Ashrei Foundation

In 2022, we launched a pilot program to expand access to photo identification, which has now become an established program called the North City Photo ID Project. In 2023, this program trained 70 volunteers and served 875 individuals. We covered the costs of 597 Missouri birth certificates, 132 out of state birth certificates, and supported (through financial and/or logistical assistance) applications for 709 Missouri non-driver photo IDs. This program offered 4 volunteer training events and weekly ID access clinic days open to the public. The North City Photo ID Project operates out of our office space in a community center operated by the Tabernacle Community Development Corporation called the The Tabernacle Hub, located in North St. Louis City.

The Ashrei Foundation has also actively supported abortion access in the state of Missouri. This included attending an AccessMO event about the ballot initiative process, amplifying messaging, and coordinating with MO Jobs With Justice to offer a training in preparation for signature gathering in 2024. Most notably, Ashreis founder, Rabbi Susan Talve was among the plaintiffs in the abortion access lawsuit, Rev. Traci Blackmon v. State of Missouri, filed in January 2023 and Ashrei staff attended information sessions for the plaintiffs to stay up to date on the status of the lawsuit, shared information with the base about the lawsuit, attended a hearing related to the lawsuit, and organized an event (Fighting for Freedom: Abortion Access & Religious Freedom in Missouri) with 3 plaintiffs and their attorney, with over 50 registered participants. Ashrei does legislative tracking and community training and supporting labor organizations that advocate for workers.

In 2023, the Ashrei Foundation supported the Missouri State ID Access Coalition as a co-facilitator of the program in partnership with St. Francis Xavier College Church. We supported their Fall Mini-Grant Funding Cycle, supporting 7 groups across the state of Missouri who wanted to assist individuals with getting their government-issued photo IDs and birth certficates. We further supported the Coalition by writing a grant for Impact Through Access: Eliminating barriers to identification for a healthier Missouri and were awarded $588,488 by the Missouri Foundation for Health, with the first payment received in December 2023. This grant will allow us to expand the Coalitions work in 2024 in a variety of ways, including hiring a Coalition Coordinator who will be an Ashrei employee.