More than 1,500 individuals are living unhoused in Kansas City, and according to Stephanie Boyer, CEO of reStart Inc., the city isn't getting any better at solving the problem as the increasing cost of living and low wages push more people out of their homes.
reStart Inc. —a nonprofit that focuses on ending homelessness— is hoping to change the dialogue around homelessness with help from portrait photographer Randy Bacon.
"[T]here are so many myths that people have around people who are experiencing homelessness," says CEO Stephanie Boyer. "And so we wanted to find a way that we could really share their stories in a respectful and dignified way, but in a way that could truly be impactful so that the rest of the community could begin to understand and hopefully build that empathy."
"The Road Home: A Journey from Homelessness to Housing," which is on display at the Kansas City Museum, includes a portrait of Cathi Woods, who was on a walk when she was struck by a drunk driver. A social worker and employee for the Royals at the time, Woods was unable to work following the accident, and eventually lost her home.
"[D]espite the the horrible circumstances that so many people have found themselves in, the people that we see and serve every day are the most resilient, most humble, most grateful people that you will ever meet," Boyer said.
"The Road Home: A Journey from Homelessness to Housing," now through Sunday, Apr. 28, 2024 at the Kansas City Museum, 3218 Gladstone Blvd., Kansas City, Missouri 64123.
- Stephanie Boyer, CEO, reStart Inc.
- Randy Bacon, portrait photographer
