“The family engagement, the youth engagement, and community engagement all have to be intertwined.”

John Saunders

Today’s guest is John Saunders, the Executive Director of Wesley House Association, an organization that serves children, families, and senior adults within North St. Louis. John sits down with Staci to discuss Wesley House’s methods of nurturing children into productive citizens, how they were able to adapt during Covid-19 to continue serving the community, and the challenges faced by North St. Louis families navigating through the St. Louis education system.

• John’s K-12 Story
  • John to catholic elementary school then public high school.
  • The catholic elementary school provided a strong foundation for high school.
  • This experience can be replicated across any lines through exposing children to educational resources.
• What is the Wesley House Association?
  • Established in 1903 as one of 8 settlement houses in St. Louis.
  • Evolved over the years to become a community center.
  • Has been in the heart of North St. Louis since 1955.
• What is special about North St. Louis?
  • It has a high violent crime rate.
  • Services need to be provided for children, families, and older adults in that community.
• What inspires you about the work you do?
  • Wesley House changes lives every day. 
  • They meet each kid where they are and engage them. 
  • They try to understand their family and community dynamics. 
  • John is inspired by witnessing the growth of kids from rambunctious children to ambassadors of Wesley House.
• What have you observed as one of the bigger challenges that is facing St. Louis education? And how is Wesley House combating those challenges?
  • To meet kids where they are, Wesley House tries to understand all family, mental, and social dynamics up front so staff, volunteers, and mentors can address any impediments caused by that. Almost like a reconditioning.
  • They work to reverse any stigma put on the child.
  • Getting the family and community buy-in on what Wesley House is trying to achieve is very important to the success.

• What are some of the programs Wesley House provides?
  • When Covid happened, Wesley House integrated virtual after school, field trips, food pantry, and summer camp programs.
  • They were able to secure additional funding and resources to help ease the transition once Covid kind of subsided.
• How is the work of Wesley House being received in the community?
  • The community is buying-in because they understand that Wesley House has always been a force to be reckoned with within their community.
  • They have incorporated new ways to serve the community: technology, drive thru food pantry, telehealth for senior citizens, etc.
• How do you think Navigate STL Schools can support the kids and families in the Wesley House footprint?
  • Parents may be intimidated by the school admission or search process. 
  • People need to know that they have options and that there are resources to navigate and get into better situations. 
  • Navigate STL Schools can provide resources for those kids and those families to understand how the backend of things work.
• How do people get involved with the Wesley House?
  • Wesley House is located in 63115 zip code and they are pulling from within that footprint.
  • People can get involved through volunteering, whether individuals, groups, or companies.
  • There will be a fundraiser at the Black Rep on July 9th which will launch the pillars of the community giving initiative.

Stay in the know about Wesley House Association’s events and volunteer opportunities on their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/TheWesleyHouse/.