Deaconess Community,
Last August we joined our Partners and hundreds of thousands of Missourians in celebration of a successful statewide campaign to expand Medicaid. Missouri voters approved the state constitutional amendment to expand access to health care to more than 270,000 Missourians with 53% of the vote. Under the measure, newly eligible adults would have been able to enroll and receive access to health care coverage on July 1, 2021.
However, this was not the case, and implementation was delayed and access to health care coverage denied.
The governor withdrew the state’s plan to expand Medicaid after state legislators refused to fund the constitutional amendment. A lawsuit on behalf of newly eligible people was filed to force the state to implement the People’s mandate to expand access to health care, and the case eventually made its way to the Missouri Supreme Court.
This August, we are celebrating once again. Not only are we celebrating the Missouri Supreme Court’s unanimous decision affirming the state’s duty to expand Medicaid, but we are also celebrating the unrelenting efforts of residents and our Partners across the state of Missouri to hold public servants accountable to the People – children and families in this state. No family should choose between paying for lifesaving care, accessing preventative care, postponing needed medical treatment and putting food on the table.
What we have shared before still rings true: sustained public engagement, mobilization and democratic action can generate, allocate, and reallocate public resources for the benefit of children and families.
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In service to our children,
Cheryl D.S. Walker
Interim President and CEO
Deaconess Foundation
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PARTNER SPOTLIGHT: ANNIE MALONE CHILDREN & FAMILY SERVICES |
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Annie Malone Children & Family Services was founded in 1888 as the St. Louis Colored Orphan’s Home. Helping St. Louis families for more than a century, the agency today has grown into a multi-service center in the community, addressing social and education needs of children and families in crisis and at-risk throughout St. Louis. Annie Malone’s mission is to improve the quality of life for children, families, older adults, and the community by providing social services, educational programs and advocacy.
Deaconess Foundation supports Annie Malone Children & Family Services through our Leadership Grants portfolio to assist with orientation, support, education, guidance, and strengthening of board members through trainings and consultation focused on board governance, board development, and strategic planning. Deaconess’ Leadership Grants support the efforts of chief executives of strong child-serving organizations as they engage the field to shift policy and align actions for the well-being of children in the St. Louis metropolitan region. These grants extend the Foundation's relationship with its former Deaconess Impact Partners (DIP).
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FROM THE FOUNDATION: BLACK PHILANTHROPY MONTH |
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This year marks the 10th Anniversary of Black Philanthropy Month (BPM). BPM was founded in 2011 to empower Black philanthropists and advance funding to strengthen investment in Black communities. Every August BPM is observed, and this year’s theme is: “TENacity: Making Equity Real.” Throughout the month BPM has been hosting a global summit series featuring a series of keynotes. The global summit series concludes on August 31 with Reunity: The Black Women’s Funders Summit, an international Black women funders power and wellness summit in collaboration with the Women’s Philanthropy Institute at Indiana University. Registration is available at bit.ly/Reunitysummit2021.
Black Funders of St. Louis (BFSTL), a Black-led giving circle dedicated to mobilizing time, talent and resources in support of Black-led nonprofits in the region, is celebrating BFM with a lunch & learn webinar series. On Tuesdays in August, BFSTL hosts high-impact webinars on a variety of topics focused on advancing the work and capacity of Black-led nonprofits, from effective grant writing to effectively measuring success. On August 24 Dr. Vetta Sanders-Thompson, Associate Dean for Diversity, Inclusion & Equity, Washington University in St. Louis, will break down key elements of program evaluation and tools to help explain the organization’s theory of change, develop goals and define and measure outcomes. Learn more about BFSTL’s lunch & learn series, view past recordings, and register for next week’s session by clicking here.
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PARTNERSHIP & CAPACITY BUILDING: EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS' RETREAT |
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In July, Deaconess Foundation hosted an Executive Directors’ Retreat for Executive Directors of our Anchor Institution, Just Recovery, and Leadership Grant Partner cohorts. This two-day, virtual event covered a variety of topics intended to help leaders increase their operational efficacy and build the capacity of their organizations.
Topics included presentations on mission-aligned human resources practices for organizations, effective communication practices, and capacity building goal development. Participants were invited to indicate areas of priority. Then, the cohort split into small groups to address challenges they experience with direct peer consultation.
In particular, the effective communications workshop led by Jasmine of Jasmine D. Evans Public Relations, featured an interactive session exploring an organization’s public relations, marketing, and communications strategy, structure, tactics, and effectiveness. During this workshop, Jasmine provided practices and tools to develop an effective integrated marketing and communications strategy and cross-organizational editorial calendar to best support organizational goals and facilitate generative thinking to better improve impact.
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Funding Opportunities – Visit our website for an up-to-date list of funding opportunities for 2021.
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AT THE CENTER: NORTH CENTRAL PLAN PUBLIC HEARING |
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The City of St. Louis Planning Commission will conduct a Public Hearing on Wednesday, August 18, 2021 at 5:30 PM to consider the adoption of the North Central Vision Action Plan as a Topical Plan at Deaconess Center for Child Well-Being. This hearing follows the Planning Commission’s initial approval to conduct a Presentation and Public Hearing at its June 9th, 2021 meeting.
During the public hearing, Tim Breihan, a representative from the North Central Design Team and Principal at H3 Studios, will present the Plan. Anyone interested in speaking or providing written review comments in favor of or in opposition to the adoption of the Plan will be given an opportunity to do so at the Public Hearing. The public review period will end at the close of the Public Hearing. Written review comments will be accepted through Tuesday, August 17, 2021 at 5:00 PM.
Written comments may also be submitted prior to the Public Hearing to Alexa Seda via email at msedaa@stlouis-mo.gov, via fax at (314) 613-7014, by mail or in person. Mail can be addressed to: Alexa Seda, City of St. Louis Planning and Urban Design Agency, 1520 Market St., Suite 2000, St. Louis, MO 63103. Submitted comments will be forwarded to the Planning Commission for its review and consideration.
You are invited to attend the hearing in-person at Deaconess Center for Child Well-Being, 1000 N. Vandeventer Ave., St. Louis MO, 63113 or virtually via Zoom. Face coverings are required on the Deaconess Center campus. Those wishing to view the Public Hearing online are invited to attend via Zoom: Public Hearing.
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Eviction moratorium extended, advocates hope to speed aid process
Karen Robinson-Jacobs & Sophie Hurtwitz | The St. Louis American
Nearly 100 St. Louis County residents facing imminent eviction likely got a reprieve late Tuesday when the Biden administration extended a moratorium until early October.
The move followed days of protests locally and in the nation’s capital as housing advocates braced for a wave of evictions. The previous national moratorium, described earlier as the final one, was allowed to expire over the weekend, leading to days of anxiety.
Calling it a “precipice moment,” one attorney said he wants to see sheriff’s authorities “slow down” and let rental assistance funds already allocated by the federal government find their way into local hands.
“All weekend my phone was ringing,” said Lee Camp, a senior staff attorney with ArchCity Defenders.
“We all knew that this moratorium was... very likely coming to an end at the end of July,” he said. “And for some reason, maybe I was naive, maybe I was holding out some optimism, but I didn't necessarily expect when Monday [August] second got here that it would feel this overwhelming, but there is a very, you know, just heavy feeling of concern around our office today.” Read more >>>
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Black Funders of St. Louis presents special webinars during Black Philanthropy Month
Blair Ledet | Fox 2 Now
August is Black Philanthropy Month and Black Funders of St. Louis are giving you an opportunity to become educated and have lunch while you do it all.
Brandon Sterling is the vice president of the organization and he had the details on the event from the Lakeside Renovation and Design Weather Deck.
Sterling said this month the organization is doing webinars on how to become a better grant writer, how to develop good programming for a nonprofit, and generally how to be a better help to St. Louis. Read more >>>
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St. Louis group raises $1.5 million to invest in Black and Latinx entrepreneurs
David Nicklaus | St. Louis Post-Dispatch
WEPOWER, a group focused on economic empowerment for disadvantaged communities, has raised $1.5 million to invest in minority-owned businesses in St. Louis.
Charli Cooksey, the group's founder and chief executive, said the Elevate/Elevar Capital fund was created "to support Black and Latinx companies that are committed to St. Louis." She said eligible businesses would have to either locate in North St. Louis or commit to hiring North Side residents.
"We're looking for values-aligned entrepreneurs who also are really good at building companies," she said. "We're looking for fast-growing businesses with at least $5,000 in monthly revenue." Read more >>>
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PARTNER OPPORTUNITIES AND EVENTS |
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August 19: Kids Win Missouri’s Monthly Update Calls, 2 PM. Stay up-to-date on state and federal policies, and hear from guest speakers. Click here to register.
August 19: Homes for All St. Louis' Tenant Bill of Rights Listening Party/School Supply Giveaway/Banner Making Party, 5 PM. Love Bank Park, 2853 Cherokee St., St. Louis MO. Click here to learn more and register.
August 20-21: St. Louis City Residents can get help with applying for rental assistance with Metropolitan St. Louis Equal Housing and Opportunity Council, St. Francis Community Services, and the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis. Pre-register by clicking here, or call or email with questions: 314-441-5660 or rentalassistance@ehoc-stl.org.
Close the Workhouse is gathering signatures demanding the full and complete closure of the Workhouse. Add your signature here.
Do you have an event you'd like to see in this Newsletter? Submit it here!
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IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: NORTH CENTRAL PLAN CELEBRATION |
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On May 15th, 2021, community members and stakeholders celebrated the completion of the North Central Plan Vision Action Plan. You wan watch the day's celebration in the video below. |
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