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 www.slfp.com St. Louis Front Page 3832 S Broadway Street St. Louis, MO 63118 www.slfp.com Voice: 314-771-0200 Fax: 314-771-0300 To submit news, contact: editor@slfp.com Please e-mail advertising@slfp.com or call 314-771-0200 for information or questions about advertising opportunities in the Community Section. |
 Spotlight on St. Louis Area Neighborhood Activities - Updated February 3, 2012
by Bob Moore, SLFP.com ST. LOUIS, MO, (SLFP.com), February 3, 2012 - Since Sunday, eight cities have approached the newly formed Welcome Home Foundation to hold 'Welcome Home the Heroes Parades' in their communities. With a new slogan, "People. Not Politics." the St. Louis committee of grassroots social media organizers are moving forward in an official capacity in developing its' own foundation to challenge, as well as assist other cities in organizing their efforts in honoring their returning veterans. Interested Cities Currently Include: Tuscon, AZ; San Antonio, TX; Denver, CO; Chicago, IL; Oklahoma City, OK; Philidelphia, PA; Nashville, TN; Greensboro, NC. In an interview following a press conference at the American Leagon Post 213, Alan Toppel, a businessman from Tuscon, Arizona, said "I'm here to learn from the folks that have done this, so I can take the information back to Tuscon. We're hoping that by the end of next month, we'll have our parade, which will be the second Parade after St. Louis." St. Louis' 'Welcome Home the Heroes Parade', January 28, 2012, had close to 100,000 in attendance, 20,000 participants, 400 volunteers, 500 motorcycles and over 600+ post 9/11 veterans. Commander Mike LeBlanc, American Legion Post 213 and The Mission Continues, commented that "This is a fantastic thing. Why can't we duplicate it over and over again. This parade was done with private donations. It was a parade of the people, by the people for the veterans. I've never been prouder to being a St. Louisan." "The long term effect is that Veterans issues are now up on the table. People are now willing to listen to problems that these young men and women are having, as well as older vets. We collected over 600 lbs of donations for homeless vets which will be distributed this weekend." The movement is very encouraging. As a veteran, I have to say thank you to the people of St. Louis and the surrounding area for the support they have given. Donations can be made through the www.AmericaforVets.org web site.
ST. LOUIS, MO, (SLFP.com), January 31, 2012 - Grassroots organizers of Welcome Home Parade hope to raise $7 million in 7 days through social media with proceeds benefiting veterans service organizations nationwide. What started as an idea between two friends thirty days ago grew through social media to reality this past weekend with close to 100,000 people lining the streets of St. Louis to honor American's Post 9/11 Veterans with a 'Welcome Home the Heroes Parade.' Now, Craig Schneider and Tom Appelbaum are challenging 7 Million Americans to donate $1 each or whatever they can afford. In a release, Craig Schneider, lead organizer, said "The revolution for America to rally in support of our troops has just begun. Because of our huge success in organizing the parade in St. Louis through social media, we are issuing the challenge to Raise $7 million for Vets in Seven Days. This is only the equivalent of a one-minute advertisement on this Sunday's Big Game! The proceeds will benefit veterans' service organizations nationwide, including The Mission Continues, the only national nonprofit organization challenge post-9/11 veterans to rebuild a sense of purpose through community services." "We were able to pull off the impossible in 30 days," stated Tom Appelbaum, Craig's friend and lead organizer. He also states, "If we can pull off a parade in 30 days, I believe every city should be able to honor our veterans with a parade. This is why we are moving forward with the challenge to Raise $7 million for Vets in Seven Days." Donations can be made by going to www.MissionContinues.org/WelcomeHomeChallenge St. Louis Public Library Earns Second-Place Ranking ST. LOUIS, MO, (SLFP.com), January 29, 2012 - The St. Louis Public Library has continued its impressive performance by again earning a Second-Place ranking in the Library Category of the 2011 America's Most Literate Cities study conducted by Central Connecticut State University. This marks the third consecutive year (and the fifth time in six years) that the City Library has earned the runner-up spot. Additionally, 2011 is the seventh straight year that the St. Louis Public Library has ranked as one of the top four urban libraries in the U.S. The study focuses on cities with populations greater than 250,000. The City of St. Louis finished an impressive 8th place overall, up from 9th last year. St. Louis Public Library Executive Director Waller McGuire said, "At a time when some people question the relevance of libraries in the 21st century, it is gratifying to see that the answer is a resounding 'Yes.' Libraries are a cornerstone of great civilizations and great communities. I firmly believe that they will continue that role for a very long time to come. It is a privilege for me to be able to lead one of the nation's best libraries into a bright, exciting future." The Library category is based upon library support, holdings, and utilization. Four variables were considered for the final score: 1. Number of branch libraries per 10,000 library service population. 2. Volumes held in the library per capita of library service population. 3. Number of circulations per capita of library service population. 4. Number of library professional staff per 10,000 library service population. The study attempts to capture the literacy of the United States' major cities by focusing on six key indicators: newspaper circulation, number of bookstores, library resources, periodical publishing resources, educational attainment, and Internet resources. In addition, Central Connecticut State University President Dr. Jack Miller also focuses on how well the most literate cities fared in other quality-of-life surveys. Free Tax Preparation for Low Income Households ST. LOUIS, MO, (SLFP.com), January 28, 2012 - If you live in St. Louis City, St. Louis County, St. Charles or metro-east Illinois and your household income was less than $50,000 in 2011 you may qualify for free tax help - and you might get more money back. The Gateway EITC Community Coalition is offering free tax help to those who qualify. For information on if you qualify, locations, dates, and documents needed see below or contact United Way at 2-1-1 or 800-427-4626. The average EITC return for St. Louisans was almost $1,700 last year, according to GECC. The assistance focuses on individuals or families who qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit, which is a federal tax credit designed to help people increase their financial stability numerous ways. GECC prepares: form 1040; schedule B, C ($10,000 limit), EIC & R; form 1040-V; form 1040-ES; form 2441; form 8863; and form 8812. Please bring the following documents with you to the preparation: - All W-2's and 1099's"Up to $34 million EITC refunds may go unclaimed in the St. Louis region this year," said Russ Signorino, GECC executive director. "This figure represents a substantial loss of revenue for our community and lost income for low-wage workers." Locations/dates/times for Saturday sites are listed below for the GECC Free Tax Preparation for those with a 2011 household income of less than $50,000. Weekday locations are also available and can be found online at www.gecc.us or by calling 2-1-1 or 800-427-4626. St. Louis Public Library and Local Gardeners Receive $2,500 Grant ST. LOUIS, MO, (SLFP.com), January 15, 2012 - The St. Louis Public Library and the Walnut Park Community Garden Club has received a $2,500 grant yesterday to continue their work to develop a community garden in North St. Louis City. The grant will support the construction of a community garden and fund educational programs for youth and adults in St. Louis' 27th ward. The staff from the library's Walnut Park branch and volunteer gardeners from the Walnut Park Community Garden Club plan to cultivate an active garden that produces fresh fruits and vegetables for those in need within the community and develop educational programs that teach all ages to grow their own food. "Through grant programs like this one, we are able to connect resources to those ready to make a difference in their communities," said Missouri Director of Agriculture Dr. Jon Hagler. "The St. Louis Public Library and the Walnut Park Community Garden Club have put together an outstanding plan for the neighborhoods they serve and we hope these funds help them promote agriculture through community gardening, fresh produce and teaching their friends and neighbors how the fresh produce they are able to enjoy is grown." Construction and planning of the community garden is expected to begin in March, with educational programs beginning in May. Harvest should occur between August and November. The group plans to build youth education programs around the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education guidelines for nutrition/food energy and physical activity throughout the growing and harvest season.  
The Community Information Guide is presented in conjunction with the St. Louis Front Page and Southwest Illinois News. The sites are owned and maintained by the Moore Design Group for the sole purpose of disseminating news and information about the Metropolitan St. Louis area. Text or graphics may not be copied, rewritten or distributed in any manner whatsoever without written permission. For more information, contact editor@slfp.com All rights reserved world wide © 1996 - 2012 Moore Design Group. |
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