COVID-19 has brought widespread changes and challenges to the communities where we work. The pandemic sparked a record wave of unemployment and has shifted the way we work, learn and access services. For families living in or on the edge of poverty, the instability brought by COVID-19 deepens and complicates already existing struggles around health care, employment, housing, childcare and basic needs. Many of the families we work with do not have the emergency funds needed to weather the ripple effects of the pandemic – like a sudden job loss or extra health care expenses.

As challenges stack precariously on each other, daily life can become overwhelming – especially for families who don’t have a strong support network. Thanks to community partners and funders, we’ve been able to connect families with a powerful, caring network of resources and support during the COVID-19 crisis. COVID-19 response grants have also allowed us to provide direct emergency aid, helping families with needs like:

• Staying housed
• Purchasing groceries
• Keeping their phone service on so they can stay connected with loved ones and resources
• Securing employment
• Accessing PPE like masks and hand sanitizer

We want to thank each donor, volunteer and community member who has stepped in to support others. We especially thank the funders and partner organizations who have teamed up with us in various ways to provide emergency relief and/or support our ongoing career services! As we meet emergency needs, we also continue to offer our ongoing services virtually to support long-term economic mobility for local families: learn more.

• Ace Hardware
• American Family Insurance Dreams Foundation
• APS Promos
• Behavioral Health – East St. Louis
• C & C Produce
• Christian Family Services
• Church of the Resurrection
• CL Smith Company
• Concorde Career College

• Element Church

• First National Bank of Omaha
• Grace Hill
• Greater St. Louis One Million Mask Drive
• Heartland Coca-Cola
• Join Hands ESL
• Junior League of St. Louis
• Greater Kansas City Community Foundation’s Kansas City Regional COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund
• Lutheran Foundation
• Schnucks
• StilL 630 Distillery
• St. Louis Community Foundation’s COVID-19 Regional Response Fund
• St. Louis Area Food Bank
• United Way of Greater St. Louis
• Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) – Kansas City
• Walmart