“This work is personal for me,” says Jonnetta Alexander, Senior Manager of Family Support and Clinical Services. “I often think about what an organization like Little Bit would have meant to my mom and to my own upbringing. We’re changing lives.”
Alexander leads the Little Bit Wellness and Family Support team, alongside managers Sydney Cowins and Kevin Webb (Pictured above. From L to R: Program Director William Hardrick, Jr., Cowins, VP of Programs and Compliance Erica Driver, Alexander, and Webb). Together, they have supported nearly 300 families this school year through case management and therapy services. Funded by Saint Louis MHB, the team has provided programming across eight Saint Louis Public Schools. “Our job is to identify and address the challenges preventing families from thriving,” says Alexander. “Sometimes that means helping them overcome a temporary obstacle, and other times it means helping them change the trajectory of their lives. In both ways, we’re supporting the success of their child in and out of the classroom.”
The process begins with a referral from a school counselor, social worker, or family engagement specialist. From there, the team works quickly, scheduling an intake and completing a needs assessment within 24 to 48 hours, meeting families in the way that is most convenient for them. “That’s usually by phone,” says Alexander, whose team manages caseloads of 30 to 35 families each at a time.
Many of the families’ most urgent needs center around housing, transportation, and utilities. “Sometimes we’re connecting with families just days before their power is scheduled to be shut off, helping them access emergency resources,” says Cowins, Student Advocate and Family Engagement Manager. “But we also work alongside some families for up to a year, helping them build long-term stability.”
Alexander has worked closely throughout the school year with one young mother, an unaccompanied youth still attending high school. “I’m really proud of the work she’s putting in to finish school and take the right steps toward a better life for herself and her son,” Alexander says.
To meet the wide-ranging needs of students and families, Alexander and her team rely on strong community partnerships with organizations such as Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Helping Hand-Me-Downs, and St. Louis Area Diaper Bank. Behavioral counseling also is a critical part of the organization’s support services and Little Bit partners with Legacy Counseling and Making All Things New to provide in-school counseling sessions. Alexander and Webb, both mental health professionals, also meet one-on-one with students for therapy. Webb previously worked for Legacy before joining Little Bit in 2025 as Wellness and Family Support Case Manager.
“My sessions with students are the best part of my week,” says Webb, who works with students adjusting to a new school or home environment, coping with the loss of a loved one, and other obstacles that can make it difficult to focus or regulate emotions in the classroom. “It’s about giving them a safe space to share what they’re feeling and coming up with ways to deal with those emotions.”
Growing up with a mother who was a social worker, Cowins says helping and advocating for people is what motivates her. “Sometimes we run into barriers when trying to support a family, whether it’s limited funding or a lack of available resources, but the three of us will put our heads together to find solutions. That’s what client advocacy looks like.”
The team’s caseload has intensified this spring as they partner with Saint Louis Public Schools and the St. Louis Education Fund to reconnect with students who did not return to the district following last year’s tornado. Alexander says the list includes more than 500 families, and so far they’ve located about a third of them. “It’s challenging because many phone numbers have been disconnected, and even when we do reach families, some are understandably hesitant—they’ve experienced too many empty promises,” she says. “We’re going to keep trying because we want to make sure every student has found a school home and is doing okay.”
In the next school year, Little Bit will expand Wellness and Family Support programming into its partner schools in North and South County through a new grant from the St. Louis County Children’s Service Fund. “It means growing our team, deepening our partnerships, and a lot of hard work,” says Alexander. “But it’s meaningful work—important work—and I wouldn’t be doing anything else.”