National Council of Jewish Women St Louis Section

Community service and membership:each year, more than 2,000 ncjw volunteers log over 10,000 hours to touch the lives of more than 10,000 St. louisans. Since 1895, ncjw's pioneering projects have grown into vital social programs and self-sustaining agencies. Our current focus includes the following projects:healing hearts bank, a non-traditional micro-lending program for victims of domestic violence and underserved Women and families who may not otherwise have funds for emergency and other needs. There is no application fee to take out a loan, and since ncjw is a credit reporting agency, we help our borrowers... (see schedule o)(community service and membership continued)build credit in addition to providing financial assistance.wife-widow-woman, a support group available to Women of all faiths to manage one of life's most difficult transitions. New groups form two to three times a year, and meet twice a month for six months. The program is looking to expand to include a new men's group. There is no cost to participate in the program.project renewal is designed to empower underserved Women by providing clothing, education, resources and the tools they need to succeed at work and home. In partnership with the resale shop, vouchers are given to the Women to shop for free, and workshops are provided with topics like resume writing, interview skills, and shopping healthy on a limited budget. There is no cost to participate in the program. It is held 3-4 times a year.membership is open regardless of gender, race, or religion. Members of ncjw impact the community and the world at large by becoming part of a growing network of courageous and compassionate individuals who improve the lives of Women, children, and families every day. Ncjw-st. Louis Section has over 1,600 members and is the 4th largest Section in the country. We join with over 95,000 other Women nationally to make our voices heard in both Missouri and in Washington d.c.

Advocacy and education: many of ncjw's advocacy efforts are geared specifically to the education of our community about the freedoms and rights that are accorded to all. From our trips to jefferson city to meet with our legislators, to our lunch and learn program that provides education and training regarding civic engagement, members and non-members alike are concerned and involved in their community. Ncjw collaborates with other organizations in the St. Louis region to engage community members in advocacy with local and state legislators about important issues of the day. Ncjw offers services, membership, and support to men, Women, and children regardless of religion, race, gender, sexual orientation or disability. (see schedule o)(advocacy and education continued)while based on the Jewish values of "tikun olam--repairing the world", we do not engage in any religious or political activity, nor do we limit our services to people of a certain religion. It is our belief that as members of the world community, we have an obligation to do everything in our power to work to make the world we live in a better place for all. Some of the issues we follow include human trafficking, period poverty, immigration, gun violence prevention, health care and medicaid expansion, reproductive justice, economic justice and empowerment for Women, lgbtq rights, appointments to the judiciary and many, many more.

Back to school! Store and kids community closet:the back to school! Store is a one-day event set up like a department store. Each child is assigned an adult volunteer to help him or her shop for free for clothing and school supplies. In collaboration with over 75 community organizations, ncjw provides programming in the areas of child safety, nutrition, vision screening, health issues, etc., for parents/guardians and children. A new "family resource guide" has been developed to provide important information about all the services available in our region to support the families and children. Each child receives everything they need to start the school year: clothing, coat, shoes, undergarments, backpack, book and school supplies. (see schedule o)(back to school! Store and kids community closet continued)everything is brand-new and chosen by the child with their personal shopper. The child's self-esteem and excitement to begin the school year are paramount to the running of this project. Over 200 children were served in 2023 by a hybrid model that included delivery to about 40 agencies and another 30 agencies bringing children in person to the "store".kids community closet provides children with items they may need on a daily basis at school, whether due to an emergency or an ongoing family situation. Closets stocked with new clothing and uniforms are placed in underserved schools, where 70% or more of the children live at or below the federal poverty level. The clothing, personal care items and school supplies we supply to these young students are distributed on an as-needed and ongoing basis. Children can attend school confidently, in clean, new clothes that fit, and with the supplies they need. It is also our goal to relieve the financial burden currently placed on the teachers and administrators who find it necessary to personally purchase these emergency items for their students on an ongoing basis. Having a closet in the school will help teachers, counselors and administrators meet an immediate need and get right back to the mission of education.eligible kids will predominantly range in age from pre-kindergarten to fifth grade. In some cases the program will reach out to middle school and preschool children as well. Over 13,000 children have access to the closets on any given day.

Ncjw resale shop: the ncjw resale shop provides support for the ncjw community service and advocacy projects and programs. As part of the Council's community service programming, underserved individuals in the community receive vouchers to shop at no cost at the shop. The shop carries clothing, accessories, jewelry, furniture and more for Women and men. Annually, over 100 vouchers are given out to individuals in need to shop for free in our store.