In This Issue

May 6 Give STL Day priorities:
a used van or SUV,
and a second home!

Don’t forget, this Thursday, May 6, is Give STL Day, an annual date when you can donate to the participating St. Louis nonprofit of your choice.  We hope you remember A Seat at the Table this week, as early giving is now open! 

You can donate here: www.givestlday.org/ASeatAtTheTable.

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With our 4th resident moving in by early June, we have an immediate need to secure a used van or larger SUV, as we just won’t be able to fit our 4 guys plus our host parents into our small Kia Soul.

So, if you know of anyone or a dealer willing to either donate or offer a good buy on a used van or SUV, please email Bob Stergos,
Executive Director: [email protected].

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As we mentioned in our last newsletter, we’re also hoping for sizeable donations towards our 2nd A Seat at the Table home, as we had a generous couple recently step forward with a donation of 50% towards that 2nd home (which will house 3 to 4 young women with our second host set of parents).  So, whether you can donate $50 or $5,000 (or more), any and all giving to A Seat at the Table as part of this Thursday’s Give STL Day will be very much appreciated and put to good use!!! 

Landscaping volunteers transform our first home!

A team of Crossing church Outreach volunteers and others worked tirelessly Saturday morning, May 1 on landscaping ‘round our Shaw neighborhood A Seat at the Table home.  Working with our 3 current residents, Joe Lewis III, Jamel Williams and Larry Hearn as well as host parents Bob & Chrissy Stergos, the group brought to life the landscaping plan from designer Alice Tucker of True Garden and our Shaw neighborhood. 

First, they did the hard work of removing overgrown honeysuckle trees and thorny bushes.  Then, they planted azalea and “heavenly bamboo” bushes in the front and side yards.

In the backyard, they alternated plantings of arborvitaes and Rose of Sharon bushes along the interior our new fence, while also planting a lilac bush, sugar maple and flowering dogwood tree to provide much-needed shade.  A special plaque honoring Oliver Bacott, the late father of co-founder Chrissy Stergos, was subsequently placed at the base of the new flowering dogwood (as the dogwood was his favorite tree).  A similar plaque will likewise be placed by the new sugar maple tree to honor our house donor’s deceased son.

We are honored by all the hard work from the volunteers and grateful to The Crossing for organizing the effort.  We can’t wait to (safely) host backyard gatherings with our hard-working volunteers to celebrate their beautiful landscaping effort.  What a great environment they created for our A Seat at the Table residents!  We are blessed!

Interviews reveal the impact
of A Seat at the Table

Recently, with the help of interviewer Henry Wynd and videographer Brian Mongoven (both Youth Crossing standouts in their younger days!), we recorded thoughts from our current three A Seat at the Table residents, Jamel Williams, Larry Hearn and Resident Intern Joe Lewis III, as well as from co-founders and host parents Bob & Chrissy Stergos. 

These excerpts will give you an idea of the impact A Seat at the Table is having on all their lives…and a preview of what, with your help, we can also do for the 3 to 4 girls who will move into our second A Seat at the Table home:  

Watch the interviews via the links below:

• Jamel Williams: https://youtu.be/4E9A6TA1Ccc

  Larry Hearn: https://youtu.be/pSOw_s6vqtY

  Joe Lewis III, Resident Intern: https://youtu.be/NkzLgBqoCqA

  Chrissy Stergos, Co-founder & Board member: https://youtu.be/ZFlmiVkyLkk

  Bob Stergos, Co-founder & Executive Director: https://youtu.be/AAlBJ25ToI4

Benefit Concerts Coming Soon!

• “Who’s Gonna Love You: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCzTIW3NKjs
• “Vivid Memories”  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jiyk7EBzWCM
• “Cool Breeze” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpYrdFmbaP0
• “Lose My Cool”  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtzCvbubCko

We'd love to hear from you!

Do you know of individuals, companies or foundations for whom serving the under-resourced would be a common passion?  Or, do you have an email address for someone whom you think would like to hear about A Seat at the Table? If so, please contact us HERE and let us know those names and/or email addresses! We are always looking to talk to those who have a similar heart to reach across racial and economic divides in our city and beyond.  Our goal is to have A Seat at the Table chapters in major cities around the country!

Also, if you have questions about A Seat at the Table, contact us HERE as well. We want to hear from you!