Radical Unity + Powerful Partnerships = Collective Impact. This was the theme and spirit on August 8th as we brought together and celebrated 20 Community Grant recipients at Centene Plaza. Through our partnership with Centene Foundation, we were able to provide these fellow youth-serving nonprofits with 30,000 essential items, which will support the needs of an estimated 3,500 children and youth in the region. We expect the micro grants to be an annual offering.
At the reception, grantees shared about the impact of the grants, from helping to keep up with the needs of youth as they go back to school, reinforcing healthy hygiene, answering the urgent calls of families, and enabling families to focus on other financial obligations. They also had the opportunity to hear from education leaders during a “fireside chat.” Dr. Tanya Patton, superintendent of Riverview Gardens School District, Dr. Paula Knight, superintendent of Jennings School District, and Dr. Thomas Dittrich, executive director of student services for Hancock Place School District, talked about the educational landscape and how the community can support their efforts. Everyone in the room agreed that it takes a village to educate and bring up a child, that they are our number one priority, and we are better together in serving them!
In commenting on the grant, Michelle Hune, Resource Manager for Foster and Adoptive Care Coalition, said, “We couldn’t do what we do without the community’s support, and we are so, so grateful for this donation.” The Coalition recruits and supports foster and adoptive families, with the goal of creating permanency and security for children and youth impacted by the child welfare system. It received 1,650 pairs of underwear and socks from Little Bit and Centene.
In addition to the Foster and Adoptive Care Coalition, the Grant recipients included Common Goals and Minds, Cornerstone Center for Early Learning, Dumas Mentor and Youth Services, East Side Heart & Home Family Center, Girls in the Know, Journey Within Empowerment Center, Korey Johnson Foundation, LitShop STL, Love In Action Team, Momentum Academy, Nottingham CAJT High School, Purpose Driven Vision Center, Smart Kids, Inc., SouthSide Early Childhood Center, The Village, The WAY Center, The Wesley House Association, Village of Moms STL, and Youth and Family Center.
