Area Resources for Community and Human Services (ARCHS) has been selected by the State of Missouri to implement a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) grant.

Missouri will receive up to $2 million from the USDA to provide access to healthy foods to approximately 10,000 vulnerable children from the St. Louis, Kansas City, Hickman Mills and Center school districts next summer.

“No child should ever go hungry in Missouri; but unfortunately, many children who receive free or reduced-price meals are at risk of malnutrition during the summer,” said Gov. Jay Nixon. “I have long been a strong advocate for these programs to help children in need, and I’m pleased that Missouri is leading the way to help these children in the summer months as well.”

The Missouri project operates as a collaborative between the Department of Social Services; the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education; the Department of Health and Senior Services; the Local Investment Commission (LINC) in Kansas City; ARCHS in St. Louis; and the Kansas City, St. Louis, Hickman Mills and Center school districts

Mack Caldwell (left) and Nico Reed at a recent ARCHS' Adult Basketball/Life Skills awards banquet. Both Caldwell and Reed have found employment with ARCHS' partners.ARCHS is known across the State of Missouri for managing programs that impact the lives of thousands of the area's most vulnerable citizens. However, when ARCHS' program participants begin finding careers within ARCHS' partnership umbrella, it's a testament to the extra mile that is taken to truly change lives.

St. Louis residents Mack Caldwell and Nico Reed, who are participants in ARCHS' Basketball/Life Skills program, have recently found employment with two of the organization's partners. Caldwell serves as a Youth Facilitator with Fathers' Support Center and Reed is a Youth Support Worker in the ASAP after school program at Langston Middle School.

"I take a lot of what I learn at basketball and apply it to my job," Caldwell said. "I see the camaraderie the guys have while playing basketball and things we learn in the life skills classes and analyze what I can so I can teach the kids I work with some things."

"I love working with the kids," Reed said. "It's a big responsibility because they look up to you and you have to set an example. I try and take the positives out of Adult Basketball and teach the kids I work with some things they can relate too."

More than 270 Attend STAR Summit II
New White Paper Released

The first in a series of “white papers” issued by the St. Louis Alliance for Reentry (STAR) is being released today (Tuesday, March 15) during a regional summit addressing prisoner reentry topics. Today’s summit is providing the community with an update on STAR’s 2010 accomplishments and 2011 goals. A documented rise in the use of heroin throughout the St. Louis region will be a topic of the summit. More than 270 people are attending STAR’s second annual community summit that features speakers such as Missouri Department of Corrections Director George Lombardi, St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay, St. Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley and prisoner reentry experts.

Humanitri bus riders get ready for their trip to a state prison to visit their son, who will be released later this year.The city of St. Louis was still asleep as the sun broke the horizon of a muggy and early April 10 morning. Not a vehicle or person was in sight down Russell Boulevard, except for a Humanitri bus waiting to depart to a state prison. The passengers eagerly waiting inside did not care that it was 6:15 in the morning, or that they had to start their weekend earlier than most. They were happy to be on their way to see their family members who are in prison.

“I have two sons locked up. I am the only one who ever goes to see them,” said one woman, as she excitedly tapped her foot in anticipation. “One comes out next year, and the other comes out in less than two. I let them know I love them, and I am starting to see positive changes because one just got his G.E.D. and wants to go to school when he gets out.”

Humanitri’s new two-year pilot program, “Next Steps Home,” will continue to serve inmates and their families 12 to 18 months after release.