Better Family Life has been designated as an EnVision Center by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The north St. Louis nonprofit organization, which provides clinical services for young people and families, employment and housing support, cultural arts and community outreach, made the online announcement on June 30.
“We take this designation very seriously,” said Darryl Grimes, Interim CEO of Better Family Life. “For thirty-seven years we have provided comprehensive and holistic support to the residents of the St. Louis community at large – and now, the more than 24,000 HUD clients in the St. Louis area in particular.”
There are currently 45 EnVision Centers in the United States. Better Family Life is one of three St. Louis nonprofit organizations to receive the designation, joining Friendly Temple Missionary Baptist Church and the Flance Early Learning Center.
The EnVision Center designation does not have any federal funding attached to it. The program is part of HUD Director Ben Carson’s new initiative with the “notion that financial support alone is insufficient to solve the problem of poverty,” according to the EnVision Center website. The goal of an EnVision Center designation is to create a local hub for community resources that “coordinates” support, the website states.
Better Family Life said that one of the results of the designation, which occurred in December, is receiving a $15,000 grant from the Deaconess Foundation COVID-19 Equitable Relief and Recovery fund.
“Recognizing the need for philanthropic support and more resources to assist families impacted by COVID-19, the St. Louis HUD field office was instrumental in linking Better Family Life to this funding opportunity,” said Gerald Jones of Better Family Life in a statement.
The Better Family Life EnVision Center is located at 5415 Page Boulevard. For more information, visit www.betterfamilylife.org.
