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Up To Date

MOCSA wants to make Kansas City safer for the World Cup through bystander intervention trainings

By Steve Kraske,
Gabriella Lacey
Published November 10, 2025 at 3:00 PM CST
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Two women sit inside a radio studio. They are seated at microphones. One on left (Brandy Williams) is talking while the other (Julie Donelon) is listening.
Carlos Moreno
/
KCUR 89.3
Brandy Williams, left, MOCSA's director of education, and Julie Donelon, president and CEO of MOCSA, discuss the organization's efforts on Nov. 11 on KCUR's Up To Date.

The goal for MOCSA, or the Metropolitan Organization Countering Sexual Assault, is for everyone in Kansas City to enjoy the World Cup — in the safest way possible. The group offers training sessions on sexual assault prevention and building bystander invention in public places.

The Metropolitan Organization Countering Sexual Assault, or MOCSA, is holding 200 Sexual Assault-Free Environment (SAFE) training sessions in an effort to make safer the public spaces in Kansas City where people will be watching the World Cup.

The initiative launched after MOCSA officials noticed an increase in sexual violence, sexual harassment, crisis line calls and hospital team activations during previous large public events in the Kansas City metro, such as the 2023 NFL Draft.

The SAFE training sessions are designed to educate hospitality industry staff and community members on how to recognize potentially dangerous situations, intervene effectively and support survivors. MOCSA aims to disrupt cycles of violence by empowering people to notice concerning behaviors and act on their instincts.

If you have questions related to sexual violence, MOCSA has trained staff and volunteers answering a 24-hour anonymous hotline. In Kansas: (913) 642-0233, in Missouri: (816) 531-0233.

  • Julie Donelon, MSW, President & CEO
  • Brandy Williams, LCSW, Director of Education
Up To Date
Steve Kraske
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.
See stories by Steve Kraske
Gabriella Lacey
Gabriella "Gabby" Lacey is a freelance producer for Up to Date and Sportsbeat KC, she was a previous KCUR Studios Intern in summer of 2023.
See stories by Gabriella Lacey
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