When Matt Benge is not working hard as a producer at Schifman Remley & Associates, he enjoys helping others, specifically children who have survived severe trauma and 

neglect. That is what drew him to The Children’s Place, and he has been on the Young Advisory board since 2012 and served as its president in 2014. “He is someone who will do whatever we ask of him to help support the mission of The Children’s Place and is very committed to giving back to the community,” said Roxane Hill, who also nominated Matt as a Rising Star of Philanthropy. Since his tenure on the Young Advisory board, Matt has helped put on several events for the agency, including FORE the Place Golf Tournament, Chiefs Charity Game, Brews and BBQ, Suspenders & Stilettos, and an annual volleyball tournament. The most rewarding thing for Matt, though, is interacting and reading to the children when he is volunteering at The Children’s Place. “You can see the joy when they receive love and are around a positive adult influence,” said Matt. “These kids are going to have opportunities to be the next leaders thanks to The Children’s Place, getting them back on the right track by educating them at a young age.” 

Matt also was selected to be a member of Centurions, Class of 2016. His legacy service project is at Amethyst Place, a women’s shelter and drug treatment center, where the Centurions have renovated the basement for children. Matt also is a member of the Kansas City Chapter of The University of Kansas Alumni Network’s board of directors. Other organizations he has been actively involved in include Reviving Baseball in the Inner City, Kansas City Autism Training Center, United Way-Young Leaders Society, and Phi Gamma Delta board of chapter advisors.   

Matt says that it feels great to be recognized as a member of the 2015 Class of Rising Stars. “I feel lucky to be living here, where people are so generous that it feels more like a community than a city. I also am fortunate to have had the upbringing so that I am able to help children who have endured tough circumstances.”

By Ann Slegman
Also featured in the June 27, 2015 issue of The Independent
Photo Credit: Tom Styrkowicz