Guns to Gardens Kansas City

10/03/2026

"Scotty Utz recalled returning home after his father developed dementia and finding that guns that had once made the family feel secure had become a danger. His mother asked him to remove them from the house. “Something that at one point in his life made the family feel safer, in another part did not,” Utz said. That change is one reason people may seek a safe way to dispose of fi***rms they no longer want, he said. Others may not know how to store or handle them safely, or may lack a gun safe. Swearingen said the event was also intended to encourage families to think about secure storage and the safety of children. She hopes it will help people consider nonviolence as a form of conflict resolution."

A fi***rm enters an S.C. forge and emerges as something unexpected — part of a church-led effort to turn weapons into symbols of peace.

09/22/2026

After our first fi***rm disposal event earlier this year in Stilwell, KS, we are preparing for our SECOND EVENT of 2026 on Saturday, November 7th at First Presbyterian Church in Independence, Missouri in partnership with the https://www.independenceministerialalliance.org/

Volunteer training and participation will all take place on the same day, making it easy to step in and be part of the event. We are looking for 10–15 additional volunteers from our broader network to help supplement the host site team. Space is limited based on roles and safety needs, but we also need everyone’s help in sharing and promoting this event so more people are aware of this safe and anonymous disposal option.

Please click the link to let us know that you are interested and able to join us on November 7th from 8am-5pm as a volunteer: https://forms.gle/6sSX3d3vkRT8urHc7

09/16/2026

What happens when someone has a fi***rm they no longer want, but does not want it sold or put back into circulation? Guns to Gardens KC provides a free, safe, and anonymous way for people to responsibly dispose of unwanted fi***rms. Check out our new Informational Video - and buy some artwork here: https://www.gunstogardenskc.org/artwork

09/08/2026

September is ***deprevention month. While we are making progress to reduce gun violence, gun su***de remains at peak levels. Johns Hopkins reports that over 27,000 Americans died by gun su***de in 2024. These were primarily older white men, especially veterans, but increasingly children, youth and people of color.

For many people, one important step in preventing su***de is simply creating distance between a person in crisis and a fi***rm. That is one of the reasons people choose to remove fi***rms from their homes - and one of the reasons the work of Guns to Gardens KC is so important.

At Guns to Gardens KC disposal events, fi***rms are safely dismantled and destroyed according to ATF standards. All of the scrap materials are then used to create artwork, garden tools, and other objects that represent healing or restoration.

This September, help us do more than raise awareness. Help us create opportunities for prevention, healing, restoration, and new life.

Learn more about the work we do, hosting an event, or purchase artwork on our website: gunstogardenskc.org

If you or someone you know is in crisis or needs support, call or text 988 to reach the Su***de & Crisis Lifeline.

(The tree and cross pictured here are made from fi***rms surrendered at our disposal events. What was once made for destruction has been transformed into something that represents life, healing, and hope.)

08/26/2026

America is so committed to avoiding reasonable fi***rm safety legislation that “maybe a drone will save the children” is now an actual public-safety strategy. We can, and must, do better.

Drones are being deployed in an increasing number of school districts – part of a growing school security industry as parents and schools find new ways to protect students and staff from carnage.

08/18/2026

Clergy and Lay Leaders, it's not too late! The deadline to register for the Atwood Institute gun violence prevention workshop has been extended until August 30.

📍 Kansas City, MO
📅 September 15–18, 2026

🔗 Register now:
https://bit.ly/AtwoodRegister26

🔗 Learn more here:
https://bit.ly/PPFAtwood26

08/17/2026

Support the work - and take home a piece of art! We have Guns to Gardens Kansas City artwork available for purchase, created from materials recovered from fi***rms processed at our disposal events. All of the artwork sold or auctioned supports the ongoing work of Guns to Gardens Kansas City, including future disposal events, tools, supplies, community education, and partnerships with congregations and organizations.

https://www.gunstogardenskc.org/artwork

08/15/2026

What a great night! Willi Carlisle was so gracious and put on an incredible show, filling the backyard with great music while helping us continue building community and working together for justice and peace.

We raffled off one of our newest pieces of art created from dismantled fi***rm parts, welcomed lots of new friends, and spent a beautiful evening together.

Thank you to Willi, everyone who helped make tonight possible, and everyone who came out to support https://www.gunstogardenskc.org/

08/06/2026

Join us on August 14 at 8pm for an intimate backyard concert featuring Willi Carlisle while supporting the work of Guns to Gardens Kansas City!

Bring your own camping chair or picnic blanket, settle in for an evening of incredible live music. Admission is a $10 donation, and you’ll also have the opportunity to enter a raffle for an original piece of art created from fi***rm parts that came from the most recent Guns to Gardens disposal event at Stilwell United Methodist Church

RSVP using the QR code on the flyer (or click this link: https://forms.gle/nmaJYgy5Y5nRo3deA). The private Midtown Kansas City location will be emailed to attendees on August 13. We hope to see you there!

05/23/2026

Remember: Those guns are not automatically destroyed just because police recovered them.

When Kansas City police recover guns during enforcement efforts like this, those fi***rms do not necessarily disappear from circulation. In Missouri, they are typically held as evidence while cases move through court. If the fi***rm belongs to an uninvolved lawful owner, it may be returned. If it is tied to a felony conviction, the court may order it confiscated, but Missouri law still allows those fi***rms to be sold or traded to licensed fi***rms dealers rather than destroyed.

Nearly 20 people are in custody and several guns are off the streets following a crackdown by metro agencies this weekend.

What we know >>> https://www.kctv5.com/2026/05/23/metro-agencies-make-nearly-20-arrests-recover-10-guns-during-memorial-day-weekend-crackdown/

📷: Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department