Special to the American
The Old North St. Louis Restoration Group and Teach For America received $200,000 Neighborhood Excellence Initiative awards from the Bank of America charitable foundation last Thursday.
Old North St. Louis Restoration Group plans to expand its office and community meeting space, to upgrade technology and to assist in buying strategic property.
The Teach for America-St. Louis chapter will use its grant to further its goal of bringing 200 recent college graduates here by 2010 to teach 17,000 of the region’s lowest income students.
Dorothy Neals, who worked 28 years with the NCAA National Youth Sports summer program at Harris-Stowe State University, was honored as a “Local Hero” and received a $5,000 grant. She is donating the grant to the National Association of University Women.
Other Local Heroes are:
— Roberta Cohen, who has helped raise more than $14 million for nonprofit organizations.
— Susan Geldmacher, a community advocate, educator, social worker and urban planner.
— Steve Ippolito, parish council president of St. Peter and Paul Catholic Church.
— Martin McClimens, a volunteer with Rebuilding Together St. Louis.
Five students were recognized for work in neighborhood improvement. Each served a paid eight-week summer internship with a community-based organization as well as leadership training and community service activities. They are:
— Nergis Cavitt, a Gateway Institute of Technology High School graduate, who was an intern with DeSales Community Housing Corp.
— John Jabouri, a Chaminade College Prep graduate, who was an intern with Habitat for Humanity of St. Charles County.
— Ariana Mooradian, a Mary Institute Country Day School student, who interned with the American Red Cross.
— Steven Robinson, a St. John Vianney High School graduate, who was an intern with the YMCA in Kirkwood.
— Greg Zahner of Ladue Horton Watkins High School, who interned at St. Patrick Center.