LEARN MORE AT https://foodtoogoodtowaste.com/big-picture
OUR ASK: Exchange resources when available, keep one another in mind for opportunities, and connect each other to new contacts.
BENEFITS: Logo listed above, visibility on the Billboard and YouTube Channel.
We are grateful for the partnerships, it shows we are not alone in our journey.

2014
MY REGION WINS! (MRW!) nonprofit organization was established.

2015
Was a sponsor of L.I.F.E. MINISTRIES SUMMER CAMP

2016
Obtained the first vacant lot (now BOON AREA 1) from KC Land Bank.

2017
- Started hosting '2nd Sundays: a social-networking gathering at BOON AREA 1

2018
Was a sponsor of Imagine That! Kansas City's B-Side Festival

2019
Was a sponsor of SiStar's of Maat 2nd Annual Baby Shower.

2020
Received funds from Heartland Conservation Alliance for creating From blight to BOON!

2021
- Recognized as the “Innovator to Watch” by Grinnell College
- Began donating to the Noble neighborhood from revenue generated at BOON AREA 1.
- Supported the Yan-Koloba Program led by Baraza African Cultures Center in partnership with

2022
- Held Dream Pursuit Cohort 1 & 2 Workshops.
- Featured in Heartland Conservation Alliance's February newsletter.
- Cultural Producer Grant recipient presented by the Charlotte Street.
- Public Improvements Advisory Committee approved our request of a walking trail and the planting of native plants at Agnes Park. (PIAC Request No. 390129-District 5 Parks)


2023
- Panelist & tabled - Temple Buddhist Center Earth Day Event
- Co-host the Rockhurst University Neighborhood Environmental Symposium. - EARTH/WORK: ARTISTS & SUSTAINABLE LIVING FEAT. CARL STAFFORD
- The Pitch KC article. "Boon Area 1 is a surprise community asset..."
- Received the 2023 Sustainability Community IMPACT Award given by South Kansas City Chambers of Commerce.
- Keynote Speaker at the Heartland Conservation Alliance Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Nature Walk. WATCH SPEECH.

2023
- Appeared on KKFI - Urban
- 2023 Sustainability Award winner
- POTENTIAL FUTURES: PROTOTYPES Exhibition.
The Foundation for Regeneration Grant Recipient
- Shumaker Family Foundation Grant Recipient.
- Community Capital Neighborhoods Rising Fund Grant Recipient.
- Charlotte Street Foundation Cultural Producer Grant Recipient
- KC Organizational Sponsorship Recipient.

2024
- Keynote speaker at the HCA Rev. Dr. Martian Luther King Nature Walk
- A speaker at Deep Roots - Plant It Native Landscaping conference.
- Appeared on EcoRadio KC
- International students from Chile visited Noble's BOON AREA 1 a s part of a tour UMKC gave.
- Appeared on URBAN CONNECTIONS
- M.A.R.C. Water Quality grant recipient
- SHUMAKER Family Foundation grant recipient
- Panelist at the 3rd District Convention.

2025
- Keynote Speaker at MDC - Burr Oaks Center on NatureScaping
- Black Community Fund grant recipient
- Evergy Hometown Grant recipient


Community Volunteer

Rockhurst College

City of Kansas City, Mo.
Seeking candidates with an array of knowledge about fundraising and corporate engagement.

VETERAN
May 20, 1975 - May 22, 2024
Rest Well & Thank You!
Carl Stafford is an artist and the founder/visionary, and driving force behind
MY REGION WINS! — a creative, grassroots, nonprofit reclaiming power through creativity, sustainability, and collaboration.
Inspired by artists like Andy Goldsworthy and liberation thinkers like Toni Cade Bambara, Carl’s work lives at the intersection of the Arts, nature, and neighborhood.
His projects and philosophy are rooted in a simple truth: creativity is how we reclaim what was stolen — and build what comes next... Read more.
We are building a future where creativity rules, sustainability is non-negotiable, and diverse communities are beautifully woven together with each other and the planet. Don’t just imagine the future—help build it. Shape a world where creativity, sustainability, and all communities thrive together.
THE MOVEMENT BUILDS!
MRW! was built on the belief that every person holds the power to shape their own future. What began as a spark to restore people’s aspirations, purpose, and possibility has grown into a living movement at the intersection of the arts, nature, and neighborhoods, grounded in love for Kansas City, Missouri.
That vision is alive and thriving. People are recognizing their internal greatness, learning they have influence, power, and are acting in ways that champion this movement. The energy growing across Kansas City’s high-poverty zip codes proves that when people are seen, supported, and celebrated, they win.
But we cannot mistake momentum for permanence. The same systemic disinvestment, environmental neglect, and cultural erasure that created these conditions still loom. If we do not continue to act boldly and urgently, we risk losing the fragile progress we’ve made.
With our power comes great responsibility. We will honor the work that brought us here by pressing forward, not slowing down, not stepping back. This is the time to expand, connect, and uplift even more of our collective greatness and the work that has already been done by 'Our Region's Champions!'
We will keep transforming vacant lots, practicing sustainable land care, and creating 15-minute neighborhoods where residents don’t have to leave their neighborhoods to meet their basic human needs. We will keep elevating creativity as another tool for social change.
Because if we don't, if we allow this moment to pass without doubling down, neighborhoods will once again be left behind.
We will not stop until every resident and visitor of this great city knows that MY REGION WINS! means our region thrives—but thriving is not guaranteed. It must be built. It must be defended. And it must be shared.
MY REGION WINS! (MRW!) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 2014 by Carl Stafford.
The organization's mission is to amplify and ignite bold ideas to reclaim social power.
Tax ID # 46-5527680
Copyright © 2024 - All Rights Reserved.