St. Louis Community Credit Union releases 2021 Impact Report

Cover of St. Louis Community Credit Union’s 2021 Impact Report

St. Louis Community Credit Union has released their 2021 Impact Report, which sheds light on the work their staff and partners have been doing to meet the financial and life needs of their membership.

Paul Woodruff, SLCCU’s Vice President of Community Development, said of the report: “While our vision of a financially equitable St. Louis for all is far from being realized, the winds of hope and change continue to propel the community development finance industry forward. Our Board and staff continue efforts to build the capacity and confidence of account holders to manage personal finances, as well as their ability to access services and loans that provide them the opportunity to build generational wealth.”

Read the report >>

Cornerstone's work highlighted in St. Louis Magazine

St. Louis Magazine recently published a feature highlighting Cornerstone’s work in the West End neighborhood, including photos of some of their rehab work and an interview with Executive Director Monique Thomas.

Read the full story >>

Prosperity Connection partners with Jim Butler Auto Group to host credit fair

Screenshot from Fox 2 News story

Prosperity Connection recently teamed up with Jim Butler Auto Group to host a credit fair, where participants were able to access a credit review with financial coaches.

Watch the full story >>

Cornerstone Corporation hosts ribbon cutting for affordable homes in the West End

Cornerstone Corporation celebrated the rehab of affordable homes for two families in the West End Neighborhood with a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony on May 20, 2022. Attendees enjoyed a tour, refreshments, and music, and the Cornerstone team announced a campaign to preserve the dignity of affordable rental homes in the West End.

Photo by Cornerstone Corporation

Enterprise Bank & Trust releases 2021 Community Impact Report

Enterprise Bank & Trust has released their 2021 Community Impact Report to share stories and data about Enterprise’s various community engagement initiatives, including affordable housing, volunteerism, philanthropy, diversity and inclusion, education, community development and green initiatives.

Read the full report >>

Cover of Enterprise Bank & Trust’s 2021 Community Impact Report

SHED Releases 2021 Annual Report

Cover of SHED’s 2021 Annual Report

Sustainable Housing & Equitable Development (SHED) has released their 2021 Annual Report. Here are a few highlights it covers:

• SHED has been awarded funding from St. Louis County to build two new for-sale homes on vacant lots in U City's 3rd Ward. The homes will be sold to low-moderate income buyers and will help continue to revitalize the 3rd Ward.

• SHED has also been awarded a grant from the Marillac Mission Fund to pilot a Senior Home Repair program.

• SHED is partnering with the School District of University City to offer hands-on training in the construction trades - this Spring, students from U City High School are building a deck for a SHED client - read a recent article from the Post Dispatch about the program.

Read the full report >>

U.S. Bank announces $100 billion community benefits plan

As part of their upcoming acquisition of MUFG Union Bank, U.S. Bancorp has partnered with the National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC) and the California Reinvestment Coalition (CRC) to put together a 5-year community benefits plan. The plan focuses on supporting equitable access to capital for low- and moderate-income communities and communities of color.

Read the full story >>

Rebuilding Together St. Louis helps 18 homeowners with repairs

Screenshot from St. Louis Post-Dispatch video story

Rebuilding Together St. Louis recently completed home repairs and improvements for 18 homes in need of extra support. The work was part of their annual Spring Rebuilding Day event.

Click here for a video from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch >>

Click here to read the story from Fox 2 News >>

St. Louis Development Corporation Releases Roadmap to Economic Justice

St. Louis Development Corporation (SLDC) and the City of St. Louis Mayor’s Office have released their Roadmap to Economic Justice, a vision for guiding the City of St. Louis’ commitment to begin reversing decades of disinvestment. The Roadmap highlights key areas where investment should be focused, including affordable housing, small business empowerment, and addressing vacancy.

Read the full story >>

Review the Roadmap to Economic Justice >>

Cover of the Roadmap to Economic Justice by SLDC

3 Justine PETERSEN Board Members honored in "Top 100 St. Louisans to Know to Succeed in Business"

Three of Justine PETERSEN’s board members were recently honored in St. Louis Small Business Monthly’s “Top 100 St. Louisans You Should Know to Succeed In Business”: Niccole Clements of PNC Bank (also a CBN member), Elissa Schauman of Leverage Law Group, and Allan Ivie IV of SImmons Bank.

The magazine also honored Scott Held of Ameren Corporation, Greg Kendell of Commerce Bank, Nancy Petersen of Enterprise Bank & Trust, Arrey Obenson of the International Institute of St. Louis, Dara Eskridge of Invest STL, David Noble of Midland States Bank, and Neal Richardson of St. Louis Development Corporation.

Congratulations!

Read the full story >>

Image by Justine PETERSEN

St. Louis Community Foundation co-commissions report on the St. Louis region's digital divide

Image by St. Louis Community Foundation

The St. Louis Community Foundation and Regional Business Council partnered to commission the St. Louis Digital Divide study, a report that examines the digital divide in St. Louis communities, homes, and public school districts. It estimates that 250,000-300,000 households in St. Louis City and County lack access to high-quality internet and that one-fourth of homes in the City of St. Louis do not have a computer.

The study examines 5 dimensions of the digital divide:

1. Coverage

2. Quality

3. Service affordability

4. Device affordability

5. Mentoring

Read more from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch >>

Read more from The St. Louis American >>

Read more about the Community Foundation’s ConnectSTL initiative >>

Rebuilding Together St. Louis provides home repairs for local veterans

Screenshot from Morning in America news segment

Rebuilding Together St. Louis has partnered with the Home Depot Foundation to provide free home repairs to St. Louis-area veterans this year, and their work was recently profiled by Morning in America and other news outlets.

Watch the news story from Morning in America >>

Watch the news story from KMOV >>

Watch the news story from Fox 2 News >>

Cornerstone CDC celebrates renovation of 6031 Suburban Avenue

Cornerstone CDC is celebrating the completion of their latest affordable housing project at 6031 Suburban Avenue!

If you’re interested in touring this Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing (NOAH) unit before Cornerstone welcomes their residents in, you can RSVP for their Ribbon Cutting Ceremony and Open House on Friday, May 6 at 2:00 pm. Click here for more information about that.

Read more on Cornerstone’s blog >>

Photo from Cornerstone CDC’s blog

St. Louis Real Estate Tax Assistance Fund profiled on Fox 2 News

Screenshot from Fox 2 News video segment

The St. Louis Real Estate Tax Assistance Fund (RETAF)’s work was recently profiled by Fox 2 News. RETAF’s goal is to help economically distressed families save their homes from real estate tax foreclosure.

CBN members Park Central Development, Prosperity Connection, and Legal Services of Eastern Missouri are partnering with the City of St. Louis Collector of Revenue’s Office to coordinate RETAF.

Watch the news segment >>

North County Inc. Announces 2022 Community Development Leadership Awardees

North County Inc. (NCI) is proud to announce their 2022 Community Development Leadership Awardees that will be honored at our 45th Annual Leadership Breakfast on May 6, 2022:

• Angie's All-Inclusive Playground in the City of Florissant

• The Bread Basket at SSM Health DePaul Hospital - St. Louis

• Pattonville Fire Protection District COVID Response Partnership

• Nancy Wolff of The Emergency Assistance Ministry (TEAM)

• Mercy Clinic in the City of Ferguson

• Rose Jackson-Beavers of Behavioral Health Network

If you’d like to join NCI for this celebration of leadership, click here to become a sponsor and purchase tickets.

Read more about the event >>

SLACO and Americorps VISTAs Create Lil Libraries for the Hodiamont Greenway

Members of the St. Louis Association of Community Organizations (SLACO) teamed up with Americorps VISTAs to build 13 Lil Libraries to place along the Hodiamont Greenway!

If you’re interested in a little library for your community, contact the Change and Action for Racial Equity (C.A.R.E.) Group for more information.

Click here to see more pictures by Judith Arnold >>

Photo courtesy Tashara Earl

St. Louis Real Estate Tax Assistance Fund to receive $500,000 in ARPA funds

The City of St. Louis has announced it is investing $500,000 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds in the St. Louis Real Estate Tax Assistance Fund (RETAF) to help keep families in their homes before 2022 tax sales start in April.

CBN members Park Central Development, Prosperity Connection, and Legal Services of Eastern Missouri announced in the fall that they were partnering with the City of St. Louis Collector of Revenue’s Office to launch RETAF. RETAF’s goal is to help economically distressed families save their homes from real estate tax foreclosure.

Read the full story >>

IISTL and partners support refugees with Afghan Support Program

Image by International Institute of St. Louis

CBN member the International Institute of St. Louis has partnered with Arch Grants founder Jerry Schlichter and local business and religious leaders on the Afghan Support Program, which is expanding the St. Louis region’s refugee resettlement efforts. Their goals and accomplishments include:

• Providing funds to address immediate housing needs of Afghan immigrants

• Establishing an Afghan Chamber of Commerce

• Establishing an Afghan newspaper

• Funding tuition and translators for computer coding classes at Claim Academy

• Furnishing iPads for 200 Afghan families, thereby decreasing the technology access gap

• Providing entrepreneurial grants

• Offering free use of indoor soccer minifields for kids at Futbol Club STL

• Establishing an Afghan Community Center

Watch a video about IISTL’s vision for the future >>

CBN members honored as FOCUS St. Louis 2022 What's Right with the Region Awardees

Logo by FOCUS St. Louis

FOCUS St. Louis has announced their 2022 What’s Right with the Region Award Honorees, a slate that includes several CBN members:

• Enhancing Regional Prosperity - Midwest BankCentre

• Improving Equity and Inclusion - St. Joseph Housing Initiative

• Emerging Alumni Award - Neal Richardson, Executive Director of St. Louis Development Corporation

Congratulations to all of this year’s awardees!

Review the full awardee list >>

BJC Healthcare partners with CBN members to support community health improvement

BJC HealthCare is introducing its community health improvement strategic plan, leadership team, and first regional partnerships in an effort to alleviate health inequities across the St. Louis region. Two of their initial partnerships are with CBN members Midwest BankCentre and St. Louis Community Credit Union, both financial institutions that have a shared mission of improving health and economic wellbeing. BJC recently developed a depository relationship with these two local financial institutions to address a historic lack of investment in the City of St. Louis and North St. Louis County. The deposits will be used to create loans to invest in these communities, including support for entrepreneurs to start and grow businesses and for individuals to realize the dream of home ownership.

Read the full press release >>

Read more about St. Louis Community Credit Union’s Community Impact Deposit Program >>