Volume 9.1 by Jay Swoboda

SPRING 2010 VOLUME9 ISSUE1

WHATS

U P

$1.00

DONATION

YOUR VENDOR BUYS THIS MAGAZINE FOR 25 CENTS AND KEEPS ALL PROCEEDS

PLEASE ONLY BUY FROM

BADGED VENDORS

REAL VENDORS

DON’T SOLICIT DONATIONS ABOVE COVER PRICE

whatsupstl.com

what

ARTS + ADVOCACY + ACTION

M A G A Z I Nurba E $1.00 SUGGESTED DONATION

YOUR VENDOR BUYS THIS MAGAZINE FOR 25 CENTS AND KEEPS ALL PROCEEDS

Whats Up is distributed by andPLEASE for theONLY Homeless and BUY FROM Disadvantaged of St. Louis BADGED VENDORS

REAL VENDORS

DON’T SOLICIT DONATIONS ABOVE COVER PRICE

whatsupstl.com

TRAINS OF

THOUGHT

WHATSUP

WEARE

MAX BOUVATTE

STEFF SANCHEZ EDITOR-IN-CHIEF RJ KOSCIELNIAK PROGRAM DIRECTOR JAY SWOBODA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR/FOUNDER KATE EWING PUBLICITY MANAGER RYAN ALBRITTON CONTRIBUTING WRITER KEVIN BOYD WRITER/GRAPHICS MAX BOUVATTE WRITER/GRAPHICS ROBIN DRENNEN-BROWN WRITER/VENDOR NATE FORST CONTRIBUTING WRITER MACY MEYER GUEST PHOTOGRAPHER THEO WELLING PHOTOGRAPHER

2 PRINTED BY

K.K. Stevens Publishing Company - www.kkspc.com COVER PHOTOGRAPH by MAX BOUVATTE

Articles that appear in WHATS UP reflect the opinion and perspective of the author and not the editors of Whats Up. Articles should not be construed as attempts to aid or hinder any legislative body.

WHATS UP MAGAZINE serves as a community-

based alternative media source. Our content actively combines social awareness and entertainment in a way that encourages the population of St. Louis to be socially conscious. Whats Up also operates as a human service provider aiding the homeless and economically disadvantaged by offering transitional employment. The homeless and disadvantaged take part in sales, advertising, and production of this publication. Street vendors are given twenty free issues, and then pay 25 cents for additional copies. We are always looking for enthusiastic people dedicated to our causes of encouraging awareness and providing opportunities to the disadvantaged.

WHATS UP MAGAZINE

Advertising Sales

For rates, media kids, and deadlines conact us: (314) 241-7744 or advertising@whatsupstl.com

Homeless Speaker Series

Contact the Homeless Empowerment Project @ (314) 241-7744 for more information

Submissions: All articles should be sent to the attention of the editors at the address below. For further submission info, visit our website or contact us. We may edit submissions for clarity or length. WHATS UP needs writers, photographers, graphic designers, marketers, administrative assistants, editors, and grant writers. WHATS UP MAGAZINE 906 Olive St., Suite 1212 St. Louis, Missouri 63101 (314) 241-7744 Member of the North American Street Newspaper Association [www.nasna.org & www.streetnewsservice.org] WHATS UP MAGAZINE is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization Contact us to find out how you can support our efforts!

WHATSINSIDE

MAX BOUVATTE

CONTENTS

SPRING 2010 DECLARING OUR INTERDEPENDENCE SIX

WHY ST. LOUISANS MUST BAND TOGETHER TO FIGHT FOR THE TRANSIT THEY DESERVE

SPARE SOME CHANGE? SEVEN

BUT WE ARE IN A RECESSION A LOOK AT HOMELESSNESS DURING HARD TIMES

FREE IN THE CITY EIGHT

HOW TO GET OUT AND ENJOY THE BEST THAT ST. LOUIS HAS TO OFFER FOR FREE

A STREETCAR NAMED DISASTER TEN DOES ST. LOUIS REALLY NEED THE LOOP TROLLEY? RYAN ALBRITTON INVESTIGATES.

ARCHITECTURE OF PRESERVATION TWELVE WHATS UP INTERVIEWS MICHAEL ALLEN, HISTORIC PRESERVATION ADVOCATE

WORLD NEWS FOURTEEN

A COLLECTION OF STREET NEWSPAPER STORIES FROM ACROSS THE GLOBE.

BARISTAS SCULPT A NEW FOAM OF ART FIFTEEN IMAGES OF THE BARISTA GUILD OF AMERICA’S LATTE ART COMPETITION

AUTHENTICITY SIXTEEN

NATE FORST PROPOSES CHANGES TO RECONNECT ST. LOUIS TO ITS ROOTS

VENDOR VOICETWENTY-THREE

A COLLECTION OF ESSAYS BY WHATS UP VENDOR ROBIN DRENNEN-BROWN

BUILDING BRIDGESTWENTY-FOUR WHATS UP FIRST SHELTER SPOTLIGHT TAKES AN INSIDE LOOK AT THE BRIDGE

STREET SOURCESTHIRTY

INFORMATION FOR THE DISADVANTAGED AND HOMELESS OF ST. LOUIS

ST LOUIS MISSOURI

OURMISSION

WHATS UP MAGAZINE MISSION STATEMENT To empower men and women who are homeless

or at risk of becoming so, as they work toward gainful employment and self-sufficiency. Whats Up organizes, educates, and alliances to connect community-based solutions to the problems of hunger and homelessness leading readers to understanding and activism.The paper’s mission aims to alleviate miscommunication between communities by educating the public about housing and poverty issues, and by giving the homeless a voice in the public forum.Whats Up also informs the homeless of shelter and occupational assistance, and acts as a creative self-help opportunity for those individuals who wish to participate.

FOR QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS REGARDING VENDORS, PLEASE CONTACT WHATS UP AT (314)241-7744 or editor@ whatsupstl.com

WHERE YOUR DOLLAR GOES

75 CENTS: DIRECTLY TO VENDOR 18 CENTS: PRINTING COSTS 5 CENTS: VENDOR SERVICES 2 CENTS: ADMINISTRATION

If you’ve got a comment or suggestion, we’d love to hear from you. WHATS UP MAGAZINE 906 Olive St. Suite 1212 St. Louis, MO 63101 editor@whatsupstl.com 314-241-7744 HOMELESS SPEAKERS SERIES Contact the Homeless Empowerment Project @ 314-241-7744 for more information.

THESE MEN AND WOMEN DO NOT BEG

WHATSUPVENDORS KENNETH HAYES VENDOR #371

BRIAN McDONALD VENDOR #382

LA MAR WILLIAMS VENDOR #384

JOHN EDWARDS VENDOR #392

LAURA THOMAS VENDOR #414

AL SPINKS VENDOR #421

DONALD CAMPBELL VENDOR #633

VICK EDMOND VENDOR #638

GEORGE MOREHOUSE VENDOR #634

RHONDA CURRY VENDOR #674

PETE BUTLER VENDOR #719

PAUL JACKSON VENDOR #698

DEMITRES GRAVES VENDOR #706

ANTHONY ADAMS VENDOR #656

ALL-STAR VENDOR

CEDRIC JACKSON VENDOR #631

ISAIAH DYSON VENDOR #620

ROBIN DRENNEN-BROWN VENDOR #449

DARREN SHAW VENDOR #675

TERRY AUSTIN SR. VENDOR #640

EDWARD LITTLE VENDOR #682

DIANE CRUDUP VENDOR #655

LLOYD ANDERSON VENDOR #703

CLIFTON SIMS VENDOR #145

PAT MALONE VENDOR #332

DARRELL PAGE VENDOR #689

ORTHER HURST VENDOR #363

MIKE JOHNSON VENDOR #709

KELVIN DAWSON VENDOR #683

WHATS UP MAGAZINE

DONATIONCENTER

THE BEST WAY TO HELP IN THE FIGHT AGAINST HOMELESSNESS AND POVERTY IN OUR CITY

IS TO HELP US REACH OUR GOAL!

WE NEED 100 PEOPLE TO GIVE A $10 TAX-DEDUCTIBLE DONATION

Our organization has no paid staff and your support helps us continue our vendor and education programs. Yes! I am making a tax deductible donation of: (please circle one) $500 $250 $100 $50 $25 $10 $_____ Yes! I would like to sponsor a vendor for $50/month. This allows a vendor of your choice to receive 200 magazines each month. Yes! I would like a subscription to WHATS UP. Enclosed is my check for $20 made out to WHATS UP MAGAZINE. Name (Please Print) Address City

State

Zip Code

Thank you for supporting WHATS UP!!!

WHATS UP MAGAZINE is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization

WHATS UP MAGAZINE / The Homeless Empowerment Project 906 Olive Street, Suite 1212 St. Louis, MO 63101 314-241-7744 or www.whatsupstl.com

ST LOUIS MISSOURI

RADICALISMANDTRANSIT

Declaring our interdependence RJ KOSCIELNIAK PROGRAM DIRECTOR

ou are not alone. The promise of our local future can only be realized through our ability to move as a community. In these modern conditions, when crisis remains a constant fixture of our different and divergent lives, the most radical action is that which is informed by the mind of the collective. When we understand that interdependence is the keystone to achieving any goals–be they in our homes, at work, neighborhoods, or cities–we claim the radical moment as our own. In a nation so publicly divided by the cultural vanguards of unpleasant and uncreative ideologies, we can only take authority of our fate by understanding the power which courses through each of us. Power does not act on people, it acts through people. The black/white reality that has long been deposited in the vaults of our social conditioning must be excavated and abandoned. Nixon was right, there is a silent majority, but of different meaning –there is a local human enterprise of common purpose and common responsibility–it is our closeness and humanity which unites us in the face of all tyrannies, disparities, and inequalities. It is not the infinite blaze of ammunition, the din of bombs dropped, it is not bannered celebration on the decks of battleships, and it is certainly not the words of a few directed at the many that makes us one nation. This silent majority believes in the collective action of people, in the collective power of moving as one. We believe in the immutable power of solidarity and we intend on demonstrating that belief. It is not merely enough to support transit, or advocate for the restoration or expansion of transit, our objective must be to save our community, to save St. Louis, and bring us –as one group so blessed with the potential of each individual – towards the full promise of our unique enterprise.We have been called upon by no such leader, by no overarching philosophy; we have come here without a prevailing ethos or any ulterior motives. The motives of the moment are pure; they are rooted in the importance of our communal concerns. We are only what we bring to this struggle; we are only what we find inside of ourselves by interacting with our peers and friends and colleagues. We are the keepers of our sisters

WHATS UP MAGAZINE

and the keepers of our brothers. The politics of the past offers us little in the way of true inspiration; we can find possibility in the chronicles of our city but not true potential –that reservoir of thought, that bulk of power, comes from us, here and now.To move forward as a community, as a group willing to place its whole survival at the top of our priorities, we can and will start to realize that we must declare a solemn truth to those detractors and opponents.To the cynics and small-time despots, we must, as one community bound together in time and place sharing one dedicated soul, declare our interdependence. As this new decade stretches from its birth and strengthens its balance so we too must strengthen our common resolve. For we, as the sun sets on the promises of the past and rises to illuminate future disappointments, only bear the strength of the community we create. No one is going to save us from the fate menacing the life of our fellow urban brethren; the existence of the postindustrial city is being winnowed so as to become the home of the poor and the once-a-month tourist trap for the secure. St. Louis has for too long been cast as the malignant core that transitions into benign theatre for baseball, football, and hockey. It is more, and we –living and working and breathing –are more. This is no time to advocate for the future of our city, it is time to act in the name of that future. The existence of a strong public transit system is the physical representation of our commitment to our community–it is a gift from all to all. It is the truth defined by our labor, it is the connection we offer to ourselves. It is a map of the urban process; it is a map to urban progress.There is no war worth fighting alone. No battle to be won by a single pair of hands. Our fortunes are acutely connected to the fortunes of the whole. In these landscapes we find the defining characteristics of the different, unique, and innovative. In this we find our new definition of radicalism. We are a single anatomy. We are a single geography.We are the multitude of ideas. .We are a single St. Louis.There is no line; abandon the asphalt partition between the city and county. We can be the radical factor that controls this metropolitan fate. We are not alone.

RECESSIONANDHOMELESSNESS editor@ whatsupstl.com

J. SWOBODA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Spare some change? We’re in a recession!

s publisher of an urban issues magazine that relies on homeless and disadvantaged men and women vendors for the distribution of our thoughts, energy and ideas – it came to my attention that street sales might just be impacted by the current economic times and maybe, just maybe, the number of person’s experiencing homelessness had increased. To test this theory, I took a walk to Lucas Park a few blocks from our office just after lunch. Not a soul in sight except two men leaning up against NLEC’s downtown homeless shelter across 14th street.This was a place many of us for years have affectionately referred to as “Hobo Park”! What gives? It was a touch cold, so I ventured over to the Central Library across the street. It was crowded. Disheveled, bag-burdened patrons were scattered throughout the tables, but nothing like I remember in my early days of pacing these halls looking for a writer/friend who reliably was hunched over some obscure book. So, where were all these pesky homeless folks hiding? National statistics point to an increase of about 900,000 – 1.1 million families with children that fall have fallen into deep poverty over the last year, and Catholic Charities’ Housing Resource Center is still getting over 30,000 calls a year in St. Louis. New York City had a 40 percent increase in the number of families requesting emergency housing assistance – Massachusetts had a 32 percent increase, but what about St. Louis? How did the poor and

7 disadvantage of our town stack up? It turns about better than you might expect. Despite the record number of calls for housing assistance, food pantries running out of supplies, and regional unemployment well over 10% - the number of homeless families and individuals that were getting stuck on the streets, and becoming “chronically homeless” actually decreased by 40 percent between 2007 – 2009 from 258 to 147. Amazing! I’m not convinced this is just a fluke. St. Louis has been a national leader in the fight to end chronic homelessness. The Continuum of Care that exists in our region to connect people with resources is truly outstanding. Does this mean that we’ve solved homelessness? Or course not, but I think if you ask someone who has walked the streets of downtown St. Louis for more than 10 years – you would be hard-pressed to find someone who was unaware of the visible reduction in the number of hard-core homeless visibly projecting their economic condition. Have we just gotten better at hiding our poor in St. Louis? It is possible. Maybe the downtown renaissance just pushed them out. Perhaps they got some wits about them and moved to California. I’m not suggesting we ignore the national statistics, but I think there is real cause for some small celebration. St. Louis just doesn’t get a lot of breaks and we certainly don’t get to stick out our chest often. I know we have a long way to go in this region. I know a lot of folks are hurting out there, but let’s be proud of the great work that countless souls are doing to improve the lives of our most economicallychallenged St. Louisans. We all make a difference. Every little bit helps. So, I know the panhandlers are still out there and many of us just don’t have the spare change we used to carry – but keep supporting the great organizations that in no small way have reduced chronic homelessness in St. Louis.When we get through this recession, and we will, remember to smile more often - especially to the panhandlers requesting your spare change!

The number of chronically homeless families and individuals decreased by 40 percent in St. Louis between 2007–2009. ST LOUIS MISSOURI

FREEINTHECITY

columns@ whatsupstl.com

Free in

Or, How I Learned to Stop W WORDS AND GRAPHICS BY KEVIN BOYD

or months now, a flat grey sky has loomed, suspending sunbeams in its static haze. Despite the cold and a shoestring budget, one must either get out or descend into a deep winter madness. Traveling into the cold requires a plan. There are many attractions nearby that one can enjoy for free, some permanent fixtures and others passing attractions. Forest Park abounds with the iconic architecture, art, and animals that are the pride of our city. One can get lost in The St. Louis Art Museum for hours.The echoing entry hall immediately transports visitors away from the ordinary and into a labyrinth of art. Each painting is a window into another state of mind, and each artifact a link to other cultures and times. However, the museum houses more than stuffy European paintings. Its many wonders include sarcophagi with real mummies and the armory room, which hosts intricately decorated weaponry and armor. To learn about St. Louis’ rich past, The History Museum is the place to go. The main exhibits focus on the 1904 World's Fair and aviation superstar Charles Lindbergh's fascinating career.As for special exhibits, there is a section devoted to the 150 year history of the Missouri Botanical Gardens (open until May 30).

WHATS UP MAGAZINE

For a more hands-on experience,The St. Louis Science Center is an excellent place for people of all

ages. Here one gets exposure to concepts including paleontology, optics, the physics of architecture and interplanetary travel. While admission to the museum itself is free, one can purchase a ticket to the OmniMax for a wrap-around movie experience. Lastly, The St. Louis Zoo deserves a visit. St. Louis’ Zoo is consistently rated one of the best in the world, and still manages the exceptional distinction of charging no entrance fee. One can carouse with bear cubs or visit the Primate House or Herpetarium on Historic Hill without spending a cent!

Famed 17th-centur y mathematician Rene Descartes once said that “the reading of all good books is like a conversation with the finest minds of past centuries.” The same holds true today and local libraries are a great way to visit old favorites like Mark Twain or Bill Shakespeare for the lean of budget. One can avoid the elements while enjoying weeks of free entertainment. If a conversation with Descartes himself does not satisfy, today’s library

FREEINTHECITY

in the city

p Worrying and Enjoy St. Louis on a limited budget catalogue now includes modern marvels like Xbox and Wii games. ... Books are not the only way to soak up information. Experts deliver lectures all the time in our city, most of which are free and open to the public. For instance, some upcoming lectures to catch are:

Festival will host free performances of Hamlet in Forest Park, nightly at 8:00p.m, except Tuesdays. ... As the weather starts to lighten up with the Tue Mar 9, 7:30 p.m.: "Early Human Populations onset of spring, new in the New World: A Biased Perspective.” By opportunities for free professor James M. Adovasio, Mercyhurst College. diversion will arise. The Lecture to be given at the Missouri History Museum. springtime sun will bring Fri Apr 11, 8:00 p.m.: "Images on Textiles: The a blissful injection of Weave of 5th century Athenian Art and Society." serotonin, and like new Lecture to be given by professor Michael Vickers at leaves stretching out from dormant trees, people will the St. Louis Art Museum. Tue Apr 22, 8:00 p.m.: Lemp Historic Site: 4th creep out of their hiding summer excavation report. Lecture to be given by places to soak it up. Mr. Chip Clatto at the Missouri History Museum. Fri May 9, 8:00 p.m.: "New Evidence for Understanding the Initial Peopling of the Americas.” By professor Robson Bonnichsen of

Texas A&M University, Lecture to be given at the St. Louis Art Museum.

For more information about the places and events listed in this article, please visit:

The end of winter marks the start more of outdoor events. St. Louis is well equipped in the department of festivals and affordable entertainment. Some upcoming occasions include:

St. Louis Art Museum: www.slam.org Missouri History Museum: www.MoHistory.org St. Louis Science Center: www.slsc.org St. Louis Zoo: www.stlzoo.org

March 13, 12p.m.: 41st Annual St. Patrick's Day Parade. There will also be a run at 9 a.m. prior to

the parade.

Sun Apr 25: St. Louis Earth Day Get together

with members of the community to celebrate our celestial home in Forest Park.

St. Louis Public Library: www.slpl.org St. Louis County Library: www.slcl.org St. Patrick’s Day Parade: www.irishparade.org Earth Day: www.stlouisearthday.org Hamlet: www.shakespearefestivalstlouis.org/

May 26- June 20: The St. Louis Shakespeare

ST LOUIS MISSOURI

LOOPTROLLEY

A Streetcar

columns@ whatsupstl.com

RYAN ALBRITTON WHATS UP WRITER

Does St. Louis really

t. Louis, once keeper of the great title “Fourth St. Louis City, County and the Metro-East area, is City” has seen decline in the past century. Our composing a comprehensive plan for St. Louis transit once booming industries have relocated or over the next 30 years. This plan includes: Light-rail consolidated with overseas companies. Our city has expansion, Bus Rapid Transit, possible commuter been compromised as an urban center by interstates, rail corridors and improvements to existing service. suburban interests, and competition between There is another public transit proposal in the different communities all claiming St. Louis as their works for the St. Louis area. Although unrelated to greater area.This disconnect has been exacerbated the Metro plan, the Loop Trolley could have major over the last century by the dismantling of our once implications for it as well for the community. robust streetcar system. Although plans are in the The Loop Trolley proposal, currently in its final works for a revival, it is unlikely St. Louis will become planning phase, seeks to link the Missouri History a streetcar city again. Still, our Museum to the Delmar Loop City has had the ability to via a streetcar system running maintain and is now reversing on Debaliviere and Delmar.The T h e L o o p Tr o l l e y i s these trends. project harkens back to the the As reported by the Post- estimated at upwards of spirit of the streetcars that once Dispatch on Jan. 26, the our City’s streets $50 million with an annual dominated B ro o k i n g s I n s t i t u t e h a s and provides access to and determined that poor are not operating cost of $4 million. from the East and West Loop as concentrated in urban and as well as Forest Park.The Loop rural areas as they once were. Trolley Company, a coordinated According to their report, effort between Joe Edwards “suburbs in the country’s largest metro areas saw and Citizens for Modern Transit, has determined their poor population grow by 25 percent” between that the Trolley would spur economic development 2000 and 2008, In St. Louis City, the poverty level along the route, especially in the East Loop, and help has dropped while the population has grown. Our ease traffic congestion on Delmar.Also, because the region is also now facing the possibility of furthering frequency of the trolley, every ten minutes according our public transit infrastructure and increasing our to the LTC plan, it can be assumed that less cars will viability into the future. This will, however, require be on the road. People can park in one location and that our overall community (city and county) come hop on the trolley to their next. together and act as one regarding transit funding. “You could make a case that it could subtract cars As we are presented with the many options ahead [from the road],”said Tom Shrout of CMT, of us it is imperative for the community as whole However, we must consider the cost of such that we do not make decisions based on anything projects. The Loop Trolley is estimated at upwards but what is best economically and socially for us all. of $50 million with an annual operating cost of $4 Metro St. Louis, the public transit institution for million. The sources of this funding have not been

WHATS UP MAGAZINE

LOOPTROLLEY

r Named Disaster need the Loop Trolley? determined yet, but a study is currently underway and will be completed this year. Trolley projects like this one are reviving historic public transit all over the country. The nostalgia is particularly strong in St. Louis, which had an expansive system of streetcars lasting into the 1960s. Looking at the old trolley map, it is apparent that St. Louisans once had the ability to exist without cars and do it well. The St. Louis Streetcar Company became the largest manufacturer of Trolleys in the world. The eventual demise of the system in the wake of automobile and highway development gutted dense urban area and gave way to sparse suburbs where public transit is impractical and virtually impossible. Luckily for St. Louis, our region has been served by busses since. From the 1990s, we have also had access to light-rail. Together, these create one of the best transit systems for cities our size across the nation. Riders use busses and trains to get to and from work at the rate of 180,000 people per day, a number that continues to rise due to the weak economy. While not a revival of the old trolley network, Metro St. Louis does provide a practical and efficient mode of transport for people across the Metropolitan area. It is likely that the Loop Trolley will spur development along its route, much like an expansion of Metrolink would do elsewhere in the city. The difference lies in the motivation and goal for such a project. When Metro expands, news agencies and politicians research their history, look at their finances and question their motives. In fact, as a non-profit

transit organization, their only goal is to move people efficiently. Hopefully before tracks are laid on Delmar, we will ask those same questions of the LTC. The Loop Trolley will be nice. It will be nostalgic. It will be attractive. It will do exactly what a bus can already do. There is nothing wrong with streetcars, just as there is nothing wrong with buses or light-rail–they all serve communities in different ways.Transit planning, however, has to be done with a bias towards the community it serves and not to the mode it plans to employ. If it is determined that the Debaliviere/ Loop area would best be served–practically and economically–by a streetcar, then let the tracks be laid. If, however, there is another motivation behind the desire for trolleys along this route, if the goal is to have just one more attraction in the Delmar theme park, then serious reconsideration needs to happen because a streetcar that does not serve its neighborhood as well as it serves its visitors is nothing more than a novelty. THE PROPOSED ROUTE OF THE LOOP TROLLEY. COURTESY WWW.LOOPTROLLEY.ORG

ST LOUIS MISSOURI

STLPRESERVATION

the architecture of

defend historic buildings all across the region. Still, in some cases I will walk away. Rather, I end my visible efforts–people don’t always realize that 99% of preservation advocacy happens outside of public meetings. If I don’t testify against demolition at the Preservation Board, that could be because I exhausted the efforts and came up against unwilling WHATS UP: St. Louis' buildings face serious owners, officials and neighborhood residents. In that problems–development pressures, limited funding case, it’s best to put efforts into winnable battles than sources and changing neighborhood patterns. What do to showboat on a lost cause. you consider when developing an opinion as to the fate WU: St. Louis began as a village with only minimum planning. Now, St. Louis City still only has an “Acting of a particular structure or group of structures? MICHAEL ALLEN: My first act is looking at the level of Director of Planning” since the departure of Rollin Stanley. community support. If residents and property owners How has this affected communication and coordination around a threatened building really want to save it, with current planning and preservation efforts? then it makes a lot of sense to get involved. I try to MA: The lack of a permanent planning director offer aid and amplification to existing preservation definitely is detrimental to preservation efforts. efforts, rather than go into communities and tell However, the position is so constrained by statue people what should be preserved. The more wide that perhaps some in city government figured there the support for saving a building, even one that an would be little difference–save a large salary–if the owner or the city considers too far gone to save, position went unfilled. I disagree....[T]he city planner the better chance that there will be many people is an important part of implementing preservation goals in redevelopment working to find a new owner agreements.The planner is called and new use. Believe it or not, “People don’t always into discussions about large I dislike solo advocacy.Without projects no matter where they wide support, a building can be realize that 99% of are. Unless a major project is spared a demolition action but in a local historic district, the will end up being lost anyway preservation advocacy Cultural Resources Office rarely through neglect. Ultimately, I happens outside of even gets to offer an advisory don’t pick which buildings get opinion. The planning director saved–people who can afford public meetings.” can shape projects anywhere to save them do. I try to lead -Michael Allen in the city. Thus, the planner those people to opportunities. often is the primary conduit for If community support is hard preservation planning, and Rollin to determine, then my next criteria is looking at the importance of a building or group. This is not was an ally who did much good for preservation. necessarily the ultimate importance or stand- We have a great acting planning director now, but alone significance, although it can be. If buildings we really need a permanent director with the are significant examples of a style...a material or a acknowledged authority that Rollin built. building type, then I will want to do my best to try WU: When portions of downtown and the Soulard to raise community support.If community support neighborhood rebuilt after the fire of 1849, brick does not materialize, then I might act alone to raise became the predominant building material.What is your awareness. Some buildings are just too place-defining opinion of the use of brick throughout the City in 2010– to go down without a fight. At the end of the day, especially with a focus on building a more sustainable every beautiful building helps define the total sense and affordable built environment? of place of the region. We all have the obligation to MA: I wish there were more brick buildings. Brick was rank Lloyd Wright once said that “The mother art is architecture. Without an architecture of our own we have no soul of our civilization.” Michael Allen, an architectural historian, is fighting for the soul of St. Louis. Whats Up asked Allen about his efforts to preserve buildings in the St. Louis area.

WHATS UP MAGAZINE

STLPRESERVATION

preservation: michael allen the earliest affordable modular building material, and there is enough clay left in St. Louis to supply bricks for generations to come. I wish that we could keep our reclaimed brick in town and use it here in new construction. Of course, not every building should be brick. The fireproofing concerns of the 19th and early 20th centuries are past, and we can safely build buildings in other materials.We can affordably build in other materials, and should. There ought to be no material constraints on today’s architects, who may dazzle us by deftly employing some unexpected material as well as architects manipulated brick. I hope that future local historic district codes are more sensitive to modern materials, and rather than categorically prohibit their use strategically allow for innovation. Insistence on use of phony brick fronts stifles originality and often produces designs unworthy of standing next to great buildings of years past. WU: Development in the City of St. Louis can be very disorganized and poorly coordinated. In your opinion, what are the best strategies for attracting investment to join and support plan’s like the NorthSide Regeneration and how can we encourage better communication between proposed residential, commercial and retail projects moving forward? MA: We need an independent authority in city government to reconcile community and private interests. Without such a force, we have a political shell game with developer, elected official and concerned citizen all mutually distrustful and working at odds.A strong planning agency could keep all three working together by enforcing ground rules and ensuring ample public discussion takes place–that existing land use and redevelopment plans are followed. The best way to attract investment and encourage fair play is to have the city planning agency do the planning, not private developers.Then citizens and developers both expect the same constraints and possibilities. WU: Few would deny that St. Louis has a rich cultural and architectural history. In what ways can we improve dialogue, understanding, exposure of all our

region has to offer and what paramount lessons from the past would you make sure were not lost? MA: Some of the city’s foremost preservationists are active neighborhood residents who fight the good fight right where it matters: at home.There needs to be more networking among these citizen-activists, who are the vanguard of current preservation efforts. There needs to be sharing of information, skills and strategies.The mainstream preservation movement once was made up of these people, and now it has become institutionalized. there’s a gap between the preservation movement and the practitioners. We need to build a movement based on their good work that empowers everyday preservationists through mutual cooperation and communication. That’s the key to promoting dialogue and understanding – breaking down the rarefied aura of historic architecture and embracing the fact that it’s a part of everyone’s daily life. It’s difficult to live in this region without passing through or by a historic building in an average day. So many people live in historic homes. Preservation in St. Louis is inherently democratic and universal because of the commonality of historic architecture here. How we treat the amazing architecture of the region is not something that comes down from on high, and it’s not something arcane or archaic. The historic built environment is our environment in St. Louis, and we are all occupants, its users, its appreciators and its stewards.The best lesson from the past is that our ancestors were wise enough to gift us this amazing architectural legacy. We should cherish it. M i c h a e l A l l e n works as an architectural historian in St. Louis. He is the director of the Preservation Research Office, as well as a board memer of the St. Louis Building Arts Foundation, the North Newstead Association and Preservation Action. He is also the author of the blog Ecology of Absence @ ecoabsence. blogspot.com.

ST LOUIS MISSOURI

WORLDNEWS

WüRLD NEWS

A collection of news from street papers around the world. The other side of ‘Aunt Tiwo’ The controversial story sent many minds in Malawi into a quandary, failing to figure out what two Blantyre-based men were up to when they went through the traditional Malawian engagement ceremony. Steven Monjeza Soko, 26, and his partner Tiwonge Chimbalanga, 20, were reported to have become engaged on Saturday December 26, 2009 at a place called Mankhoma Lodge in Chileka. Gay marriage is illegal in the conservative southern African country, and, as the first gay couple to declare their love in Malawi, the two men were later arrested and charged with “gross indecency”. (Courtesy of The Big Issue Malawi)

(MOH). However, only 43 percent of the adults and 40 percent of children who require anti-retroviral treatment (ART) were actively on treatment by the end of September 2008, ministry records show. Each year, more than 20,000 mothers in Uganda pass on HIV to their babies, according to the MOH. One such reluctant parent is Justine Kirumira (not her real name). Speaking to IPS, she said “Yes, there is a possibility that my daughters may also be HIVpositive. But I rather not know. It’s only when they fall sick that I really get worried (that they may be infected after all).” (Courtesy of Inter Press Service)

Legal Issues of Homelessness The recent increase of homelessness urged by the faltering economy should spark sympathy and outreach from the community and lawmakers alike. However, in several major US cities homelessness is not just frowned upon, but illegal. Not only has it been deemed illegal to be homeless, but police actually have a right to confiscate the possessions of those found illegally camping. Rules such as the Boulder, CO Revised City Code 5-6-10, have continually hurt the homeless as police can arrest, jail, and use physical force against the 1,050 homeless people that reside in Boulder. Laws such as this can be found around the country as homelessness increases without an increase in programs or housing for those in need. Essentially these laws make it illegal for one to sit or lay in public and private areas; actions impossible to avoid for a person living on the streets. (Courtesy of NASNA)

Hope for crack addicts? Vancouver is going to get its first safe smoking site for crack cocaine users since 2003. The Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users (VANDU) is planning to convert its office in the city’s Downtown Eastside into a place where crack cocaine users can smoke in a supervised space. The facility would be modelled on legal drug consumption rooms in Switzerland, Germany and the Netherlands. Plans for the space come as a study in the Canadian Medical Association Journal suggested that safe-inhalation sites could mitigate the risk of AIDS.The study found that daily crack cocaine users in Vancouver increased 29 per cent, among the sample, between 1996 and 2005. The study also found that approximately 87 per cent of users are homeless or live in transient housing, which has left alleys and streets as some of the few places available to smoke. (Courtesy of Megaphone)

Early Diagnosis of HIV Still Elusive Many parents in Uganda are still reluctant to test their children for HIV because of the fear and stigma that surrounds HIV/AIDS.This reluctance to test for HIV is a trend that is slowing down paediatric AIDS prevention, treatment and care efforts in the East African country, according to health organisations. Approximately 1.5 million people in Uganda are living with HIV including 88,919 children aged 0 to 14 years, according to the ministry of health

By Street News Service SNS Exclusive © Street News Service: www.street-papers.org

WHATS UP MAGAZINE

Street papers like Whats Up Magazine are produced all over the world to provide editorial voices missing from the mainstream media.The International Network of Street Papers brings together their content through the Street News Service. This Service provides exclusive content to street paper readers worldwide.

LATTEART

Baristas Sculpt a New Foam of Art Guest photographer Macy Meyer shares images from The Barista Guild of America's premiere St. Louis Latte Art Competition. The Event was hosted by FOAM Coffee & Beer Feb. 11.

ST LOUIS MISSOURI

AUTHENTICITY

the great RECONNECTION authentiCITY

CREATING PLACE

IN DOWNTOWN

S T. L O U I S “The key is that the city must find an inspirational vision for itself rooted in what it is and its own essential character. A great city, like a great wine, has to express its terroir. “ --Aaron Renn, The Urbanophile WORDS / CONCEPTS BY NATE FORST

WHATS UP MAGAZINE

AUTHENTICITY

Perhaps the hardest part

has been accomplished.

t is a tired story most of us would prefer not to hear again: Over the past half-century plus, the city of St. Louis has literally lost significantly more population than currently resides within city limits. From a peak of nearly 860,000 residents in 1950, the city shrunk to a low of roughly 350,000 in 2000. During this period the city systematically attempted to destroy its past. Through large scale demolition of historic structures, construction of roads and highways specifically engineered to divide communities, and damaging urban renewal policies, the region was nearly successful in doing so. Fast-forward to 2010 and much has changed. As many of the remaining commercial buildings from St. Louis’ gilded age were converted into lofts, a oncedead downtown core has been revitalized, drawing many back to the city.As of last summer, downtown now has an excellent grocery and world-class public art. And, for the first time in 60 years, St. Louis saw its first growth, estimated in 2008. There is now significant energy being devoted towards reconnecting downtown to our region’s most impressive natural amenity, via out area’s most iconic monument.The City+Arch+River 2015 design competition comes at a pivotal time. If the reconnection between downtown and the riverfront is properly completed, there is every reason to believe the positive results could be even more

profound than the project’s most ardent supporters realize. Currently, a group of concerned citizens, calling themselves City to River, is committed to realizing that the dream of a reconnected St. Louis be achieved to the highest capacity.Their main goal is to see the disruptive section of highway 70 that severs our community from its original settlement be removed. When citizens’ initiatives engage the public process in a focused way like this, great things happen. City to River deserves your most ardent support to achieve this Great Reconnection. With the larger machinations heading in a positive direction, what else can we do to aid the momentum and foster the Great Reconnection? One thing is clear: after years of removal, neglect and whitewashing, downtown currently lacks an identity. And as the city will be reconnected to the river, the city must also be reconnected to its origins as a confluence of ideas, culture and civilization. Simply put, we must spotlight the heritage of the this grand old Mississippi River Town while moving downtown forward as a unique, walkable, city village –a place with a distinct character like nowhere else in the area. Of course, we can be content to leave it to the region’s elites and entrenched developers.They will be more than happy to create a stale collage of chain restaurants and soulless redevelopment characteristic of Anytown, USA.

ST LOUIS MISSOURI

AUTHENTICITY

St. Louis, because of its rich history and dense, old world-esque street grid, deserves much more. We believe this can be accomplished by developing a mix of Heritage Destinations supported by Urban Village Amenities. Here are some ideas to get the ball rolling:

HERITAGE DESTINATIONS: Confluence Blues Museum & Peetie Wheatstraw’s Saloon

18 Detail: Imagine a small-scale museum full of R&B relics and information blended with a throwback saloon built on the scholarship of Devil at the Confluence by Kevin Belford and the notion that the cradle of blues music may have actually been the levee at St. Louis. Vision: Two levels featuring a small interactive museum detailing local contributions/bluesmen, art and

old school photography/video footage highlighting STL blues influentials/history and STL’s primacy in the development of Blues/Rock history. A saloon with small venue (basement) featuring traditional acts like Big George Brock, and Bluesmen of the future like Marquise Knox. Museum will build on current exhibit @ the Sheldon that a needs permanent home and additional artifacts. Potential Offshoots: Blues Heritage Trail -- a short tour that provides info markers connected by trails

to famous sites in blues history (example: 11th/Morgan – location of the incident that inspired one of the most famous songs in blues history “Stagger Lee”). The trail would be a great way to pick up additional funding partners.

The past is not dead. In fact, it’s not even past. – William Faulkner WHATS UP MAGAZINE

AUTHENTICITY

Mound City Memorial Detail: A small, pedestrian-friendly store-front museum/interactive/retail operation on Washington devoted to the builders of the earthen mounds that gave the city an early nickname (Mound City) and the largest pre-historical city in North America (Cahokia).We have a World Heritage Site in our backyard, let’s capitalize on it! Vision: Work with National Parks or UNESCO to create this small “satellite museum” in downtown that will be both a draw in St. Louis and a primer for Cahokia Mounds. Create visuals that show the mounds on the Missouri side of the river prior to destruction. Track sustainability with what caused decline of Cahokia (most experts agree resource depletion). Map out routes to current and former mounds on the St. Louis side of river. Future Potential: Restore marker at Big Mound and partner with the Osage Tribe, owners of the mound off of Interstate 55. Include maps and images of what area looked like before settlement up through current period. This may be another good prospect for the arch grounds project or a possible tie-in at least.

Sustainability Substation

Detail: A small retail venture that sells locally made biking gear (708 Cycling), green gadgets, perhaps

even local bio-fuel (Kelley Green).

Vision: Imagine a store similar to Brookstone or Sharper Image but with an emphasis on sustainability gadgets and local products. It would make sense to team up with Bike Loft to achieve this. Future Potential: An excellent possible branding/franchising opportunity for other parts of the region

and beyond.

ST LOUIS MISSOURI

AUTHENTICITY

Urban Village Amenities Locavore Crossing & Peer-to-Peer Farmer’s Market Detail: A reliable accessible drop-off station where local farms would deliver fresh products directly

to the consumer. This venture is built on the premise that there is a significant market desire for opportunities that allow individuals to personalize their relationship to food – a place where you can meet and interact with the people who produce your food.

Vision: Work with Fair Shares CSA and nearby healthy farming operations such as Patchwork

Farms, Greenwood Farms, and Earthdance Farm to create this urban “food hub.”

Future Potential: Consumers could utilize a web based Peer-to-Peer network that links directly

to local farmers. Better choice for the consumer plus the Farmer can better anticipate demand via requests on the interface. Think online Farmers Market, but you meet the actual farmers on drop off/pick-up day. Also the market could offer pre-made packages for those who don’t have time to pick up during the market hours (this could be seasonal).

“Moving forward sustainable cities and successful commerce will be interdependent.”

WHATS UP MAGAZINE

--Realdania

AUTHENTICITY

Street Vendor Food Carts Detail: Initially 3-4 “Portland Style” semi-permanent cart options serving wellpriced “street food.” High quality food in a pedestrian friendly cart tradition. Vision: Located in a highly visible, public gathering place such as Old Post Office Plaza, City Garden) diners would enjoy a diverse food experience that helps establish a foodie scene downtown drawing on local favorites. Future Potential: More carts/options could be opened if the first round is

successful.

Taken as whole, these proposed developments work together to continue to establish a new urban tone for Downtown St. Louis. Rather than a generalist approach to development, we see the proposed endeavors as part of a unified thread that can tie together the uniqueness of St. Louis’ historical narrative while establishing a new, authentic, and smart growth-oriented “Front Porch” for the region. ST LOUIS MISSOURI

SUCCESSSTORY

Transitional Housing Resident Success On February 17, 2009, James Polk moved into a Horizon Club transitional housing unit, funded by the St. Louis Office for Developmental Disability Resources (DD Resources). It is also funded through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the City of St. Louis Department of Human Services. Mr. Polk who has a developmental disability, was homeless for over a year. During November of 2008, he began accessing services at Horizon Club. Through the Horizon Club he was connected to several services. DD Resources assisted Mr. Polk through the agency’s Project Casefind service. Through the Project Casefind service, he was found to be eligible for case management with the St. Louis Regional Office due to his developmental disability. He was then found eligible for a transitional housing unit. Since then, he has worked with the Vocational Rehabilitation program and MERS/Goodwill to find employment. He has also acquired disability benefits with the help of the Access Disability firm. He is a model participant in the transitional housing program and is making plans to move into his own apartment in the next few months. James Polk says,“Due to all the agencies that assisted me in the journey to no longer be homeless, I finally feel successful.” Since 2008, the Horizon Club has connected individuals in need to a transitional housing unit.This program was designed for individuals who are chronically homeless with either a developmental disability and/or a dual diagnosis of mental illness and substance abuse. There is a limited amount of transitional housing units available. Before an individual enters transitional housing, he/she must commit to working towards developing a plan to end his/her homelessness by addressing the barriers the person has encountered in the past. Individuals are able to reside in transitional housing units for one to two years.

The Horizon Club is an initiative of DD Resources. It is a 24-hour drop-in center for people without homes. It is not a shelter. Services provided include access to internet, phone, showers, laundry room, locker room for storage, and the transitional housing program. There is a high demand of needs amongst members/guest of the Horizon Club therefore donations of socks and underwear are always welcome. DD Resources was created through the passage of Senate Bill 40 by Missouri legislature in 1969 and was incorporated in 1980.This legislation, known as the County Sheltered Workshop and Developmental Disability Services Law, allows local taxing districts to ask voters to approve a real estate tax to provide services to persons with a developmental disability. Services are provided to individuals of all ages with the following developmental disabilities: autism, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, and mental retardation. Individuals must have acquired their developmental disability before the age of 18. Individuals are also eligible if they meet the functional definition of a developmental disability as determined by the St. Louis Regional Office. For more information regarding DD Resources you may contact Michelle Darden at (314) 421-0090, mdarden@stldd.org.You may also visit our website at http://www.stldd.org. St. Louis Office for Developmental Disability Resources 2334 Olive Street St. Louis, MO 63103 Phone: (314) 421-0090 Fax: (314) 421-2525 E-Mail: stldd@stldd.org

WHATS UP MAGAZINE

VENDORVOICE

23 columns@ whatsupstl.com

ROBIN DRENNEN-BROWN VENDOR

to between themselves and have knowledge about things–and there is nothing wrote with a person wanting to have things. However, we all need to remember that there is not any one human being better than another. We need to remember that if God didn’t breathe life into our soul, we wouldn’t even be here. Not one of us. God sees no color, race or sex. Yes, we were created male and female–but that is not why we live.We should never just anyone by the color of their skin, sex, nationality or what they did in their past. Because, what really matters is what they are doing now and, most importantly, God.

A prayer to God

In the name of God, the most compassionate, the most merciful, God you are the creator of day and night, Dawn and afternoon, and all the seasons, creator of all things and mankind. t. Louis City and County needs to create more Master and ruler over the seven heavens, jobs for the people.There are too many people the worlds and all between. out of work and fewer places to go get jobs. You are the master of the day of judgement. More and more people are unable to work of even You are the all-seeing, all-knowing and find work. We also need more buses on the street yet the most forgiving. for those who do not drive so that people will be Most merciful, for you know all able to get to work. and everything, Jobs need to pay even what we do not. But yet you well. Companies Whats Up vendor Robin are most merciful, oft forgiving and also need to offer still we have favor with you. on the job training Drennen-Brown follows You are the one and only. to those who need up her collection of short You are eternal, absolute and the it–and to pay new essays with a new installment. only one we worship when we bow employings while our heads to pray. t h e y a re b e i n g This issue, Drennen-Brown trained. That will offers her own stimulus Give thanks to the Lord for all help families be able ideas, discusses the need for that he has done in our lives. to pay bills, rent and Give thanks to the Lord for all the buy food, clothes humility and offers her own blessings he has given us. and whatever else words of prayer. Give thanks to the Lord for not they might need. giving us more than we can bear. In return, this Give thanks to the Lord for giving would help other us good to eat and water to drink. businesses make But most of all, give thanks to the Lord each and money and help stop the recession that the country every day. now faces. And, reduce crimes!

St. Louis needs new jobs

What Really Matters

n this world today there are a lot of people competing with each other and always trying to be better than the next person. It’s OK for a person

ROBIN DRENNEN-BROWN is an active vendor for WHATS UP

ST LOUIS MISSOURI

SHELTERSPOTLIGHT

STORY BY MAX BOUVATTE PHOTOS BY THEO WELLING

Building D

owntown appears vacant as we drive to the church. I assume the reason for this emptiness is that most people have locked themselves inside to avoid the three inches of a “wintery mix” forecasters have summoned. But as I look through the window, through the blowing snow, the stray individual does emerge. They are singular and quiet against the backdrop of hollow parking garages and neon storefronts.They shuffle between the valleys of cold office space; face covered, chin pressed to chest, hands buried into pockets. As we pass I am hoping their destination is a warm, familiar place just a bit farther up the road where they will be shielded from the unforgiving weather. My hopes are possibly naive. We pull up to the Centenary Church of St. Louis. It presents itself as most churches do; permanent and old, a solid stone structure rising to a crucifix, oversized mahogany doors, arching windows framing stained glass. There is an addition to the church– noticeably modern compared to its holy counterpart. We enter this half of the building and follow voices through a hallway that leads to the cafeteria which is filled with close to 100 people.The room is nothing less than bustling. Some are alone but most are

WHATS UP MAGAZINE

collected in groups, talking and passing time.There is silence for a brief prayer and then we are introduced to Debra Crowe and Andre Cole, head coordinators at the The Bridge. Cole explains that The Bridge is a place where an individual can get grounded and if need be, they can get a hot meal during breakfast, lunch or dinner hours. He seems excited to fill me in on this place. “A guest can re-establish their identity here,” says Cole. “We have a mailing service here where anybody can get mail.” Crowe mentions more benefits of The Bridge’s mailing service. “If a person has a mailing address they can receive a copy of their birth certificate, or a state ID,” she adds.“Soon we will have voice mailboxes available for our guests. If someone here wants to apply for a job somewhere, they will have proof of their existence and residence, so the stigma attached to being homeless is taken away because the issue never has to enter the conversation. We’re trying to remove as many obstacles as possible so people can stand on their merits and not have to worry.” Cole guides us towards the kitchen and introduces us to the head cook, Jeff.

SHELTERSPOTLIGHT

Bridges

A VOLUNTEER OFFERS SUPPORT DURING DINNER.

ST LOUIS MISSOURI

SHELTERSPOTLIGHT

HEAD COOK JEFF (R) LAUGHS WITH BRIDGE COORDINATOR ANDRE COLE. “I COOK MORE THAN JUST HEADS,” LAUGHS JEFF.

“I cook more than just heads though” says Jeff with a chuckle. As we are talking a man in a swollen parka approaches the counter, he looks tired. “Are you Judy?” He points accusingly at Debra. “No,” she replies, giving him an unsure glance. “Where’s Judy?” A woman appears from the kitchen. She is wearing an apron and is wringing her hands with a rag. “I’m Judy,” says the woman. I am expecting the man to throw something or yell. “You cook this chicken?” “Yes,” she replies. The man pauses for a moment and smiles. “It was really good.” The mood in the shelter is unexpectedly warm

WHATS UP MAGAZINE

and upbeat, and for a while it seems people have forgotten how frigid it is outside. It feels as if there is a community here, honest connections are made and the compassion put out through the staff is what holds it all together. We say our good-byes and return to the quiet downtown streets. It is strange, but only a moment ago the people out the window seemed isolated, but now as we pass by I know there is a place they can go. If you are in need of a place to stay during daytime hours, or in search of a meal, you can visit The Bridge at 1610 Olive street, St. Louis, Mo. 63103. Hours are 6:15 a.m.- 5:30 p.m. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served five nights a week. For more information please call The Bridge at 314-421-3136. To offer a helping hand, dial extention 107 and ask for Debra.

SHELTERSPOTLIGHT

ANDRE COLE, A COORDINATOR AT THE BRIDGE, DISPLAYS THE COMPUTER LAB THAT WILL SOON BE AVAILABLE TO ALL GUESTS.

The Bridge by numbers... 8,756 persons were served 12,668 meals in December2009 +550 guests visit The Bridge daily. +3000 meals per week served by The Bridge's kitchen 726 people have a mailing address through The Bridge 314-231-3136 the telephone number to call and volunteer The Bridge is located at 1610 Olive Street St. Louis, MO 63103. for more information please go to http://centenarystl.org/

The Bridge Drop-in Center is open 6:15am - 6pm on Monday - Thursday, 6:15am - 2pm on Friday, and 4:30 - 6:00pm on Sunday. ST LOUIS MISSOURI

ADVERTISING WITH YOUR BUSINESS AND

THE COMMUNITY IN MIND

WHATS UP AD SIZE

MONTHLY FULL PRICE

¼ Page ½ Page Whole Page

$ 75.00 $ 150.00 $ 300.00

3-MONTH 15% OFF $ 85.00 $148.75 $276.25

CALL 241-7744 OR CONTACT ADVERTISING@WHATSUPSTL.COM FOR MORE DETAILS

Good pay

866-861-2010

WHATS UP MAGAZINE

STLRESOURCES

STREET SOURCES

INFORMATION FOR THE DISADVANTAGED AND HOMELESS OF ST. LOUIS AND THOSE WILLING TO HELP, AID AND ASSIST THEM IT IS A REQUIREMENT OF ALL SHELTERS THAT CONTRACT WITH THE CITY OF ST. LOUIS OR St. LOUIS COUNTY THAT INDIVIDUALS ACCESS SHELTER VIA THE HOUSING RESOURCE CENTER’S (HRC) HOUSING HOTLINE. LOOK FOR THE HRC

LOGO IN THE SERVICE DIRECTORY.

Almost Home, Inc. 3200 Vincent See Key for Description St. Louis, MO 63104 314/771-4663 Almost Home is a transitional living home for homeless young women who are primarily teenage. The young women may or may not be pregnant, or may have one or two children. The program is nine months and may be extended. Clients must be homeless, drug- and alcohol-free, and willing to participate in structured, goal-oriented programs. They must be willing to utilize counseling; seeking to live a functional, independent life in appropriate or permanent housing; and willing to change unsatisfactory living patterns. Clients will attend classes in budgeting, parenting, and child development.

Gateway Homeless Services 1000 N. 19th Street HRC St. Louis, MO 63106 314/231-1515 The Christian Service Center is a 90-day, 24-hour shelter for 135 single women, single women with dependent children, married couples with or without dependent children, and single fathers with dependent childeren. Services provided include basic shelter services, individual case management, life skills program, medical and psychological services, educational assistance, permanant and transitional housing placement, self-esteem, emergency assistance, tutoring, employment referrals and activities for homeless youth.

Centenary Methodist 55 Plaza Square St. Louis, MO 63103 314/421-3136 This downtown faith community reaches out to the downtown homeless with compassion and a whole list of community resources from 7-9 AM for breakfast and 12 - 12:30 PM for lunch Tuesday-Saturday.

F M

Good Samaritan Center 2108 Russell St. Louis, MO 63104 314/772-7720 The Good Samaritan Center offers stabilization and resettlement services for homeless families coming out of the shelter system. Services include transitional housing, case work training, support groups, life skills, follow-up, and referrals. Clients must be at least 18 years of age, have a family or children living with them, employable, and willing to work at their resettlement.

WHATS UP MAGAZINE

Grace Hill Neighborhood Services: MORE Transitional Housing Program 3815 North 20th St. St. Louis, MO 63107 314/539-9659 Grace Hill provides transitional housing and emergency assistance (when funds are available) for single women and mothers. Clients must meet several criteria, including 1.) being homeless or in imminent danger of becoming homeless; 2.) having no more than two small children; 3.) having income or being eligible to receive income assistance; and 4.) being willing to participate in self-help activities (i.e., employment, training or GED classes).

Haven of Grace 1133 Benton St. HRC St. Louis, MO 63106 314/621-6507 Haven of Grace assists homeless, pregnant women ages 16-21 with shelter, goal-setting, education, employment, parenting, household management, and permanent residence.

Hope House 1611 Hodiamont Ave. St. Louis, MO 63112 314/382-3801 Hope House offers 50 transitional housing apartments for homeless families, comprehensive social services, family development, vocational and educational counseling, housing placement assistance, on-site living skills classes, and day care center. Clients must be prior St. Louis City residents and in a shelter for 15-30 days or referred by Housing Resource Center. After completing a comprehensive screening, the average stay is 12 months.

S M W

Housing Resource Center 800 N. Tucker Blvd St. Louis, MO 63101 Hotline for Services 314/802-5444 The Housing Resource Center provides centralized, comprehensive housing assistance for families who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. The focus is on prevention, but when prevention is not possible, emergency shelter placement and post-shelter placement is provided. Services include intake, assessment, and screening. Clients must be city or county residents (based on last permanent address). New Life Evangelistic Center (NLEC) 1411 Locust St. Louis, MO 63103 314/421-3020 NLEC provides Christian outreach ministry to meet mental, physical, and spiritual needs of the City’s endangered residents. Among its services are: 24-hour hotlines, counseling, overnight emergency shelters at three locations (singles, men only, women only and families), rental/mortgage assistance, women’s services, utility assistance, transitional housing programs and shelters.

S W M

Olive Branch 5029 Vernon Ave. HRC St. Louis, MO 63113 314.367-7676 Olive Branch provides 24-hour maternity shelter care for homeless/pregnant adolescents. Mother and baby may stay for up to three months after birth.

Our Lady’s Inn 4223 S. Compton HRC St. Louis, MO 63111 Phone: (314)351-4590 The Inn is an emergency shelter for homeless pregnant women. Clients must be pregnant, 18 years old or older, and City or County residents.

Peter & Paul Community Services, Inc. Emergency Shelter/Transitional Housing 711 Allen St. Louis, MO 63104 HRC 314/621-5520 Peter & Paul Community Services assists homeless and near-homeless single men in several ways: a 50-bed year-round emergency shelter, a 20-bed year-round transitional program, meals, showers, lockers, medical referrals, living skills classes, and case management. Federal poverty guidelines apply and clients must be 18 years or older. Candidates for the transitional program must be sober and drug-free for a minimum of 30 days and have a willingness to continue treatment.

Grace Chapel Ministries 1230 California St. Louis, MO 63104 314/995-5013 Grace Chapel Ministries provides emergency and transitional housing for men, food pantry, clothing for homeless, permanent housing assistance, job placement, and transportation assistance for health services. The services are for adult male homeless clients with no serious chemical dependency problems.

STLRESOURCES

31 CALL THE HOUSING HOTLINE

Salvation Army CIP: Transitional Housing Program HRC 4100 Snow St. Louis, MO 63120 314/389-9293 CIP offers 30 transitional housing apartments for homeless families in recovery. The center also accept homeless families that are not in drug recovery program and willing to work in our program. Families must have been in a shelter for 30 days prior to a referral being made.

314-802-5444

Covenant House Missouri HRC 2256 S. 39th St. St. Louis, MO 63110 (314) 772-6530 Covenant House Missouri provides emergency and long-term (12-24 months) transitional housing to prepare single women and men ages 17 to 21 for independent living. Services include individual counseling, family therapy and group counseling. Clients are homeless, single men and women 16 to 21 years old who need residential care and skill training to live independently, and who are willing to comply with program activities and structure.

Redevelopment Opportunities for Women, Inc. 2229 Pine Street St. Louis, MO 63103 314/588-8300 ROW effects positive change on behalf of homeless, abused and/or indigent women and families through programs and services that help individuals pursue economic self-sufficiency. Services include adult basic education and literacy, economic education, personal and life skills development, parenting education and support, domestic violence support and advocacy, and an early childhood program.

Someone Cares Mission 2718 N. 13th Street St. Louis, MO 63107 314-621-6703 Someone Cares Mission, a subsidiary of Christian Service Center, Inc., provides fresh and nutritious brown-bag lunches, personal hygiene products, and blankets for homeless and impoverished individuals and families five days a week. The Mission also distributes approximately 20,000 pounds of food daily to benefit bi-state regional homeless shelters and food pantries.

St. Martha’s Hall P. O. Box 4950 St. Louis, MO 63108 314/533-1313 St. Martha’s Hall is a confidential shelter for abused women and their children. Services include individual and group counseling, legal advocacy, information, referral, and follow up. Clients must be female victims of domestic violence, 18 years old and up. The Hall does not admit males older than 13 years of age. St. Patrick Partnership Center 800 N. Tucker St. Louis, MO 63101 314/802-0700 The Partnership Center provides home living skills training and open market housing for individuals referred by agencies within the Homeless Services Network. Casework, employment training, child care, GED, and vocational referrals are available. The Center provides furniture and supplies to graduates of homeless and at-risk people referred by a member of the Homeless Network Board.

St. Phillipine Emergency Shelter 1015 Goodfellow Blvd. St. Louis, MO 63112 314/454-1012 St. Phillipine offers families with children 60-day shelter, providing hot meals, laundry and bathing facilities, referrals to transitional housing to women and children, medical referral, and access to City of St. Louis Homeless Services classes.

St.Vincent de Paul Society 4141 Forest Park Blvd. St. Louis, MO 63108 314/531-2183 St. Vincent de Paul assists with transportation for the homeless. Service needs to an out-of-town location would be referred to Mullanphy Travelers Aid, and local needs would be provided by the Society via bus and MetroLink passes when available. Serves families and individuals facing homelessness in St. Louis City, St. Louis County, Jefferson County, and St. Charles.

Sunshine Mission 1520 N. 13th St. St. Louis, MO 63106 314/231-8209 Sunshine Mission offers a men’s emergency shelter, men’s long term rehabilitation program, women’s emergency services, food pantry, and youth programming. The men’s shelter is first-come, first-served.

The Salvation Army 10704 Page St. Louis, MO 63132 314/423-7770 This Salvation Army program is a year-round 50-bed shelter for County families who are homeless. Life skills training, legal assistance, child care, GED, and assistance into permanent housing are available for homeless families and abused women and children.

United Methodist Metro Ministry Shalom House 1040 S. Taylor St. Louis, MO 63110 314/534-1010 Shalom House is a 90-day shelter, which provides medical and dental services through Grace Hill Neighborhood Services, mental health services through St. Louis Mental Health Center, and a drug/alcohol day program through BASIC, D.A.R.T., or C-STAR programs. Clients are females (predominately mentally ill) aged 18 and older only. Veterans Affairs Homeless Veterans Program Healthcare for the Homeless 915 N. Grand Blvd. St. Louis, MO 63106 314/289-6547 The veterans’ program provides intake, assessment, referral, counseling, consultation for rehabilitative services, and residential placement through the program contract. The program serves honorably discharged veterans homeless for at least 30 days.

C.A.L.L.-4-Life, Inc. 4144 Lindell, Suite 136 St. Louis, MO 63108 314/652-0003 C.A.L.L.-4-Life outreaches St. Louis City residents who are homeless and were in special education while in school, and/or have a developmental disability. Services include connection to benefits, healthcare, housing/shelter, and long-term case management.

Women’s Safe House P.O. Box 63010 St. Louis, MO 63163 314/772-4535 The Women’s Safe House is a shelter for battered women and their children. Services include legal advocacy, community speaking and education, housing referrals, support groups, children’s programs, and limited transportation.

YWCA-Phyllis Wheatley HRC 3820 West Pine Blvd. St. Louis, MO 63108 314/533-9400 The facility provides housing for single women (up to two years). Personal and career development services include: Case Management Services, GED Certification, Educational and Vocational Assessment, Counseling, Job Readiness Training, Job Search and Referrals, Life Skills. Clients are single women, homeless or about to become homeless, 18 and older, and employed a minimum of 20 hours per week or with current written verification of income.

KEY W

SHELTER AND SERVICES FOR WOMEN

SHELTER AND SERVICES FOR YOUTH

SHELTER AND SERVICES FOR MEN

SHELTER AND SERVICES FOR VETERANS

SHELTER AND SERVICES FOR FAMILIES

SERVICES FOR THE HOMELESS OF ST. LOUIS

ST LOUIS MISSOURI

City

Sound tracks

If you need more info, want to help us out, or perform, call us @ 314.225.7104 or 314.241.7744. Or, check us out at trackingprogress.org

THE MUSIC FESTIVAL THAT MOVES YOU A music festival that gives you the power to ride public transit between stages conveniently located near train stations. A music festival that gives you the chance to see St. Louis, hear St. Louis and ride St. Louis public transit.