Volunteers at United Believers Community Church gave more than 100 presents to children affected by violence across the Kansas City metro area during their service Sunday.

The church has hosted the event for several years, but Pastor Darron Edwards said this was the largest one yet. Edwards invited around 300 children affected by violence within a 20 mile radius of the church. One family, Edwards said, traveled about an hour from Knob Noster to attend the service.

More than 130 donated gifts were piled underneath four Christmas trees. Volunteer “elves” helped the kids pick as many gifts as they wanted after Edwards’ sermon and performances from singers at the church.

Meisha McGowan’s four kids, ages 11 months to 9, were happy with their hauls. McGowan, a member of the church, said she’s grateful for the event and the opportunity to provide presents to all of her kids.

“For them it’s exciting,” McGowan said. “For me I just feel really blessed and thankful because I’m a mother of four and sometimes it’s hard to do certain things. Finances get hard at times, but it’s just the little things that count.”

“As long as they’re happy, I’m happy,” she said.

Edwards also wanted the event to address issues with gun violence in the Kansas City area, as there have been 179 homicides so far this year, according to data tracked by The Star, which includes fatal police shootings.

This year has already surpassed 2022 as the second deadliest year ever recorded in the city, and is inching closer to 2020’s total of 182, the city’s deadliest year on record.

Kansas City Police Chief Stacey Graves said every community member should care about killings in the city, no matter where they occur. She said she and other police officers want community members to resolve issues and disagreements peacefully and not resort to violence.

“It’s going to take the whole city to come together, each person to do their part, to reduce violent crime in Kansas City,” Graves said.

That message needs to be spread to homes, businesses and houses of worship, among other places, Graves said.

dwards said he thought it was important to have Graves and other police and city officials present to reinforce trust between law enforcement and the community. At the event, community members could see the relationship their pastor has with officials and meet those officials in a casual setting, he said.

“You don’t just see Chief Graves, but (you get to) know Stacey,” he said, “or not just see Mayor Pro Tem Ryana Parks-Shaw, but see Ryana. And see that they’re people who live in the same communities that we live who are dealing with the same issues of crime that we are.”

Creating those relationships, he said, will be essential to helping the number of homicides and other violent crimes decrease across the city.