After the gloom of night with all its weeping there was a notion awakened in us that perhaps prioritizing the needs of others could be liberating, cathartic, human. We put our bruises aside and became wounded healers.

Thank you to Roy Inman for capturing the excitement at Thrive through his photography. Roy is a longtime photographer of everything Kansas City and we're happy that he was a part of our community celebration. 

Individual Leadership in Kansas City, MO 
Margaret May has served as executive director of the Ivanhoe Neighborhood Council (INC) for over 15 years. 

Individual Leadership in Kansas City, KS 
Steven Curtis is the Director of Community Building & Engagement at Community Housing of Wyandotte County and a longtime resident of the St. Peter's/Waterway neighborhood.

Organization with Greatest Impact
Since 1973, Westside Housing has worked with residents, local businesses, and key stakeholders to build sustainable communities that are safe, affordable, and healthy places where diverse people want to live, work, and play.

Innovative Program 
The Giving Grove has developed a wholly unique program model to address the complex problem of food security in Kansas City communities by training neighborhood and community leaders as volunteer orchard stewards.

Real Estate Project 
The new facility allows the YMCA to serve more people through important programs, such as swim lessons, after-school homework help and mentoring, health screenings, nutrition classes, wellness and fitness programs, community events, and other activities for people of all ages to improve quality of life.

Best Use of Public Space 
The neighborhood has raised nearly $500,000 to build the city's only embankment slide, a playground, basketball and futsal courts and bathrooms.