Camp Kaya 2021 - Children's Summer Camp
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This year a total of 16 children ages 4 to 15 participated in the week-long camp. Each day began with breakfast at 9 a.m., a morning activity was held, followed by lunch and an afternoon presentation. The day ended with a snack. Activities ranged from science experiments such as creating a geyser using Mentos and soda to planting seeds, making straw rockets with STEM for Kids, exploring space with NASA Kids’ Club, and a water balloon toss.
Thanks to a grant from the Norman J. Stupp Foundation— Commerce Trust Company, Trustee, children living in DOORWAYS permanent housing apartments were invited to attend CAMP KAYA, a week-long program encouraging continued learning throughout the summer and providing structured social activities.
Camp Kaya was designed by DOORWAYS Residential Program staff with help from intern Lauren Puplampu, an anthropology major earning a bachelor’s degree at Washington University. Lauren chose to participate with DOORWAYS as a part of the Civic Scholar Program sponsored by Gephardt Institute of Civic and Community Engagement. “Civic engagement allows us to assist people who are challenged everyday with barriers to resources,” she stated. “They not only lack basic essentials but, also, may feel ignored and invisible. Through engaging with them, I am able to show them that they matter. This is particularly important for children experiencing any form of instability.”
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DOORWAYS CFO, Gary Mudd, Receives Business of Pride Award from the St. Louis Business Journal
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Gary Mudd recently received a St. Louis Business Journal 2021 Business of Pride award, celebrating members of the LGBTQIA+ community who have worked to advance LGBTQIA+ causes. Gary is pictured at the job site of our new 3-acre campus on North Jefferson.
For more on Gary and the award, click here.
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Drag Trivia at Ball Park Village
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On Wednesday, July 7, Ball Park Village hosted an exciting night of trivia and entertainment, hosted by local drag queens Desire Declyne and Tabbi Katt. The enthusiastic audience was challenged with answering a myriad of questions ranging from knowledge of local St. Louis culture to popular movies and a rousing round of "finish that tune". Guests enjoyed food and beverages in the BALLY Sports Live hall while being entertained with three fabulous performances by Desire and Tabbi. All tickets sold benefited DOORWAYS.
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Bank of America Helps Remove Employment Barriers
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Thank you to BankofAmerica #STL for providing funding to mitigate barriers to employment for over 100 clients and residents a year. Our Employment Specialist works with these individuals to provide 1:1 guidance to help with referrals to high school equivalency programs, identify job skills, resume building, strengthening interview skills and applying for jobs. Thanks to this grant, we are able to provide bus passes and fill other resource gaps, such as vouchers for haircuts and gift cards to purchase requited a job uniform or clothes for an interview. These simple basic services restore pride and self-respect. #BofAGrants
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Beyond Tonight Capital Campaign -
Building and Program Expansion Update
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As you may already have heard through DOORWAYS’ newsletters, Town Halls, social media, events, emails, and mailings—or from some of the exciting news media coverage we have received— “Beyond Tonight” has raised $20M towards its $22.5M Phase One goal. With a planned grand opening in summer 2022, we have one year to raise the final $2.5M.
We need the community to rally in support of this exciting project. If you haven't made an individual gift, please consider doing so today or ask your friends to get involved or donate, or even consider sponsoring your own fundraising activities on social media or a party in your home as an example.
Here is a quick recap of the project:
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CONSTRUCTION of a new campus is underway on nearly three acres of land located on North Jefferson to serve as the future home of a 36-unit comprehensive flexible housing building (Phase One), a 50-unit permanent housing unit (Phase Two), and a service wing providing intake rooms for staff to privately meet with clients, multi-media rooms for group presentations, and more. It will serve as the agency’s new headquarters and offer a retail space available to the broader community.
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EXPANDED PROGRAMMING to provide 360 degrees of assistance ONSITE to remove access barriers and that anchor our clients in hopelessness. Through numerous partner collaborations combined with DOORWAYS services, the new campus will offer mental health and substance use counseling, medical case management, pharmacy delivery, a provisions pantry, employment services, self-development programming designed to fill the gaps created by a life of poverty. The list continues to grow as other agencies serving people living with HIV express interest in seeing their clients at this one-stop resource center.
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HONOR THOSE YOU LOVE WITH A TRIBUTE DONATION THROUGH DOORWAYS
Question: How often does one action yield two results?
Answer: All the time, if you designate your DOORWAYS donation as a tribute to a loved one!
You may make a monetary gift in HONOR of someone's birthday, anniversary, new job, new baby...the list is endless. You may also provide a monetary gift as a MEMORIAL for someone who has passed away. Or, you may purchase a tribute BRICK to be placed in our garden at the Cooper House campus. If you wish to help us GROW THE TRIBUTE GARDEN, you may select from three sizes: $100, $250, or $500.
By expressing your admiration, love, and respect through a TRIBUTE GIFT, you are also providing critical funding to help DOORWAYS deliver housing, health, and hope to people living with HIV. Click here for more information about making a tribute gift while also supporting DOORWAYS' compassionate care to the most vulnerable in our community.
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Check back here for more information on the Annual Dinner. The Annual Dinner provides an opportunity to recognize those in our community who have gone above and beyond in promoting our mission. A full list of the Honorees will be announced.
STAY TUNED FOR MORE INFO
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DOORWAYS is an interfaith non-profit organization which provides housing and related supportive services to improve quality of life and health outcomes for people affected by HIV/AIDS.
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DOORWAYS, an IRC 501(c)3 tax-exempt Missouri nonprofit corporation, is registered to solicit funds for charitable purposes in Missouri and Illinois. DOORWAYS only solicits such charitable contributions in MO and IL.
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