Main Blog

Living the Mission

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 19:25:27 GMT

Build relationships. Live on mission. Relocate. Develop Leaders. Empowerment. These “buzz words,” along with many others, are discussed everyday in the Mission: St. Louis office. When I started working with Mission: St. Louis, I ...

A Year of Service in Review

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 06:00:02 GMT

On February 24, 2011, I took my first steps into the world of Mission: St. Louis. At that point, our offices were located in The Luminary, we had four full-time and four part-time staff members, and I was their very first AmeriCorps*VISTA. Since ...

An Hour Here, An Hour There

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 06:00:02 GMT

One thing that I really enjoy doing is working with children. I love knowing that by giving my time, I am helping. Whether it is playing a game with them, reading with them, or even just helping them understand the directions in the classroom, I ...

You're Doing What?!

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 16:23:40 GMT

"You're doing what?!" This is the typical response I would hear from my friends and family when I told them I would be leaving my comfortable life in Corporate America in the country outskirts of St. Louis to be a full-time volunteer at Mission: ...

A Hop, Skip, and Jump Later

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 19:51:35 GMT

How often I found where I should be going, only by setting out for somewhere else.--Buckminster Fuller I am the new Community Relations AmeriCorps*VISTA at Mission: St. Louis. As I was told, I was primarily hired to be the "writer" of the ...

A Couple of Guys Making a Difference

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 14:46:24 GMT

We completed our last Jobs for Life session with 10 graduates. Three of our graduates are now employed, one went back to jail, another is getting his GED, one just moved to North City with his two kids after being evicted on Christmas, and the ...

Relationship: It's How We Live Life

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 06:00:04 GMT

If you're around Mission: St. Louis at all, you may notice that the word "relationship" pops up frequently in conversation. We build our programs by building relationships. We believe that real, exciting life-change happens through ...

A Timely Lesson

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 06:00:04 GMT

Finding the balance between creating sustainable relationships and effective programs is an ongoing battle for us at Mission: St. Louis. While the tendency for nonprofits is to want to create knock-out programs, at the core of who we are is a ...

Family Time

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 06:00:05 GMT

The holidays are upon us, and are usually met with a mix of emotion. Over the last few weeks I've had many conversations with friends. Some are excited about this time of year, some not so much. Almost all speak of the stress and weight this ...

Media Communications VISTA (Volunteer In Service to America)

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 21:55:57 GMT

This is a full-time, one-year position requiring some evenings and weekends. The position starts February 2012 and is funded by AmeriCorps. As the Media Communications VISTA, you'll be the creative force behind sharing the endless stories that ...

Want to volunteer this Christmas? How about all year?

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 06:00:01 GMT

Let me start by introducing myself. I am one of the newest AmeriCorps VISTA members to join Mission: St. Louis. I'm the Volunteer Coordinator, to be exact. I picked up my comfortable life in Kansas to move to the whole new world of St. ...

'Tis the Season for Affordable Christmas

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 21:47:56 GMT

Now in its fifth year, Affordable Christmas seeks to empower families to provide a wonderful Christmas for their children. Instead of receiving charity, families are able to purchase brand new gifts at low cost. Since its first event in ...

An Affordable Christmas Story

Wed, 23 Nov 2011 06:00:02 GMT

In July 2008, I moved to St. Louis to start teaching in the city schools. By December, I had joined a Community Group with The Journey and was told that our group would be serving at Affordable Christmas. (I had no idea what Affordable Christmas ...

The Positive Effects of Morning Reading

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 15:37:47 GMT

Morning Reading is a program where volunteers come together once, twice, or even three times a week to three St. Louis Public Schools and read and interact with a group of children before school. At first I was unsure of what to expect from this ...

A Hope for Hamilton Heights

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 15:29:16 GMT

Hamilton Heights is a small neighborhood bound by MLK Drive to the northeast, the City limits to the northwest, Page Avenue to the south, and Union Boulevard to the east. Unfortunately, it is a part of St. Louis unfamiliar to most. Throughout ...

4th Annual Night for the Town

Wed, 02 Nov 2011 16:20:00 GMT

On October 15th, Mission: St. Louis hosted its annual fundraiser, Night for the Town. Now in its fourth year, the event was held at Grand Center's Moto Museum and once again provided a wide variety of silent auction items, great food, and ...

Fall Back

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 13:46:38 GMT

Fall is a busy time at Mission: St. Louis. Our annual fundraiser, Night for the Town, was held on October 15th at the Moto Museum and was a smashing success. Our Empower Sports Camp for the Roosevelt Basketball team occurred last week. Jobs for ...

Jobs for Life: A Blessing

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 14:00:54 GMT

We are halfway through our fall Jobs for Life session and things have never been better. It's awesome to see this group of men ages 18-61 working together, learning how to handle conflicts, opening up about their weaknesses, demonstrating their ...

Night for the Town: Four Years Later

Wed, 05 Oct 2011 14:37:36 GMT

Just over four years ago, I responded to a call for marketing and special events experts at my church. I showed up at a meeting a few weeks later. I quickly fell in love with the mission that the organization was adamantly pursuing. A month or ...

Residents & Volunteers: A Necessary Relationships

Wed, 21 Sep 2011 14:19:13 GMT

When Mission: St. Louis originally opened its doors, wide was the scope the leadership team aimed to tackle poverty and injustice in the city of St. Louis. As time elapsed, we started to narrow the focus of our longitudinal reach as well as the ...

Open Position: Neighborhood Engagement VISTA

Fri, 16 Sep 2011 21:36:28 GMT

As the Neighborhood Engagement VISTA (Volunteer in Service to America), you'll be tasked with getting to know the people that live in the urban neighborhood we serve. To do that, you'll knock on doors, making sure they know that we're here and ...

Open Position: Community Relations VISTA

Fri, 16 Sep 2011 19:11:11 GMT

As the Community Relations VISTA (Volunteer in Service to America), you'll help ensure that our programs have everything they need to make a huge impact. You'll write grant proposals. You'll find out which businesses in St. Louis support their ...

Words from the Front Desk

Wed, 14 Sep 2011 14:11:51 GMT

I've been working at Mission: St. Louis for nine months now as the Community Loop Assistant. As part of my duties, I sit at the front desk and greet people who come into the office. I enjoy meeting and talking to people of all different ...

What is Mission: St. Louis?

Thu, 08 Sep 2011 18:22:21 GMT

What is Mission: St. Louis? It is often difficult to give a simple answer to this question. A good start is to ask what it would look like to believe that the power of the Gospel transforms our lives and our city. A good follow up is to try and ...

To India and Back

Wed, 07 Sep 2011 14:44:20 GMT

This summer, I had the opportunity to spend 10 days teaching fourth graders in Hyderabad, India. I'd originally travelled to India to take a public health course but had been given the opportunity to work with a missions organization called ...

Now Recruiting for 2 AmeriCorps*VISTA Positions!

Thu, 01 Sep 2011 18:26:37 GMT

Mission: St. Louis is looking for two dedicated individuals to serve as AmeriCorps*VISTAs for one year. Positions available are for an Events VISTA and a Volunteer Development VISTA. For the Events VISTA job posting, please see our blog from ...

A Story of Renewed Faith & Friendship

Wed, 31 Aug 2011 20:02:36 GMT

If you've ever had the chance to meet Maurice Banks, within minutes you're sure to hear about a man that means the world to him, his best friend, Jim Thayer. Four years ago this month, Jim and Maurice met and began an unlikely friendship which ...

Accept the challenge. Serve your country. Join our team.

Wed, 24 Aug 2011 19:53:22 GMT

Wanted: One dedicated individual to serve as an AmeriCorps*VISTA for one year. This person will be the Mission: St. Louis Events VISTA. We have high standards for this position, but we believe there will be a great payoff for this person as ...

Night for the Town: WE NEED YOU!

Mon, 22 Aug 2011 20:02:14 GMT

WE NEED YOU! Night for the Town is once again upon us. We are gearing up for another great party celebrating the past year of Mission: St. Louis and our efforts to transform the city. We will be holding the event on October 15 at The Moto ...

The Pruitt-Igoe Myth

Wed, 17 Aug 2011 13:09:18 GMT

On Sunday, August 7th, we hosted a screening of the documentary film, "The Pruitt-Igoe Myth." It is a fascinating film about the story of St. Louis, its history and decline, and lessons learned regarding public housing in our city. Though the ...

Countdown: In Forest Park Southeast, population loss doesn't mean neighborhood is crumbling

Mon, 15 Aug 2011 16:19:08 GMT

The Mission: St. Louis model began in Forest Park Southeast (FPSE), at Adams Elementary School. Our time in Adams has produced many stories of what has been taking place in the community. FPSE has been undergoing massive change for the last ...

It's All About Love

Wed, 10 Aug 2011 17:09:48 GMT

Community Loop has had its most amazing and productive summer yet. I believe it has everything to do with love. There are many ways you can love people, and it is often difficult to know if you have loved someone well. Sometimes after you have ...

Does It Have To Be You?

Wed, 03 Aug 2011 16:16:52 GMT

"It's not that I don't want those kids to have help...I just don't understand why it has to be you." That was my Mom's response six years ago as I prepared for my first trip to the Lou. I had signed up for my college's spring break trip to ...

Education: A Vision of Transformation

Thu, 28 Jul 2011 17:10:39 GMT

There is more than one reason "education" is among the three core values firmly held by Mission: St. Louis. Emily Whitworth, Director of Education, can rattle off statistics that she knows first hand from her previous teaching experience in St. ...

End of Summer, Beginning of Fall

Wed, 27 Jul 2011 15:55:48 GMT

We are looking to wrap up the summer well and hit the ground running towards fall! We wanted to let you know about all the opportunities you have to serve with us. We have ongoing opportunities and one time events. Ongoing Volunteer ...

A Calling to Mission: St. Louis

Wed, 20 Jul 2011 13:42:33 GMT

Kathryn Sternberg is one of our interns and will be with us until December 2011. I came to learn about Mission: St. Louis through a larger database of endless practicum opportunities, but the thing that really drew me to this organization was ...

Opportunities Abound

Wed, 13 Jul 2011 14:55:25 GMT

My last blog was all about how I loved Morning Reading and getting to know the two girls I worked with twice a week. Since school let out for the summer and Morning Reading is not in session, I have started to build relationships with some of ...

Neighborhood Suffers Tragic Loss, Remains Hopeful

Wed, 06 Jul 2011 06:00:02 GMT

Check out our July newsletter here. During the month of June, the Forest Park Southeast neighborhood suffered the loss of two community members, J'Nylah Douglas, age 7, and Pastor Mike Seagle, age 54. Local news stations covered the facts: ...

Partnering with Mission: St. Louis

Wed, 29 Jun 2011 14:22:05 GMT

I moved to St. Louis three years ago with a group of people wanting to start a new church downtown. Some of us had been preparing to do this for many months, others had been preparing for years. The idea of starting a new church is a scary one, ...

My First Year at Mission: St. Louis

Wed, 22 Jun 2011 21:47:53 GMT

It has been almost a year since I started working at Mission: St. Louis and things have never been better (or more intense)! After getting a job here I moved into one of the neighborhoods in which the organization serves. My experiences over ...

Investing in the City, Investing in People

Wed, 15 Jun 2011 21:46:55 GMT

Recently across the globe, a belief has arisen among economists, scientists, and business leaders: the poor can be economically empowered to alleviate poverty. In fact, all over the globe organizations helping the working poor lift themselves ...

A Little Gets A Lot

Wed, 08 Jun 2011 23:05:09 GMT

My first exposure to Mission: St. Louis was through The Journey. There was a mention about the organization during a Saturday evening service. That mention was enough to pique my interest, so I turned to a friend sitting near me. He was ...

3rd Annual FPSE Sports Camp

Wed, 01 Jun 2011 15:19:40 GMT

Check out our full June newsletter! During the summer, one small section of the Forest Park Southeast neighborhood - McRee Town - is transformed into something magical every Tuesday night. A few empty lots become a playground and block party ...

Reinvented

Wed, 25 May 2011 14:33:53 GMT

As a native of St. Louis, I've held many jobs throughout my life. My main job for, oh, about 20 years was as an accountant and auditor (not a CPA) before you had to be certified to do that sort of thing. I started as a file clerk but I was ...

Vote for Mission: St. Louis TODAY!

Wed, 18 May 2011 21:17:29 GMT

"Yes, ma'am, we'd love to do that home repair for you, and we have donated materials, so it won't cost you a thing. Let me see if I can fit them in my Camry to bring them to you..." This conversation could be heard on any given day at the ...

The Fence

Thu, 12 May 2011 17:18:21 GMT

Josh Wilson is the founder and Executive Director of Mission: St. Louis. As many of you already know, we recently moved our office into the Forest Park Southeast neighborhood. To say we are excited to be in the neighborhood (and into new ...

Creating Relationships Through Community

Wed, 04 May 2011 18:34:27 GMT

Josh Kamer is Mission: St. Louis's Community Loop Program Director.Community Loop just accomplished its sixth workday of the year. I would call it a vast success. We were able to walk into nine homes and serve thirty three people as well as ...

Christ + City 2011 - A Call to Renewal

Wed, 27 Apr 2011 17:16:00 GMT

At 5:45am on Thursday, April 14, a contingent of Mission: St. Louis staff and interns, The Journey staff, and pastors from August Gate Church in Soulard gathered at Mission: St. Louis's new office in Forest Park Southeast. We were headed to ...

Just Show Up

Wed, 20 Apr 2011 17:13:28 GMT

In my first year of teaching at Long Middle School in South City, I somehow got roped into coaching every sport. I coached flag football, basketball, and soccer for two years...and won 4 games...all by forfeit. (For those of you who aren't so ...

St. Louis Bank Loans and Resulting Affects on the Community

Wed, 13 Apr 2011 17:09:55 GMT

The United States has a black president. This shouldn't be surprising. President Obama was elected in 2008 and it's currently 2011. But, my point has less to do with our president's skin color and more to do with the relationship between ...

Job Training Program Highlighted in the 17th Ward Newsletter

Mon, 11 Apr 2011 17:08:50 GMT

Darren Jackson, our Forest Park Southeast neighborhood/empowerment director, recently got Mission: St. Louis mentioned in the 17th Ward's blog newsletter. The blog post highlights M:StL's new job training program that kicks off on April 11. ...

How M:StL Grows and Succeeds

Wed, 06 Apr 2011 17:06:52 GMT

As a student intern at Mission: St. Louis, I have had the opportunity to see how people in this organization work to empower the community. Although Mission: St. Louis has a size of only about 10 staff members, I'm amazed to see how broadly ...

Empowering Roosevelt Students in Sports, in Life

Wed, 30 Mar 2011 17:05:34 GMT

For one week, 20 Roosevelt High School baseball players and four Mission: St. Louis volunteers came together for the Empower Baseball Camp. The purpose of the camp was to build a relationship between Roosevelt and Mission: St. Louis and to ...

Morning Reading: A Staff Member's Perspective

Wed, 23 Mar 2011 17:03:56 GMT

As of this coming Friday, I will have worked at Mission: St. Louis for exactly one month. I'm the newest full-time addition to the M:StL staff and am participating in the AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) program. I was ...

Community Loop Workday - March 6

Fri, 18 Mar 2011 17:01:02 GMT

On March 6, 2011, we had our most recent Community Loop Workday. We had a total of 104 volunteers who served at 10 homes and complete 56 projects. The types of projects ranged from installing drywall and painting to roof and window repair to ...

New Office Space

Tue, 15 Mar 2011 16:53:10 GMT

We have some GOOD NEWS! The first week of April we will be moving into our new office space in Forest Park Southeast. This is a move that we as an organization are extremely excited about. Forest Park Southeast is a place where we have ...

The Most Typical Person In The World

Mon, 07 Mar 2011 16:50:09 GMT

...

Community Loop: Restoring Faith through Serving

Mon, 28 Feb 2011 17:21:14 GMT

My husband and I had, for some time, been wanting to plug in and start serving our city, but the timing always seemed to be wrong. We realized we had no excuse. Corporate America was getting the best of us - we weren't giving ourselves away ...

What Can We Do About Gentrification?

Thu, 24 Feb 2011 16:16:40 GMT

After reading the last three posts, you are more familiar with gentrification and its effects. What can you do to help? Keep reading!In the first post, we stated that gentrification is both good and bad. That's true. ...

Gentrification in Hamilton Heights

Sun, 20 Feb 2011 16:14:06 GMT

The Hamilton Heights community has also been deeply entrenched in poverty. Approximately 97% of the students in Ford Elementary School qualified for a free school lunch, which indicates the severity of poverty in the neighborhood. ...

Gentrification in FPSE

Sat, 19 Feb 2011 16:11:48 GMT

Mission: St. Louis has focused on the Forest Park Southeast (FPSE) community for the last 4 years, building relationships with the residents who live there. FPSE has a poverty rate of 36%, which is 11% higher than the City of St. Louis ...

What is Gentrification?

Thu, 17 Feb 2011 16:09:27 GMT

Mission:St. Louis has seen the dramatic impact of gentrification on the city of St. Louis. We are devoting our next three blogs to this issue. We will address what gentrification is, how it's affecting two urban St. Louis ...