Guest Blogger:  Mr. Travis Hughes

Today,  from 4:30pm to 7 pm the City’s Department of Human Services, and the St. Louis Public Schools, will have a “Hope Is Moving In” hub grand opening at Sigel Elementary School, 2039 Russell Boulevard. This hub will service the 6th Ward in providing housing services.

Created in October, the “Hope is Moving In” initiative is a comprehensive plan that implements federal plans to fight homelessness through the establishment of five hubs located throughout St. Louis. City residents can receive assistance in the following areas:  housing assistance, mainstream benefits assistance, legal advice, and financial services.  The goals of this initiative are to:

• 1)      Obtain and retain permanent housing;
• 2)      Help participants increase income and improve skills, allowing them to secure financial independence; and
• 3)      Help participants achieve greater self-determination, enabling them to transition out of homelessness.

 The Sigel Elementary hub is designed to serve residents in wards 6, 7, 9, 11, 15, 20, and 25.  A downtown hub, at 800 N. Tucker, will provide rapid re-housing services for the homeless.  Three additional school hubs will open during November to serve the remainder of the City.

Darrin Williams, owner of Dawg Day

For all you dog lovers, downtown is set to have a new business to cater to your furry friends. Dawg Daycare is the brainchild of Mr. Darrin Williams, a city resident, who came up with the unique concept after a visit to Chicago.

Back in 1993, at the age of 13, I was blessed to win a trip to Washington, D.C. to learn about our government. This trip was sponsored by an organization called, Best Friends, which was spearheaded by Barbara Eagleton, the wife of former Senator Thomas Eagleton. It was through this opportunity, that I first visited our nation’s Capitol, the Washington Monument, the Jefferson Memorial, and met various elected officials. I fell in love with D.C. and began to seriously explore the possibility of running for public office at the tender age of 13.

Now almost 15 years later, it has become a sense of obligation, that I do all I can to support and motivate other young women to become active and involved in the political process.

Had I not won the free trip, back in 1993, to Washington, D.C. I am not sure if I would have had the interest or self-assuredness to apply for a job on Capitol Hill immediately after college graduation. It was through my 1993 experience that led to an internship during college in Washington, D.C. That internship experience, ultimately resulted in a full time position, at Capitol Hill as a congressional staffer to former Minority Leader, Dick Gephardt. Oftentimes, success occurs when opportunity crashes into exposure. It is my hope, that young women in our community will become exposed to the many great programs that exist to encourage young women into public office.

RUNNING START sounds like a wonderful program to help train young women and get them active and involved in the community.

Running Start is accepting applications for their 2009 Young Women’s
Political Leadership Retreat. Please share with local teachers and encourage
any high school girls you know to apply.

COST: The program is entirely FREE of charge, and travel scholarships are
Available to sophomores, juniors and seniors!

WHAT: Running Start encourages high school girls from across the country
To channel their leadership into politics. Participants will meet
extraordinary women leaders of diverse backgrounds and learn the
importance of having more women in political leadership and running
for office. (Even if the girls are not interested in politics, this is a
great program way for them to build self-esteem, practice public
speaking and learn to collaborate with other young women.)

WHO: Open to rising Sophomores, Juniors and Seniors in high school

WHERE: American University, Washington D.C.

WHEN: July 15-19 2009 (no applications will be accepted after February
16, 2009)

APPLY ONLINE:
http://www.runningstartonline.org/leadership-program/index.php

The St. Louis Police Department, the Department of Public Safety, 100.3 The Beat and Brutha team up to provide an informative discussion with St. Louis city students on the relationship between fathers and sons.

When: Sunday, January 18th
Where: Roosevelt High School
Time: 3pm – 7pm
Who: St. Louis Public School Students, SLMPD, 100.3 The Beat & Brutha

Ward residents who normally have their trash colleted on Mondays and Thursdays will have their trash collected on Tuesday, January 20th and Thursday, January 22nd

Residents who normally have their trash collected on Tuesdays and Fridays will receive trash collection on Wednesday, January 21st and Friday, January 23rd.

Ald. Kacie Starr Triplett

Youth Service and Impact Mini grants are available for young people to work on a community issue or problem. Applications for the 2009 funding cycle are available NOW.

Your youth group is eligible if:

*Your program or agency is located in the City of St. Louis
* Your youth group’s annual operating budget does not exceed $100,00.
* Your group has a federal tax exempt status (501c3) or another agency is willing to serve as your fiscal agent

For information and to obtain a grant packet, contact Sue Huelsing at 314-535-6964 ext. 11 or at shuelsing@stlmhb.com

“I’m so proud of the amazing turnout and support shown by my fellow Sixth Ward residents,” Triplett said. “We showed that President-Elect Obama’s message of hope and changed resonated throughout the central corridor.”

Triplett, who also served as a local spokesperson for the Obama campaign, credited the impressive showing to the hard working Sixth Ward Democratic Organization.

Spearheaded by Committeeman John Maxwell and Committeewoman Bev Bucheit, along with Ward Chairman, Alison Gee, the leaders of the Sixth Ward Obama Canvassing Team, Mary Kay Christianson and Chryssi Ingrassia, and Change to Win Field Organizer, Jack Coatar, the organization implemented successful voter registration drives at Clinton Peabody, local churches and several neighborhood functions. They also registered many of the homeless in downtown Saint Louis and even provided arts-and-crafts childcare services for busy parents on Election Day.