PARTNERS: WE ARE CURRENTLY POPULATING OUR SITE. PLEASE DO NOT SHARE OUTSIDE OF OUR GROUP PRIOR TO LAUNCH. MORE INFO COMING SOON!
The Back to School Collaborative began in September 2019 with a meeting at the St. Louis Community Foundation of school district representatives, organization providers and local foundations. The initiative was created by the National Council of Jewish Women-St. Louis (NCJWSTL).
NCJWSTL conducts a yearly Back to School Store in July that provides items to approximately 1,500-2000 elementary school age children to prepare them for returning to school. Countless other community organizations and school districts have also been providing various items to students at all grade levels for the return to school.
While all of these efforts have been valuable, embedded in the work is the question of equity: were all students in need in the Metropolitan Area being served. NCJWSTL, partnering with the St. Louis Community Foundation, called the meeting to have this very discussion.
Several small group discussions and more large planning sessions led us collaboratively to these conclusions:
1. There was not an equal distribution as ascertained from zip code mapping and discussion.
2. This Collaborative needed to focus its efforts on school supplies.
3. Funding is limited.
4. Collaborating provides a mechanism to serve more students.
5. The need is personified in preparation for a return to school in the fall, but it is really all year long.
6. There is no clearinghouse for sharing needs or excess merchandise for distribution.
7. The region could benefit from such a tool.
NCJWSTL partnered with the Clark-Fox Family Foundation to create a website where schools/organizations can identify their needs and where any group with excess merchandise can advertise its availability. It is currently being field tested and will be available for use in January 2021. Collaboration partners are listed on the Partners page.
For additional information, please call the NCJWSTL offices at (314) 993-5181.
NCJW STL MISSION STATEMENT
NCJW St. Louis is inspired by Jewish values to advance social and economic justice for all women, children and families.