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"Guardian Angel is making a profound difference in the lives of those are facing adversity. We provide more than just education, food and financial assistance - we offer hope, dignity and a brighter future to those who need it most." ~ GASA President and CEO Reona Wise

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The mission of Guardian Angel Settlement Association is to serve under resourced community members by helping them improve the quality of their lives and achieve academic independence.

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Parenting Courses ---> Domestic Violence in STL

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Parenting Courses ---> Domestic Violence in STL

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From Firstalert4

“We have declared a state of emergency,” said Shantasha Love with Diamond Diva. “There is actually help out here, which is something that most of the time they don’t know.”

“Now, on a month’s average, we may get in three applications of men when before we didn’t get any.”

In June and July 2023, Love said Diamond Diva received about 50 applications for services. In November and December, there were 80-90.

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From 5onyourside News

Food prices are up 10% over last year, we are seeing higher rates of food insecurity, the highest rate of food insecurity we've had since 2017," St. Louis Area Food Bank Community Resource Coordinator Andrew Yakel said.

Feeding America data shows 1 in 6 children face hunger in Illinois and 1 in 5 face hunger in Missouri.

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Childcare Services ---> Lack of Education in STL

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Childcare Services ---> Lack of Education in STL

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From Fox2Now:

With nearly 80% of all children struggling to read at grade level, parents and educators are calling for urgent reforms.

“For some reason, in education, you can fail and not educate kids and remain open. That’s literally not doing your job. So, I’m not sending my daughter anywhere; I’m seeing only 7 percent of your kids in your school can read,” parent and founder of Activate STL Tiara Jordan-Sutton said.

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5-10 Questions about the Guardian Angel Settlement Association

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5-10 Questions about the Guardian Angel Settlement Association

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-Does your program offer education from 6-16 years old in any capacity? I see adult educational programs and your childhood program states that it works from 6 weeks old to 5 years old.

-How does the Guardian Angle Settlement Association engage with local organizations or businesses to enhance its impact?

-What role does volunteerism play within the Guardian Angle Settlement Association, and how can individuals get involved?

-Can you provide examples of recent initiatives or success stories from the Guardian Angle Settlement Association that highlight its effectiveness?

-How does the association measure its success and impact within the community it serves?

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-ability to work with others well based on high levels of communication and connection

-Relator: will work hard with others to achieve a goal

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I love working with other people and I personally believe in order to have a better Earth and achieve outward projects we must heal society and work to make everyones future safe, affordable and comfortable.

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Redlining in St. Louis refers to the discriminatory practice that began in the 1930s, where banks and insurance companies denied services to residents in predominantly Black neighborhoods. The term comes from the red ink used to outline these areas on maps, indicating them as high-risk for investment. This led to systemic disinvestment, affecting housing, education, and access to resources. The legacy of redlining still impacts St. Louis today, contributing to economic disparities and racial segregation in the city.

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Dr. Robert Nelson and the Digital Scholarship Lab at the University of Richmond, investigates the lasting impacts these policies continue to have on our city.

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Economic Disinvestment: Historically, industries have left the city, leading to job losses and reduced economic opportunities.

Education Inequities: Access to quality education varies widely, with many schools in low-income areas underfunded and overcrowded, affecting students' future prospects.

Housing Discrimination: Practices like redlining have contributed to concentrated poverty and limited access to homeownership and stable housing.

Health Disparities: Poor health outcomes and limited access to healthcare services can hinder economic mobility.

Racial Inequality: Systemic racism has led to unequal opportunities for Black residents, exacerbating poverty levels.

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When people are educated + employed, businesses have more solid workforces + families have more disposable income. It costs taxpayers an estimated $22,187 per year to house an incarcerated person in Missouri [7].

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Growing up in poverty not only impacts a person's day-to-day reality, but has the power to determine their entire future. Right now in the United States, a kid's socioeconomic status is a better indicator of college graduation than academic ability.

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Share of Residents in Poverty:

Percentage of residents living in census tracts where over 40% of residents are in poverty.

Equity Score:

Current score: 30 (scale of 1 to 100).

A score of 100 indicates no racial disparities in outcomes.

Disparity Ratio:

Current ratio: 3.56 (black-white).

Black residents are over three times more likely than white residents to live in areas of concentrated poverty.

Source:

Data from American Community Survey 1-year PUMS.

Equity Goal:

A score of 100 would reflect racial equity, indicating equal likelihood for white and Black residents to live in high-poverty areas.

Focus not only on equity but also on improving overall outcomes for all residents.

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A score of 100 represents racial equity, meaning there are no racial disparities in outcomes. The lower the Equity Score, the greater the disparity.

For Concentrated Poverty, a score of 100 - a score reflecting racial equity - would mean white and black residents are equally likely to live in high-poverty areas. It is important to note that for this indicator, equity is not our only goal; we also want to improve outcomes for all.

More Information

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The share of residents in the City of St. Louis who live in census tracts where more than 40% of its residents live in poverty

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Funding Disparities:

Tax abatements often divert funds away from public schools, limiting resources for low-income and predominantly Black neighborhoods.

School Quality:

Schools in areas receiving tax abatements may not see equivalent improvements, exacerbating existing inequities in educational quality.

Limited Investment:

Wealthier areas benefit more from tax abatements, leading to better facilities and programs, while schools in poorer areas struggle.

Neighborhood Development:

Tax abatements can lead to gentrification, pushing out long-term residents and disrupting community stability, which affects students' learning environments.

Inequitable Outcomes:

The resulting educational inequities contribute to lower academic performance and fewer opportunities for Black and poor students.

Long-term Effects:

These disparities can perpetuate cycles of poverty and limit future socioeconomic mobility for affected students.

Policy Implications:

Addressing these disparities requires reevaluating tax abatement policies to ensure they support equitable educational funding and community investment.

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Overarching Disparities: How Black and Poor Students are Disproportionately Impacted by St. Louis-Area Tax Abatements - Good Jobs First

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Overarching Disparities: How Black and Poor Students are Disproportionately Impacted by St. Louis-Area Tax Abatements - Good Jobs First

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Potential for Change: Illinois has the opportunity to get rid of childhood poverty with dedicated and sustained efforts alongside families and disadvantaged communities.

Upcoming Policy Forum: A policy forum hosted by Children’s Advocates for Change will address barriers to poverty reduction in East St. Louis, bringing together various stakeholders including social service providers, educators, and lawmakers.

Recent Advancements: Illinois has made strides in supporting families, including increased funding for schools in high-poverty areas, expanded early childhood education, and new benefits for housing, food, and healthcare.

Child Tax Credit: The introduction of Illinois’ first child tax credit is a significant achievement advocated by Cruzat’s organization.

Persistent Challenges: Despite progress, deep-rooted poverty remains, particularly in East St. Louis, which faces issues like systemic racism and economic decline.

Demographics of Poverty: East St. Louis has a poverty rate exceeding 30%, with nearly half of its children living in poverty, starkly higher than state averages.

Legislative Commitment: The Intergenerational Poverty Act aims to halve deep poverty by 2026 and eliminate child poverty by 2031, though its recommendations require legislative action for implementation.

Key Discussion Topics: The forum will analyze why poverty reduction efforts have stalled, despite federal support and investment.

Impact of Inflation: Many families are struggling as pandemic-related support has ended and costs for essentials have risen, leading to persistent poverty rates.

Education's Role: Schools in East St. Louis are vital for stability and support, yet they face challenges such as declining attendance post-pandemic.

Community Collaboration: The forum aims to foster dialogue among community partners to address needs and develop impactful strategies.

Ongoing Commitment: The organization plans to extend discussions statewide, emphasizing the importance of intentional and sustained efforts to combat poverty.

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East St. Louis forum to tackle persistent childhood poverty

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Educators, health officials, lawmakers coming together on Tuesday in East St. Louis, where one in two children live in poverty.

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Re-stocking Guardian Angel's Thrift Store

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In these photos we took the other day, we had been organizing all of the clothes that were to be in the thrift store. At this time of year, as it gets colder, its needed for warmer long sleeves, pants, boots and coats to be brought out. And so we did exactly that, replacing the summer clothing items in Guardian Angel’s thrift store with winter clothing.

Having the proper clothing attire per weather conditions is heavily important so that families can stay warm, dry, or cool in times of need. These clothes are free for those who need them so that people who struggle to financially support themselves are able to get through summer and winter without the additional struggle of buying new clothes.

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Today we continued to re-stock the thrift store items, finding coats and pants and making sure to replace those items in with the tank tops and shorts from summer.

We learned from interviewing one of the women that work within the organtization that this thrift store is welcome for all, howveer since they are partnered with another higher company, it is required that they have income documents from all those who are shopping. Additionally, we learned that on average the people and families shopping there usually have an average income of 13,000 a year.

This thrift store and what we're doing is important so that these people can have the proper clothing needed per weather demands, as well to alleviate the financial burdens of having to buy clothing for themselves or their children while working to get out of poverty.

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Wednesday we had begun re-stocking the food pantry part of the company, which is placed within the same building as their thrift store.

We learned that Guardian Angel doesn't limit the amount of food or clothing the people are wanting to take and don't give them rules such as "you can only fill one basket." Although the families and people are only permitted to shopping in their thrift store and or food pantry once a month, having no rules allows these families to really take as much as they need.

This is also why what we did was so important, as many of the other volunteers mentioned that the shelves become empty very fast and are in need of constant re-stock.

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Today we continued to help clear out all of the summer clothing and stock up such as coats, hats, scarves, gloves, pants, etc. I personally also worked at the front desk, where I learned how to work with the people who wanted to sign up for the programs that Guardian Angel offers. It was during this job I saw paperwork of people who apply, one persons paperwork saying their monthly income was about $50.00.

One of those signups are for a Senior Christmas Program, offered to senior citizens during Christmas season in which they'll receive a meal and present.

These jobs are heavily important to my understanding of the SDG Goal, reduced inequalities. Understanding what is going on in St. Louis in relation to poverty is important to the city.

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