Yolanda Rodgers-Garvin has more than 25 years of experience serving children and families in the St. Louis area, and she instills a thought in the minds of students and parents.
“Where you are today does not determine your tomorrow,” she said.
Rodgers-Garvin, who holds a master’s degree in social work from St. Louis University, and a master’s degree in media communications from Webster University, has been the Homeless and Foster Care Coordinator for the Ferguson-Florissant School District since 2014.
She will be honored as the St. Louis County-Children’s Service Fund Dr. John Anderson Excellence in Mental Health Care Award recipient during the 22nd Annual Salute to Excellence in Healthcare on April 14 at the Frontenac Hilton.
“I’m really overwhelmed and really flattered,” Rodgers-Garvin said of the recognition.
“I looked up the past recipients and said ‘wow.’ It really is a true honor.”
Before moving to her role with Ferguson-Florissant, she worked at Lutheran Family and Children’s Services of Missouri as a social worker, where she provided client-center services, and then as a public relations marketing coordinator at the Lutheran Family and Children Services of Missouri Foundation.
Rodgers-Garvin said her passion for helping others, especially children, began when her brother passed away from encephalitis when she was 16 years old. From that experience, “I realized the importance of nurturing the social-emotional aspects of mental health in youth.”
In her current position, she supports students displaced from permanent housing and students in foster care whose placements have been disrupted. She focuses on providing services that mitigate the impact of trauma, grief, loss, and inequity stemming from the consequences of instability.
Through her effort, the Ferguson-Florissant district became the first in Missouri to launch a relationship with Purposity, a national not-for-profit organization that provides an app to help people and organizations address the unmet needs of children.
“It connects with the school district and helps us serve students,” Rodgers-Garvin said.
The district can post its needs for students and families, and community members or organizations can supply them, she said.
“They can have them shipped through Amazon directly to the district,” she said.
Students have been provided with items ranging from clothing and shoes to air mattresses and child car seats.
Rodgers-Garvin also recently created and heads the McKinney-Vento Summer Enrichment program to prevent summer learning loss, provide case management services that include addressing mental health needs, and provide referrals “to close the gap for students who would not receive support during the summer.”
She has also been a presenter at the National Association of the Education of Homeless Children and Youth and collaborates with colleges to create personalized tours for homeless youth who may otherwise not be able to access career and college readiness services.
“I’ve always considered myself more of a ‘worker bee’ person. That’s why I am so thrilled with this honor,” she said.
Tickets for the 22nd Annual Salute to Excellence in Healthcare Awards Luncheon on Thursday, April 14 at the Frontenac Hilton are $800 per table of 8 for VIP/Corporate seating or $100 each, and $75 each or $600 per table of 8 for general seating. To order tickets, call 314-533-8000 or visit www.stlamerican.com.
