Great Rivers Greenway has posted helpful information on how to safely use parks and greenways including some creative ideas on how to practice conservation at home.
Image by Great Rivers Greenway
Wellston Loop CDC Sharing Meal Boxes & PPE
Wellston Loop Community Development Corporation is handing out non-perishable meal boxes and personal protective equipment to community members on Tuesdays and Fridays from 10:30 am onward.
Photo by Wellston Loop CDC
Photo by Wellston Loop CDC
Horizon Housing Foundation Finds New Ways to Support Housing Properties & Residents Amid COVID-19
Horizon Housing Foundation has found creative new ways to help the housing properties they support and the residents who live there during the COVID-19 crisis. They’ve partnered with Bring Me A Book St. Louis to ship books to school-aged residents and are partnering with Oasis Institute to create virtual peer discussion groups for seniors. HHF has also been providing food, books, essential supplies, and more:
644 Meals provided
821 Food boxes
3,910 Books for kids
333 Essential kits
140 Activity kits for seniors
44 Activity kits for kids
U.S. Bank CDC Finances $50 Million in Capital to CDFIs to Help Small Business Impacted by COVID-19
U.S. Bancorp Community Development Corporation (USBCDC), the tax credit and community investment subsidiary of U.S. Bank, has announced it’s providing $50 million in capital to seven Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) customers across the country so that they can fund small business impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
CBN Members Join the Greater East St. Louis COAD to Respond Collectively to COVID-19
Numerous CBN members have been engaged in the Greater East St. Louis COAD as a collaborative response to COVID-19. COAD stands for Community Organizations Active in Disaster.
East Side Aligned has convened partners in the Greater East St. Louis footprint (School District 189 footprint) to create a COAD that will enhance the community’s ability to mitigate, prepare, respond and recover from COVID-19.
So far, partners are joining weekly calls and are taking action within working groups.
More information about the COAD can be found here.
Tower Grove Neighborhoods CDC Finds Creative Ways to Support Their Community Through COVID-19
Photo by Nicole Mohler
Tower Grove Neighborhoods CDC (TGNCDC) is supporting the communities they serve through the COVID-19 pandemic with gift cards for food, waived rental payments, and assisting with housing the unhoused—plus is guiding other community building organizations through the maze of resources that are available right now. Special thanks to TGNCDC Property and Fundraising Manager Kristan Nickels, who has been sharing her wealth of knowledge weekly on our regular CBN all-member calls about COVID-19!
TGNCDC recently released their 5-year Strategic Report that celebrates their recent accomplishments and looks ahead to what’s in store for the future.
St. Joseph Housing Initiative Continues to Create Affordable Homes During COVID-19
St. Joseph Housing Initiative is committed to providing equitable opportunities for successful and lasting homeownership during COVID-19.
Their work on affordable homes is continuing because construction is categorized as essential work, and as such, they have been keeping their contractors safely employed.
Read more about their commitment and get an update on their work by visiting their Facebook page.
DeSales Community Development Hosting a Food & Essentials Drive
DeSales Community Development is hosting a Food and Essentials Drive to support LifeWise STL's food distribution program. They’re collecting donations of nonperishable items and cleaning products. Donations are being accepted May 4-13.
Rise Community Development Launches Rent Relief Fund
In response to the devastating impacts of COVID-19 on people of color and low-income communities, Rise Community Development has launched a Rent Relief Fund. All funds donated to this campaign will support rent relief for residents living in Rise developments.
Wellston Loop CDC Continues to Keep Residents Aware of COVID-19 Resources Online
Wellston Loop CDC’s office may be closed, but they continue to keep residents aware of COVID-19 resources through their Facebook and Twitter pages. They share new resources on Facebook almost every day for residents in the neighborhoods surrounding the Wellston Loop.
They’ve also created a resource guide on their website!
Park Central Development Launches Kindness Groceries Program to Deliver Fresh Food to Families and Seniors
Park Central Development, in partnership with the Forest Park Southeast Development Corporation and Missouri Foundation for Health, is working with City Greens Market to provide no-contact fresh grocery deliveries to families and seniors in the Forest Park Southeast neighborhood. The Park Central team is working to partner with additional organizations ti provide groceries to residents in the Academy/Sherman Park and Fountain Park Neighborhoods.
Photos by Park Central Development
Urban Strategies Inc Creates Report on Centering Families During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Urban Strategies Inc (USI) produced the “Centering Families During A Pandemic” report to communicate about community needs and their response to COVID-19.
The report includes lots of data about what residents are facing in the St. Louis area and around the country.
To view the full report, click here.
Justine PETERSEN Featured in National News for Work on CARES Act Relief
Justine PETERSEN got a big shout-out in a national news piece that featured discussion of Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), promoting racial equity in lending, and the CARES Act relief, including the Paycheck Protection Program.
DSCC Tenant Rights Coordinator Discusses Tenant's Rights with CREA
Dutchtown South Community Corporation’s Tenant Rights Coordinator Myisha Johnson recently spoke with the St. Louis Civil Rights Enforcement Agency about tenant’s rights during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tenant rights education & organizing at DSCC was funded in part by the Affordable Housing Trust Fund in the City of St. Louis.
Sara-Lou Brew Now Available; Crowdfunding Campaign Postponed
Due to COVID-19, Northside Community Housing has decided to postpone the launch of their Save Sara-Lou crowdfunding campaign, which will raise money to renovate and restore the historic Sara-Lou Cafe at the corner of St. Louis Avenue and North Sarah Street. In the meantime, they’ve partnered with Civil Life Brewing Company to create Sara-Lou Brew (pictured on the right). $1 from every 6-pack sold goes to NCHI’s efforts to save the Sara-Lou Cafe.
CAASTLC Continues to Serve the Community with Utility Bills, Weatherization, & Leadership Classes During COVID-19
Photo by Nicole Mohler
Community Action Agency of St. Louis County (CAASTLC) is continuing to serve eligible low-income St. Louis County residents through the COVID-19 pandemic. The CAASTLC team offers assistance with utility bills, home weatherization, and leadership classes.
Upcoming Enterprise University Courses are Relevant to COVID-19 Response
Did you know Enterprise Bank & Trust offers a host of free virtual trainings through their Enterprise University program? Coming up in the next few weeks: classes on leadership, building your brand, adapting to virtual work, and more.
Learn more about and register for Enterprise University courses >>
Carondelet Community Betterment Federation Adapts Food Pantry in Response to COVID-19
Photo by Robert Cohen, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Carondelet Community Betterment Federation (CCBF) continues to support the communities they serve during the COVID-19 pandemic through their food pantry.
They’ve been encouraging public health best practices and testing innovative approaches to get resources from their food pantry to the community while abiding social distancing recommendations.
CCBF's St. Joseph’s food pantry is open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 8:30a - 11:45a for residents living in the City of St. Louis. The address is 6408 Michigan Avenue.
See more images in a recent St. Louis Post-Dispatch photo story.
Prepare STL Campaign Coordinates COVID-19 Outreach to Under-Resourced Neighborhoods
The St. Louis Regional Health Commission—in partnership with the St. Louis City Department of Health, the St. Louis County Department of Public Health, and the Missouri Foundation for Health—has launched a unified communications & outreach campaign to help spread the word in vulnerable and under-resourced neighborhoods about what COVID-19 is, how to stop the spread, and how to survive the shutdown physically, emotionally, and economically.
Rung for Women Curating a COVID-19 Resources Specifically for Women
Rung for Women has been collecting and curating a resources page specifically for women to help them through the current crisis and impact of COVID-19. They’re also hosting a 30-Day Self-Care Challenge during the month of May.
You can also check out Rung for Women’s blog for updates and recaps of their periodic power lunch events.
