Organization for Black Struggle (OBS) partnered with Wellston Loop CDC and a number of other community stakeholders to host a CommUNITY Hope & Wellness Day on Saturday, October 3 at the intersection of Dr. Martin Luther King and Hodiamont. The event included networking, COVID testing, an electrifying performance by St. Louis’ own Denise Thimes as Fannie Lou Hammer, Spoken Word, and much more!
Legal Services of Eastern Missouri Helps Decipher the CDC's Anti-Eviction Order
Screenshot from Legal Services of Eastern Missouri’s website
Need help interpreting the national Anti-Eviction Order that the Centers for Disease Control announced last month? Legal Services of Eastern Missouri put together an easy-to-follow overview and presentation that can help.
CBN Members Working Near Cherokee Street Profiled in Next City Article
Photo by Anne McCullough
Next City’s recent article “Are You Planning to Stay?” spotlighted several CBN members working near Cherokee Street, including Dutchtown South Community Corporation and Cherokee Street Community Improvement District. The article is an excerpt is from Main Street: How A City’s Heart Connects Us All by Dr. Mindy Thompson Fullilove, which was published in September and documents Dr. Fullilove’s visits to Main Streets in 178 cities across 14 countries.
Alltru Credit Union Fights for the Financial Health of the Community
Jawonna became a member of 1st Financial Federal Credit Union (now Alltru Credit Union) in 2016 when she financed her car with the credit union. Everything was going as planned, when suddenly her car was in need of significant repairs and not drivable.
Unfortunately she and her husband couldn’t afford the repairs and soon after, Jawonna was let go from her job for not having reliable transportation. With no job, she fell behind on her payments to the credit union and felt hopeless.
Fortunately, the Alltru Account Resolution department was in contact with Jawonna and listened to her story. They explained how we could work together to find a solution to help her family find stability. Thanks to innovative lending options at the credit union, Jawonna and her husband were able to get her vehicle repaired which helped Jawonna to get a new job. Soon they were able to gain extra income and get their car loan payment current. Jawonna said if it wasn’t for the patience and guidance of her credit union, she doesn’t know where she would be right now. “It was nice to have someone in our corner fighting for us.”
“You automatically think that when the bank is calling, they just want their money and they don’t care about any of your excuses. Little did I know, my credit union was willing to work with me.”
Alltru is a $250M Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) credit union in the St. Louis region.
As a CDFI, Alltru has forged many important and innovative relationships with local community and government partners so they can support clients who live or work in low income geographic areas.
These program partnerships allow Alltru to open low cost and free deposit products for their those who may not have otherwise had access to safe banking products.
Alltru operates branches in Wentzville and St. Charles in St. Charles County, Hazelwood in St. Louis County, and on Washington Ave in the heart of the City of St. Louis. They also have two full-time Financial Empowerment Specialists housed in local non profit and CDFI agencies in St. Louis.
Alltru is a member of the St. Louis CDFI Coalition, a partnership among eight CDFIs that offer an array of capital, development, and consulting services and share a common mission to empower a comprehensively healthy St. Louis community through support for nonprofits, small businesses, and communities facing disinvestment.
International Institute Supports Refugee in Building Aleppo Soaps in St. Louis
Haitham Kadou came to United states from Syria as a refugee in 2016.
In Syria, he learned the process of soap making from his grandparents with unique recipes passed down from generation to generation. He also had experience running his own soap factory producing high quality soaps made with all-natural and chemical-free ingredients.
When he arrived in St. Louis, he decided to open the same business with a new name: Aleppo Natural Soap. The International Institute Community Development Corporation (IICDC) was there to help!
Like many immigrants and refugees wanting to start a business in St. Louis, Haitham faced two major barriers: 1) access to capital & 2) knowledge of local resources and opportunities. Many of the skills and experiences of foreign-born entrepreneurs do not easily transfer to the US. IICDC supported Haitham as he launched his business on Facebook and Etsy and connected him to opportunities at local bazaars and festivals. His business is one of 536 supported by their organization.
IICDC is Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) in the St. Louis region that provides loans and business development services to immigrants who do not qualify for business credit at traditional banks
They help clients become successful borrowers and savers, evaluating and providing them with an appropriate level of credit counseling, financial literacy and training to compliment the choice of financial product. Many are still struggling to develop and perfect their English and business communication skills. As a result, they are less likely to take advantage of the many resources that our region has for low-income entrepreneurs. With support from IICDC they are able to take the first step towards becoming business bankable.
IICDC offers a variety of services to clients to promote the economic development of immigrants and refugees in the St. Louis region, including their microenterprise loans ranging from $500-45,000. According to the Regional Chamber and Growth Association, generated over $161 million in economic impact for the St. Louis region.
The International Institute CDC is a member of the St. Louis CDFI Coalition, a partnership among eight CDFIs that offer an array of capital, development, and consulting services and share a common mission to empower a comprehensively healthy St. Louis community through support for nonprofits, small businesses, and communities facing disinvestment.
Justine PETERSEN Breathes Life into Fiddlehead Fern Cafe
Darcy Heine, owner of Fiddlehead Fern Café, dreamed of opening a neighborhood cafe and gathering place in the Shaw neighborhood on the site of an abandoned gas station.
She was looking for funds to use for a build-out of her restaurant, equipment, and furniture, as well as working capital. However, traditional banks and lenders don't typically lend to start-up businesses.
After getting rejected by traditional funding sources, Darcy found Justine PETERSEN.
“Darcy Heine, owner of Fiddlehead Fern Café, is a 4th generation and lifelong resident of the Shaw Neighborhood. Her passion for the community is what the Café has been built upon. Darcy has a background in both photography and restaurant management. In 2012, after finishing her BFA and managing a small neighborhood cafe in Lafayette Square, she realized how important it is for a neighborhood to have a place to gather.”
The loan from Justine Petersen allowed her to create the space she had always envisioned. She was also able to get the proper equipment to run the business efficiently and effectively, and have working capital to get them through the first few months of having a new business open.
Owner Darcy Heine
Built on the site of a long abandoned gas station, Fiddlehead Fern Café is committed to both the physical and social revitalization of the Shaw community. What was once an empty corner in the middle of a residential neighborhood is now a welcoming and lively place for people to gather. Whether working, studying, visiting with friends and family, meeting neighbors, or enjoying live music, there is a place for all at Fiddlehead Fern Cafe.
Justine PETERSEN is proud to have helped put together such a strong pillar in this community and can't wait for them to continue to succeed.
Justine PETERSEN is a member of the St. Louis CDFI Coalition, a partnership among eight CDFIs that offer an array of capital, development, and consulting services and share a common mission to empower a comprehensively healthy St. Louis community through support for nonprofits, small businesses, and communities facing disinvestment.
Enterprise Bank & Trust Shares First-Ever Community Impact Report
Enterprise Bank & Trust recently released their first-ever Community Impact Report, which provides data and stories about Enterprise’s various community engagement initiatives, including affordable housing, volunteerism, philanthropy, diversity and inclusion, education, community development, and “green” initiatives.
Image courtesy Enterprise Bank & Trust
West Community Credit Union Donates Company Minivan to Maplewood Resident Coordinating COVID-19 Support
Shana Jones, a Maplewood resident and Founder of Keep Pushing Inc., has lost eight family members to COVID-19 and is working through her nonprofit to help support others struggling to secure groceries and essential supplies during the pandemic. When Shana’s car was recently totaled in an accident, the team at her credit union, CBN member West Community Credit Union, decided to donate their company minivan to her.
Screenshot courtesy FOX 2 St. Louis
Dutchtown South CC & DeSales CD Team Up to Provide COVID-Safe Fall Soccer
Dutchtown South Community Corporation and DeSales Community Development are partnering up through the Southside Rec program to bring small-group soccer training to Marquette Park this fall! To keep this activity COVID-19-safe, soccer teams will be limited to 8 kids and won’t play other teams. Instead, they’ll have weekly practices and a scheduled time on Saturdays to scrimmage their own team.
Register your child(ren) to participate here, or contact Abby Miller (abby@desalescd.com) with questions!
Image by DeSales Community Development & Dutchtown South Community Corporation
Trailnet-supported Cortex-Tower Grove Connector approved for a $5.59 million federal construction grant
The Cortex-Tower Grove Connector, a part of Trailnet’s Connecting St. Louis plan, was recently approved for a $5.59 million federal construction grant. This project better connects the Cortex Metro link stop to Tower Grove Park and includes a two-way protected bike lane, pedestrian upgrades, traffic calming, and signal improvements.
Image by Trailnet
Downtown Maplewood Hosts Covid-Safe Taste of Maplewood
Historically, the Taste of Maplewood Street Festival is a culmination of Maplewood and Richmond Heights’ most renowned restaurants, beloved boutiques, and unique specialty stores all packed together on two blocks on Sutton Blvd.
Like everything else in 2020, they had to make changes to ensure the safety of their visitors, businesses, and volunteers.
So community partners came together to make it a week long celebration of everything they loved about Maplewood and Richmond Heights that allowed visitors to join the fun over 7 days and stay socially distanced.
The week featured opportunities and prizes for shopping and dining with small businesses, entertainment around town, a Love What's Local Design Contest, signature T-Shirts and more!
DeSales Celebrates First Cohort of "Here To Stay" Eviction Prevention Program
The first cohort of the DeSales Community Development "Here To Stay" eviction prevention program graduated this past month with big success.
DeSales’ shared the most recent update in a recent Aug 24 newsletter:
“[The Here to Stay] program offers residents an alternative to eviction through a 3 month program that connects them to supportive services and financial coaching in order to regain stability. Not only did our first group of participants all avoid eviction, but they paid down their rental debt by an average of $1,600!
Two residents even ended their program with a credit to put towards future month's rent. What's more, many of them achieved personal goals during the program: One enrolled in a bachelor's level program for computer sciences, two were able to purchase vehicles, one joined a program to develop community leadership skills, and one made a significant improvement to her credit score. The fact that all this was done in the midst of a pandemic makes their accomplishments all the more impressive.
We are immensely proud of all our participants and grateful to our financial coaching partners, Prosperity Connection and LifeWiseSTL.”
The “Here To Stay” program is funded in part by the City of St. Louis’ Affordable Housing Trust Fund.
Image by DeSales Community Development
YouthBridge Community Foundation Accepting Applications for YEP STL! Program
Do you know a high school student who wants to make a difference in our community? YouthBridge Community Foundation is now accepting applications from high school students who would like to participate in this year's YEP STL! program. Students will work together, guided by mentors, to review and select grant recipients, and participate in other leadership activities that serve children in our area. Applications close September 4, 2020.
Image by YouthBridge Community Foundation
Cherokee Street Brings Neighbors Together at Love Bank Park
You can find residents of all ages using Love Bank Park 7 days a week.
Love Bank Park has served as a space on Cherokee Street for community gatherings, flea markets, bonfires, youth basketball tournaments, art projects, music videos, BBQs, movie screenings, plantings, live music, and parties.
Image taken from Cherokee Street website
On Mondays at 6p, community members, business owners, and the Cherokee Street Love Bank Park Committee gather together to clean up the park, envision future improvements, and talk about upcoming activities.
In need of a bite to eat? During the COVID19 health crisis, free lunch is being provided at Love Bank Park on Tuesdays and Thursdays, thanks to Epworth Children & Family Services and the St. Louis County NAACP. Lunch will be offered starting at 11 AM on Tuesdays and Thursdays until supplies run out.
All images taken from the Cherokee Street website
Wellston Loop CDC Partners with Saint Louis Story Stitchers on Youth-Driven, Collaborative Shelter Project
Image by Somewhere Studio, LLC
Saint Louis Story Stitchers is partnering with Wellston Loop Community Development Corporation on a youth-driven collaborative project that uses the creation of a bus stop shelter and fence mural to drive public engagement and honest discourse on issues including gun violence, race, trauma, gangs, food insecurity, and addiction.
Tower Grove Neighborhoods CDC Compiles COVID-19 Resources for Tenants, Property Management, & Maintenance
Tower Grove Neighborhoods CDC Property Manager Kristan Nickels has compiled resources for tenants & procedures for property management & maintenance during COVID-19.
Park Central Development Rolls Out New Financial Assistance Programs for Neighbors in Their Footprint
Park Central Development has rolled out a comprehensive new financial assistance program for residents in the neighborhoods they serve, including emergency utility assistance, rental/mortgage assistance, a minor home repair program, and more. Services are offered on a first-come, first-served basis.
Justine PETERSEN Wants to Help You Shop Local & Support Black-Owned Businesses
CBN member Justine PETERSEN can help you shop local and support black-owned businesses!
Their newly-renovated website has a page listing all the local businesses supported by their CDFI lending and a map showing where to find them across the region.
Screenshot from Justine PETERSEN’s new homepage
International Institute Delivers Rental & Mortgage Assistance For Immigrants in St. Louis City
The International Institute received a portion of the $5.4 million in COVID-19 pandemic relief that the City of St. Louis has allocated to rental and mortgage assistance from CARES Act federal funding. "With this funding we can provide several thousands in rental and mortgage assistance to a number of city residents, namely refugees and other qualified immigrants," said Ariel Burgess, IISTL VP of Client Services.
Applicants for the housing assistance program should come to the International Institute located at 3401 Arsenal, 63118 between 8:30 am to 4:30 pm Monday - Friday. Language interpretation will be available. Services will be provided to all eligible individuals, regardless of language, disability, or ethnicity. For this program, the point of contact is P. Ariel Burgess, burgessa@iistl.org; 314-773-9090 ext. 115. If possible, email is preferred.
Dutchtown Community Improvement District Rolls Out New Sidewalk Furniture Along Meramec
Photo by Downtown Dutchtown
The Dutchtown Community Improvement District recently introduced new sidewalk furniture along Meramec Street as part of their Shades of Summer rollout event. The aim of the furniture is to draw attention, encourage pedestrian traffic, and announce that Dutchtown is open for business.
