All posts under Community Conversations
Joan F. was born in St. Louis, but summers with family in the deep south taught her how to strike up a conversation with just about anyone. This skill—along with her kind eyes and big smile—have been essential to her work helping underserved and marginalized communities in St. Louis. From the early years of the […]
At 75 years old, Rae M. is an avid runner, having completed 101 marathons in all 50 states and closing in on 100 half marathons. She found her calling at age 53 — teaching older adults how to move and stay healthy. However, Rae doesn’t hesitate to slow down when she sees neighbors in need. […]
The first things you notice about Chaka Aza Amahle are her tall stature, her large, vibrant glasses and her eclectic, self-designed jewelry. Talk to her for a bit, and you’ll discover she has a passion for taking care of women, and a desire to be outside. For the past eight years, those two things have […]
According to data from the 2020 U.S. census, the City of Pine Lawn, Mo., in north St. Louis County has over 2,700 residents, a median income of just over $23,000, and the median age is 24.5 years. For the past seven years as mayor, Terry Epps has worked to undo Pine Lawn’s history of local […]
One out of every four children will have or need glasses by the time they enter kindergarten, according to a 2018 report by the American Optometric Association. The non-profit Eye Thrive helps children in underserved areas who need glasses have them as early as possible through free vision services, including a mobile clinic where kids […]
How do you do community engagement well? You listen to the community, partner with them in the creation process, support their needs, evaluate, and repeat. Local public media station Nine PBS has always focused on early childhood education and being a free and engaging resource for teachers and families. It values the voice of its […]
The Empowerment Network (TEN) has provided brotherhood and fellowship to prostate cancer survivors and their loved ones at 6000 West Florissant Ave. in North St. Louis city for nearly 15 years. Although primarily African American men meet there, its virtual reach extends as far as Ireland. TEN exists today because of a promise to God […]
Davorka Marovic-Johnson, MEd, NCC, LPC, had a long history of providing mental health services to refugee clients from around the globe before transitioning into private practice. The horrors of war and the stress of adjusting to a new country can have a lasting effect on mental health and physical health. Personal history Davorka came to […]
Pamela Blair taught her children at an early age about the positive, and often hard-to-find, stories and histories of African Americans. When she noticed how other parents and teachers were struggling to find representation, she decided to open her own multicultural bookstore in University City—no business plan, just a hundred books and a passion. History […]
Beyond Housing is a staple in the Pagedale area. A foreclosure crisis and subsequent decline of a school district left the community struggling to survive. President and CEO Chris Krehmeyer says, “Our job with community folks is to rebuild the fabric of that place. To do that is not just one thing. It has to […]