In its 13th annual event, HALO raised money Friday evening to benefit teen homeless shelters in Jefferson City, Kansas City and around the world.
The group raised $400,000 during the nearly three-hour, virtual HALO ArtReach Auction, with the silent auction continuing after the event ended.
HALO, which stands for Helping Art Liberate Orphans, offers a girls' homeless shelter in Jefferson City for those 16-21 and their children, if they have any. It also has a boys' after-school program and summer programs.
In its 16th year supporting homeless and at-risk children, HALO has branches in Kansas City, New York City and Portland, Oregon. It also has a global reach.
HALO founder Rebecca Welsh said 2020 was challenging for homeless youth, and the number of "kids who knocked on our doors" increased by 63 percent.
"Shelter in place means something completely different when you don't have shelter," she said. "It's been a nightmare for those kids suffering from an abusive home."
Part of the Friday night program featured Marjai Neal, 20, who is a poet, Missouri State University student and HALO alumna.
She continues to work with the organization and teens in the program through efforts such as leading workshops on writing.
Neal entered HALO in Kansas City when she was 9 years old and said previously the staff there encouraged her love for the arts and poetry.
Welsh sent some of Neal's poetry to Oprah Winfrey, who was a special guest Friday night to interview Neal about her work.
"She sent me some of your poetry, and I said, 'who is this girl?'" Winfrey said. " I think it's so beautiful that you use poetry as a way to express what you've been through and being able to help other people relate to what they're going through."
Neal said she always wanted to be a writer and after finding slam poetry on YouTube, discovered she was good at it.
"The fact that you can turn something as simple as 'I'm happy' into something that's jazzy and soulful," Neal said, "I find happiness and joy in that. I think there's nothing like that in the world."
HALO came into Neal's life at just the right time, she said. It brought people into her life who could be there when she needed them.
"It's important to have at least one person in your corner, to have that solid foundation - that's what you need in life," she said. "You can't do anything by yourself. It's the small things that amount to bigger things happening. Now, I can take all the skills and me watching them for years and years, and I can give it back to the community."
The full virtual event, including Winfrey's interview with Neal and a short documentary about her, is available on YouTube on the HALOEmpowersYouth channel.