Blog Posts

May

2021

In This Issue

Give STL Day needs
Landscaping team effort

Resident Interviews
Benefit Concerts coming soon!

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.

===================================

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: bstergos@ASeatAtTheTable.org.

===================================

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!

As COVID-protocols allow, we’re hoping to resume hosting small-gathering outdoor benefit concerts with some of our favorite musicians. Among the musicians offering to perform is our Sean Coray, for whom the mission of A Seat at the Table is especially relevant. You see, at a time in his later teen years, Sean became part of the Stergos family, one of the “adopted” sons of A Seat at the Table co-founders Bob & Chrissy Stergos…and brother to the four Stergos sons.

To hear Sean’s music will be an especially poignant reinforcement of our mission. Look for more details to come over the next few weeks, but for now, watch and listen to what magnificent musical talents emerged as Sean was able to become a valued part of a family that loved and championed him during those crucial young adult years:

“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

The mission of A Seat at the Table

The mission of Seat at the Table is to help at-risk 18 to 25-year olds better transition into adulthood by providing parental presence and community support via residential mentoring in a Christian family environment.

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!

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Interviews reveal the impact of A Seat at the Table

5/4/2021

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

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Interview ON Mentoring @ The Crossing

3/22/2021

Included in Crossing Pastor Angela Beise's insightful "Paul-Timothy mentoring" weekend messages was an interview with our resident Larry Hearn and Executive Director Bob Stergos.

We're so thankful to Angela and The Crossing for raising awareness of A Seat at the Table and to our supporters for making this ministry possible.

And if you missed Angela's weekend message, you should check it out here: https://thecrossing.online/message/timothy.

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NEWSLETTER - FEBRUARY 2021

2/21/2021

February

2021

A Spectacular Donation
and May 6 Give STL Day

Building on the initial successes with our first three male A Seat at the Table residents in our Shaw neighborhood home, a donor couple has stepped forward to make a spectacular donation. They're contributing up to 50% of our next A Seat at the Table home into which we'll then move up to 4 young women to live with our second host couple.

With pending A Seat at the Table nominations of several young women, this year's May 6 Give STL Day then becomes all the more important for us. Give STL Day, operated by the St. Louis Community Foundation, makes a way for generous people to support their local STL-area nonprofit organizations.

With your help, we could secure our next A Seat at the Table home, as we already have a second set of house parents for young women waiting in the wings! Early Give STL Day donations start as of April 5. Look for more details in the coming weeks.

Welcome to our 3rd Resident,
Larry Hearn

In late January, A Seat at the Table welcomed in our 3rd resident, Larry Hearn. Nominated by his Midtown Church Pastor Aaron Turner, Larry will be transferring to Missouri Baptist University in the fall after completing his first year at Webster University. Following a ministerial calling evident to many, Larry will major in Ministry and Leadership.

Midtown Pastor Mark Tucker reinforced that calling: "As soon as I met Larry, I could see that he had a genuine passion for God. Since then, he has become like a theological sponge. He thirsts for deeper knowledge of biblical truth to accent his love for Jesus. This is helped by his teachable spirit and desire to serve others. He will certainly flourish at A Seat at the Table."

Fellow Midtown Pastor Aaron Turner reflected on Larry's participation: "I am so glad that Larry is now living with host parents Bob & Chrissy Stergos and residents Joe Lewis (Resident Intern) and Jamel Williams at A Seat at the Table. After talking with Larry, he is so excited, and I share his enthusiasm, for I have no doubt that this program will be a blessing to Larry and that Larry will be a blessing to the program. 'Thank you' A Seat at the Table for being the hands and feet of Jesus, loving His people so well both physically and spiritually."

ABOVE LEFT: Larry reciting one of his poems, "Crippled Society."
Check it out at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Kt4Cqvxu40

ABOVE RIGHT: Larry with friend of the organization, "Butters"

BELOW (L to R): Joe, Jamel & Larry at Boardwalk Waffles & Ice Cream listening to
Nick Stergos play guitar

A Look at A Seat at the Table
Life Skills & Spiritual Development

In addition to college or work responsibilities, most days for A Seat at the Table residents include a myriad of job/life skills and spiritual/personal development discussions led by house parents Bob and Chrissy Stergos, as well as with other mentors and pastors in the lives of our residents. Here’s a sampling of learning activities and discussions to-date:

Job & Life Skills

Weekly music or foreign language lessons
- Joe Lewis: piano
- Jamel Williams: guitar
- Larry Hearn: speaking French
Car driving lessons
How to build a network of mentors
How to use LinkedIn
How to be a good conversationalist
Effective communications
Job search and interviewing tips
Personal finance/budgeting
Credit Scores & How to Establish Credit, Your Paystub, W-4 forms, Taxes
Common Home & Auto Repairs

Spiritual/Personal Development

Weekly counseling sessions
Weekly church attendance
Weekly bible studies
Book study: Purpose-Driven Life
Participation of The Crossing church’s Exploration and Body Life classes
Watching and discussing sermons from several churches (Midtown Church, One Family Church and The Crossing, thus far)
Studying the authenticity of the Bible
Watching thought-provoking & uplifting movies together as a family
Learning effective Conflict Resolution techniques

Structured study sessions aside, perhaps some of our most meaningful moments come with Chrissy's cooking lessons and family meals around the dinner table...often followed by some fun games of Uno, Exploding Kittens and Pictionary! In short, we’re having a ball doing life together!

LEFT (L to R): Jamel Williams, Joe Lewis, Larry Hearn, Chelsea Boon and Chrissy Stergos

Recent House Improvements

Thanks to our donors' generosity with last fall's GivingTuesday, we were able to secure our backyard with a new red cedar fence installed by Affordable Fencing. As you can see in the photo below, owner Stephen McAllister and foreman Casey Arnold do excellent work!

And thanks to a volunteer's skilled electrician's work, we now have numerous electrical outlets and improved overhead lighting in our basement. That improved lighting has made ping pong matches on the recently-donated new table all the more competitive!

Get Involved by Becoming
a Monthly Sponsor

Many thanks to those of you who have now signed up to be a Monthly Sponsor! Your consistent support helps us build a stable, ongoing operating budget from which we can meet the educational/vocational, life & jobs skill, transportation, counseling, healthcare and developmental needs of our program participants.

If you haven’t already, please consider becoming involved with A Seat at the Table by donating on a monthly basis...even if it’s just $10, $25, $50 or $75 a month. Here’s an example of how that could help us build that consistent operating budget:

Your monthly contribution communicates to our participants that they are supported by an army of people who believe in them and want to make a difference in their lives! Simply click on the "Become a Monthly Sponsor" button below to set up your monthly donation amount. On behalf of all A Seat at the Table participants who will benefit, thank you for your monthly donation!

Become a Monthly Sponsor

The mission of A Seat at the Table

We'd love to hear from you!

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

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Welcome our newest resident, Larry Hearn!

1/30/2021

Please join us in welcoming our newest (and 3rd) A Seat at the Table resident, Larry Hearn. Previously a Webster University student, Larry will be transferring next school year to Missouri Baptist University, majoring in Ministry & Leadership. After undergrad work, Larry plans to get his Master’s to become a Family Counselor. Like our other residents, Larry attends nearby Midtown Church, and was nominated to us by his Pastor, Aaron Turner.

Larry is also quite the poet, as you can hear with his poem written 5 years ago: “Crippled Society!”

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Newsletter - December 2020

12/14/2020

Dec. 14

2020

Welcome Jamel Williams
to A Seat at the Table.
New job for Resident Intern
Joe Lewis III

We are SO excited to share that his past Friday, Jamel Williams, a standout LOVEtheLOU and Boys Hope Girls Hope participant, moved into our A Seat at the Table home in the Shaw neighborhood. Jamel joins Resident Intern Joe Lewis III, and will work to finish his college degree in St. Louis after he achieves his Associates Degree from Illinois Central College this May. Please reach out to welcome Jamel at jamel.williamsocc@gmail.com.

Said Lucas Rouggly, LOVEtheLOU Executive Director: “I have known Jamel for about 10 years now. He has always been a special kid and as I have watched him grow I have witnessed God's hand on his life. Jamel and I often talk that he is kind of like Joseph from the Old Testament. I believe there will be a day in the future where Jamel is raised up not just to lead out in the city, but to take care of his family. I love this kid and I am so thankful that he gets the opportunity to join A Seat at the Table.”

ABOVE: Jamel Williams)
RIGHT: Jamel and
LOVEtheLOU's
Lucas Rouggly

Carline Adah, Program Director of STL LIFT (of LOVEtheLOU), echoed support of Jamel: “Jamel grew up under some pretty tough circumstances and had all the odds stacked against him; yet with his tenacious spirit, consistency and drive for a better life he kept coming around. I remember when Jamel put his faith in Jesus and really started following Him. He did a total 180 and went on to do some incredible things. He became a scholar at Boys Hope GIrls Hope, an intern and student leader with LOVEtheLOU, graduated high school and is now in college-- wow! I can't say enough how proud I am of Jamel. He is going to thrive at
A Seat at the Table, make something great of himself and set an example for all the younger guys looking up to him.”

ABOVE: Jamel shopping.

LEFT: Jamel preparing dinner

LEFT: L to R:

A Seat at the Table

Co-founder Chrissy Stergos,

Joe Lewis III and
Jamel Williams

As an A Seat at the Table resident, Jamel will now utilize the educational/vocational, job & life-skill, counseling and spiritual development resources offered to our participants. If you’re interested in being part of the healthy community to now help Jamel better transition into adulthood, please contact Executive Director Bob Stergos at bstergos@ASeatAtTheTable.org.

ABOVE and BELOW: Scenes from the Garden Glow at the Missouri Botanical Gardens, Candy Cane Lane in St. Louis Hills and in front of the A Seat at the Table Christmas tree.

Congrats to Resident Intern
Joe Lewis on his new job

Congrats to A Seat at the Table Resident Intern, Joe Lewis III, as he recently secured a new job as an elementary school Teacher Assistant in the Ferguson-Florissant School District. Joe will start his duties as schools resume for the 2nd semester in mid-January.

Joe's experience in serving in kids' ministry at his Midtown Church as well as Educational Studies major at his alma mater, Harris-Stowe State University, played key roles in his landing this key position. Please join us in wishing Joe well on his new position!

The mission of A Seat at the Table

We'd love to hear from you!

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

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Monthly Giving / Giving Tuesday 2020

11/20/2020

Newsletter - October 2020

10/23/2020

Oct. 22

2020

New Resident Intern, GivingTuesday Monthly Donors
and Remaining Projects

On Saturday, September 27, A Seat at the Table welcomed in our first Resident Intern,
Joe Lewis III of East St. Louis. A recent graduate of Harris-Stowe State University, with a degree in Educational Studies, Joe will serve a 2-year tenure leading and mentoring our incoming A Seat at the Table program participants (with 2 candidates currently working their way through the application process at this writing).

Nominated by his Midtown Church pastors, Mark Tucker and Aaron Turner, Joe comes to
A Seat at the Table with several years of experience as a Cru (formerly, Campus Crusade for Christ) volunteer. He participates weekly in Cru bible studies and activities at local colleges SIUe and Harris-Stowe.

(Above and Right):
Joe Lewis III and his
pastor Mark Tucker (Midtown Church)

Midtown Pastor Mark Tucker expressed his support of Joe: "As a young man, Joe is learning to grow in his understanding and practice of bearing the image of God in life. It has been a great honor for me as a pastor to watch him embrace this faithfully. The opportunities that have already opened up through A Seat at the Table will bear fruit in his life, and in this ministry for many years to come. I can't wait to see what God does next in and through Joe!"

ABOVE: Joe and Host Parent Chrissy Stergos prepare dinner for A Seat at the Table supporters Debby & Brian Wood and Tiffany & Randy Wild.

LEFT: Joe, Chrissy and Joe's parents Joe Lewis Jr and Harriet meet with Pastor Mark Tucker (middle) and
A Seat at the Table board member Carla Hayes Hill.

Midtown Pastor Aaron Turner echoed his support: â€œI am excited for Joe to be joining the
A Seat at the Table team as an intern. I expect that this will be a formative time in Joe's life both as a young man and more specifically as a disciple of Jesus Christ. I just became aware of the A Seat at the Table ministry this past year. So far, I love what I see! I have enjoyed getting to know Bob Stergos, and I really appreciate his heart for discipling young men and for helping them transition well into adulthood. Also, the space they have at their new building for these young men is just great!!â€

ABOVE: Family room views.

BELOW: Joe's bedroom.

Speaking of a great space, as Joe is mostly concentrating his efforts at securing a paid position as Teacher Assistant role in a local elementary school...or with a local nonprofit organization, he has also been busy helping to ready the 1st floor of the A Seat at the Table home (where the program participants will live, while host parents Bob & Chrissy Stergos reside on the 2nd floor)...as well as the backyard.

ABOVE and RIGHT: Joe gains experience in the backyard, operating a tiller, breaking up concrete with a jackhammer and then plants grass seed.

BELOW: Joe helps erect a backyard storage shed.

In addition to the rather rigorous handyman tasks pictured above, Joe has also spent many hours in his three weeks here on the likes of these growth activities leading to his own independent adult living:

Took online career assessment which confirmed his strong personal relationship and mentoring skills
Studied interviewing instructional videos and practiced interviewing
Obtained 3 online interviews thus far with a leading STL area school district for potential Teacher Assistant jobs
Reviewed several financial management instructional videos
Practiced driving several times thus far
Assisted in preparing and cooking several meals
Participated weekly in Cru (Campus Crusade for Christ) bible studies each week at SIUe and online with his alma mater, Harris-Stowe State University
Increased his LinkedIn contacts to more than 130
Attended his Midtown church each Sunday

You can support Joe by donating on a monthly basis towards his ongoing expenses, particularly as he is looking to save up funds to buy a used car.

GivingTuesday is a global generosity movement unleashing the power of people and organizations to transform their communities and the world. Created in 2012, GivingTuesday was established as a simple idea: a day that encourages people to do good. Over the past seven years, it has grown into a global movement that inspires hundreds of millions of people to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity.

For last yearâ€™s GivingTuesday, A Seat at the Table followers generously donated more than $20,000 towards the repairs and rehab needed to prepare our Shaw neighborhood duplex. This year, as we approach this yearâ€™s Dec. 1 GivingTuesday, weâ€™re focused not so much on a one-day or one-time giving total, but rather, weâ€™re asking our donors and supporters instead to show their commitment to A Seat at the Table by donating on a monthly basis...even if itâ€™s just $10, $25, $50 or $75 a month. This GivingTuesday marks a wonderful time now to join us by taking a â€œseat at the tableâ€ in the form of that monthly commitment upon which we can build a stable, ongoing operating budget.

Hereâ€™s an example of how making even just a modest monthly contribution from our 200+ different donors to-date could help us build a stable, ongoing monthly operating budget to meet the educational/vocational, life & jobs skill, transportation, counseling and developmental needs of our program participants:

Your monthly contribution will make a way for young people to know they are supported by an army of people who believe in them and want to make a difference in their lives! Simply click on the Donate button below to set up your monthly donation amount. On behalf of all A Seat at the Table participants who will benefit, thank you for your monthly donation!

Remaining A Seat at the Table Needs
in a COVID-19-Stalled World

While weâ€™re now â€œinâ€ our first A Seat at the Table duplex that will be home for 4 young men, we still have these remaining projects and needs to complete at our initial Shaw neighborhood duplex towards which you can contribute to help complete our efforts here:

3 more desks for remaining bedrooms ($129.89 each)
2 Ring spotlight cameras with siren alarms ($199 for each...or $349 for 2-pack)
Removal of current backyard fence and installation of a new fence (estimated $5,000)
Purchase and assembly of an outside storage shed (Just donated! Thank you!)
And a host of additional items which you'll find listed HERE on our website Wish List

"Thank you" to our Business Partners!

While we've not been able to gather our usual teams during these COVID times, we're giving a special shoutout and thanks to these three individuals and their businesses who have been here doing a great variety of work to make our duplex ready:

Jim Lodes of Good Steward Handyman (for a wide variety of jobs)
Reggie Mitchell of RDM Services (for his electrical work), and
Brad Evans and his team of Evans Flooring installers.

These three professionals have helped us get our 1st floor space ready now for participants, so we are especially grateful to them continuing their work amidst this pandemic that has otherwise slowed our efforts.

These businesses set a great example of giving back to our community and making a way for our A Seat at the Table participants to live and flourish in a great environment! Please patronize and promote their business when you can!

The mission of A Seat at the Table

We'd love to hear from you!

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

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