This series spotlights recent conversations we’ve had with individuals and organizations in the St. Louis region. What’s on people’s minds about health, communities, and current events? What strategies are individuals and organizations using to survive or thrive, and how can we work together toward health equity?
Davorka M. discusses work with refugees, effects of external and internal factors on mental health
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 […]
Positive multicultural representation fills the shelves of EyeSeeMe bookstore
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 invests in transformation of communities
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 […]
Girls on the Run focuses on building strong, confident, courageous girls
Widespread research suggests that most girls stop feeling good about themselves by their teens. Girls on the Run (GOTR) works to counteract this through evidence-based programming that marries social and emotional learning with physical activity. The international organization strives to create positive experiences for girls in grades 3-8. While the pronouns “she” and “her” will […]
Share has open arms for parents who grieve the loss of a baby and want to honor its life
October is National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month as well as National Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Awareness Month. It’s also one of the busiest months of the year for Share Pregnancy and Infant Loss Support. A birth from loss In 1977, Sister Jane Marie Lamb began Share after listening to a bereaved family’s cry […]