The Deaconess Foundation has announced $450,000 in grants to community-led organizations serving seniors and young people across the region.
Of the total, $350,000 was awarded through the Seniors Community Revitalization & Development Fund, also known as the Seniors Community Fund, while $100,000 was invested in five youth-serving projects through the NextGen Grantmakers initiative.
“The future of philanthropy must reflect the lived experiences of the people and communities it serves,” said Bethany Johnson-Javois, Deaconess Foundation president and CEO. “We take the time to listen to and learn from the members of our community. The Seniors Community Fund and NextGen Grantmakers embody Deaconess’s larger commitment to setting an intentional intergenerational strategy.”
The Seniors Community Fund was launched in 2023 through a partnership between the Community Health Commission of Missouri and the Deaconess Foundation. The fund is guided by a Senior Advisory Board made up of older adults.
Grant recipients for the 2025-26 Seniors Community Fund include:
- Lessie Bates Davis Neighborhood House to build a secure, well-lit parking lot adjacent to its facility.
- Mission: St. Louis for its Minor Home Repair Program, which provides safety-focused home modifications for older adults.
- Rebuilding Together Saint Louis for critical home repairs and safety modifications for senior homeowners.
- Hitz Memorial Home to repair facility sidewalks.
- Ignite Hope’s Wheels of Connection to expand senior transportation and social engagement.
- Mercy Hospital St. Louis for senior transportation assistance following hospital discharge.
- St. Louis Society for the Blind and Visually Impaired to sustain transportation services for clients with vision loss.
- Rx Outreach to expand its Fill the Gap program, which provides medications and counseling to older adults.
- Vitendo4Africa for transportation, translation and culturally tailored health education for immigrant and refugee seniors.
- Housing Provided for the Elderly Inc. to support case management, benefits navigation and relocation assistance.
- Claudie’s Urban Community Gardens for its Growing Produce for Seniors program.
- Criminal Justice Ministry for its Foundations First Housing program serving older adults returning from incarceration.
- Guardian Angel Settlement Association for its Graceful Guardians program assisting low-income seniors.
- St. Louis Health Equipment Lending Program (STLHELP) to expand access to refurbished home medical equipment.
“The Seniors Community Fund has given a new voice to the members of our generation,” said Rosetta Keeton, a member of the Senior Advisory Board. “It has helped to elevate our hopes and concerns at a time in life when these are often pushed to the side.”
NextGen Grantmakers was launched in 2025 in partnership with Vision for Children at Risk and the Deaconess Foundation. Funding was awarded to:
- Gentlemen of Vision to support its core programming for young men.
- DePaul USA to engage formerly homeless youth in developing year-round activities.
- Dream Builders 4 Equity to support youth mental health and leadership programming.
- Hope Creates for its Make Your MARC (Music. Art. Recovery. Connection.) program serving youth ages 12 to 19.
- Opportunity House to support mental health services for residents.
“Young people are often dismissed or overlooked in decisions that impact our lives,” said Alicia Selmon, a member of the Youth Advisory Council. “As a participant in NextGen Grantmakers, it was refreshing to apply my own lived experience and knowledge of the needs of my generation to the grantmaking process.”