenders that they can make long-term changes and stay out of prison.
