SOS Final Awardees 2009

1. St. Louis ArtWorks

Mission:  The mission of St Louis ArtWorks is to collaborate with the community to provide work experience through apprenticeships in the arts for youth in the St Louis metropolitan area.  Apprentices, many from urban neighborhoods, benefit from developing creative thinking and employment skills and discovering and exploring interests and talents that may influence career and educational opportunities. 

Funding: ArtWorks was awarded $4000 to support 4 apprentices in their six-week summer program.

2. ALIVE

Mission: ALIVE’s mission is to provide counseling, emergency sanctuary, and other critical services to adults and children impacted by domestic abuse, as well as to increase awareness in order to create a supportive community.  ALIVE’s vision is to end domestic abuse, restoring safety and peace one family at a time.

Funding:  ALIVE was awarded $10,000  to help support the Nights of Safety Program. ALIVE’s “Nights of Safety” program remains true to ALIVE’s founders’ original concept of providing temporary emergency sanctuary when all domestic violence shelter beds are full.

3. St. Martha’s Hall

Mission: The mission of St. Martha's Hall is to help abused women and their children break the cycle of violence in their lives.  They provide support services and most importantly have a children's therapy program. 

Funding: St. Martha’s Hall was awarded $20,000 to help fund their Children's Program Coordinator position.

4. Legal Advocates for Abused Women (LAAW)

Mission: LAAAW provides crisis intervention, support, legal information and advocacy.

Funding: LAAW was awarded $20,000 to continue LAAW’s Free Legal Representation Program and Crisis/Legal Help Line which addresses the needs of poor and underserved battered women and their children by combining expertise in domestic violence issues and legal remedies (Orders of Protection) with immediate and on-going services that are easily accessible and free-of-charge.

5. College Bound

Mission: College Bound provides promising high school students from under-resourced backgrounds with the academic enrichment, social supports and life skills needed to apply, matriculate and succeed in four-year colleges beginning with sophomores and continuing into their senior year and graduation.

Funding: College Bound was awarded $20,000 to help underwrite the program for 50 students in the program now and for plans to serve 100 more students as the program expands into two additional schools. 

6. The Little Bit Foundation

Mission: The Little Bit Foundation believes providing clothing and supplies to disadvantaged school children will create a positive impact on personal growth and enable a more focused learning environment.

Funding: The Little Bit Foundation currently sponsors 12 schools in St. Louis, serving approximately 3,000 children.  There are 19 schools on the waiting list.  LBF was awarded $20,000 which will be used to sponsor one new school.

7. Boys Hope Girls Hope of St. Louis

Mission: To help academically capable and motivated children in need to meet their full potential and become men and women for others by providing value-centered, family-like homes, opportunities and education through college.

Funding: BHGH was awarded $10,000 to cover expenses of summer enrichment programs, camps, school related extra-curricular activities, and general operating expenses.

8. Immigrant & Refugee Women’s Program     

Mission: To increase independence and reduce the isolation of immigrant and refugee women by teaching them basic English, practical living skills, their rights in cases of domestic abuse and how to use public transportation.

Funding: Immigrant & Refugee Women’s Program was awarded $12,000 for general operations with a focus on recruiting, training and retention of volunteers to provide services to 100 women in their fiscal year.

9. Sherwood Forest Camp

Mission:  Sherwood Forest is an independent, non-profit youth development agency that transforms lives through camp experiences in a healthy and caring community where children develop character and competence, providing key supports and opportunities to economically disadvantaged children while helping youth achieve long-term success as adults.  

Funding:Sherwood Forest Camp was awarded $4,000 to underwrite the cost of sending 6 disadvantaged campers to overnight camp for twelve days.

10. Project Backpack

Mission: Project Backpack is a unique organization that helps at-risk children who are removed from their primary homes and placed in emergency care during crisis situations.  It is the goal of Project Backpack to have a significantly positive impact on the lives of these children by providing them with backpacks filled with necessities and comfort items.

Funding: Project Backpack was awarded $15,000. $5,000 will pay for the Executive Director’s salary for 3 months and $10,000 will be used to purchase backpacks and items that fill the backpacks.

11. The Mildred Brady and Rena Martin Charitable Foundation

Mission: To provide comprehensive eye care to the indigent, homeless, and medically disenfranchised individuals in the St. Louis community.  No charge is ever made to any patient for goods or services.

Funding: They were awarded $25,000 to cover the expense of optical goods and services to the ever increasing demand from the St. Louis target population.  Note: All staff time is unpaid and donated.

12. CASA

Mission: To advocate for abused and neglected children from birth to 18 years of age. They are in need of safe, permanent homes facilitated through highly-trained volunteers appointed by the Family Court.  The ideal is for these children to be in foster homes or to be adopted.

Funding: They were awarded $20,000 which will go toward hiring 2 new Case Advocacy Supervisors (the cost for each one including salary and benefits totals $50,000).  They would also be able to train 60-80 additional volunteers who will serve more than 150 additional children and address the extensive waiting list in a timelier manner. CASA invests $1,200 in each child, that amount is down from $1,500 in the past due to CASA becoming more efficient.

13. Ready Readers

Mission: To inspire at-risk preschool children to become readers by reading aloud to them and by increasing their exposure to quality books and stimulating ready-related activities.

Funding: Ready Readers was awarded $15,000 which will assist in: (1) recruiting, training, placing, scheduling, & supervising volunteers to read.  (2) Selecting, purchasing, & distributing quality books at 4-6 week intervals to volunteers.