This series spotlights conversations we’ve had with individuals and organizations across the St. Louis region. What’s on people’s minds about health, communities, and current events? What strategies are people using to survive or thrive, and how can we work together to improve the health of all?
Trina W. turns plus size fitness into a plus size business
When Trina Williams was seven years old, she had a plan to be a schoolteacher for 20 years and then resign, which is exactly what she did. She couldn’t have seen how extensive her influence would be on fitness for Black plus size women through her brand Thick Chick Fitness. Her willingness to learn, face […]
‘Retired’ nurse Sherrill Jackson works for health equity, breast cancer prevention and support
Sherrill Jackson is polite, soft-spoken, and persistent. She has accomplished a great deal in her mission to improve health equity since her early years as a nurse in training at Homer G. Phillips Hospital in the 1960s, particularly for women’s health. She created mammogram screening programs at two Federally Qualified Health Centers in St. Louis […]
Shavanna S. uses her podcast and nonprofit to uplift Black voices, navigate services, and discuss maternal health and more
Ferguson resident Shavanna S. remembers being in school and working, trying to survive and not sure how to make an impact, she explains during the social uprising in 2014. A decade later, Shavanna has created and co-hosts a podcast for the voiceless (Da Hood Talks) and a nonprofit organization to help community members navigate social […]
Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Center ‘best kept secret’ in safe recovery from addiction
Men who need a safe space to recover from alcohol and drug addiction at no cost can find it at The Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Center at 3949 Forest Park Ave. in St. Louis. The 180-day residential program includes housing, food, counseling, and life skills coaching. Program beneficiaries must be 21- to 65-year-old males, pass […]
Former prison chaplain opens Laughing Bear Bakery to hire individuals previously incarcerated
Kalen M. has a modest appearance, a kind voice, and an impish snicker. She spent over a decade routinely driving 80 miles to and from Farmington Correctional Center: seven years as a visiting Zen Buddhist priest and five years as a prison chaplain. Kalen often heard about the difficulties the men had upon release and […]