Spirit of St. Louis Women’s Fund (SOS) Presents Ten Local Nonprofits with $213,333 in Grants During Virtual Awards Ceremony

More than 150 attendees joined together on Wednesday, May 20, to share in a virtual celebration of collective giving. Even from their own homes scattered across the region, members of the Spirit of St. Louis Women’s Fund (SOS) managed to feel the impact of the annual Spirit Awards.

Powered by a diverse group of women from nearly every corner of the St. Louis region, SOS, a component fund of the St. Louis Community Foundation, has been a quiet but mighty force for change since 2006, delivering over $2.7 million in focused and informed grants to more than 85 small nonprofits throughout the community.

This year, due to the social distancing guidelines of Covid-19, the members and guests couldn’t gather in person to honor the SOS grantees for the upcoming year, but the excitement was still felt as the recipients were announced.

 Grant recipients recognized at the virtual Spirit Awards:

Three-Year Grant

St. Louis Story Stitchers Artists Collective:  $100,000 (Paid in three $33,333 installments, beginning in 2020)
StitchCast Studio provides discussion-based education programming with artist-mentors and youth-led podcast recordings that incorporate the arts.  Podcasts will focus on the streets, gun violence, and finding solutions to issues that are coming at our youth hard.

One-Year Grants

Almost Home:  $25,000
Foundations to Success Transitional Living Program provides transitional housing and supportive services to low-income, single mothers ages 16 to 21 and their children.

Angel’s Arms:  $20,000
Life Launch Program works to prepare foster youth living in Angels’ Arms homes for a successful transition to adulthood.

Asthma & Allergy Foundation of America, St. Louis Chapter:  $10,000
The BREATH program provides prescription assistance, durable medical equipment, healthy home assessments, and education to low income children under the age of 22.

Eye Thrive:  $15,000
Mobile Vision Clinic provides free vision screening, glasses and follow-up services as needed for low-income children in North St. Louis County.

Home Sweet Home:  $25,000
Provides free furniture and home goods to St. Louis families transitioning out of homelessness and into low-income housing.

Migrant and Immigrant Community Action Project (MICA):  $25,000
Children’s Immigrant Action Project provides pro-bono legal services and access to educational, social and medical resources for immigrant children.

Pianos for People:  $20,000
The Free Piano School in South St. Louis City and Ferguson provides access to high quality piano instruction, summer camps, workshops, and community events for disadvantaged families.

Urban Harvest:  $25,000
Food Access Program supports a healthy community through seven organic urban farms, food donation, urban agriculture education and public programming to reach St. Louisans impacted by food insecurity.

Volunteers in Medicine, Inc.:  $15,000
The VIM clinic and pharmacy provide free health care and medication for low income uninsured adults in St. Charles and Lincoln County.

To learn more about SOS and the difference these women are making in the community, visit www.spiritstlwomensfund.org.