Grants were awarded through a gift from the Margaret and Richard Riney Family Foundation
United Way of Greater St. Louis recently awarded nine one-time community enhancement grants totaling $100,000 to local nonprofits for traditional and virtual summer programs supporting youth ages 5 – 16 through summer learning and nutrition. In total, the funding will enable organizations to support an additional 4,000 young people throughout the St. Louis region this summer.
“Programs that gives children the resources to stay engaged during the summer by learning about a variety of important things including healthy eating and nutrition is invaluable to their long-term development,” said Michelle Tucker, president and CEO of United Way of Greater St. Louis. “These programs are important because healthy eating helps children become better learners and that will benefit them once the school year begins.”
The following organizations were selected to provide access to healthy food to youth by supporting summer food and nutrition programs that complement summer learning loss programming:
- The SoulFisher Ministries
- Wesley House Association
- Northside Youth and Senior Service Center
- Sherwood Forest Camp
- LifeWise STL
- Girls Incorporated
- Youth and Family Center
- St. Vincent Home for Children
- St. Louis Area Foodbank
Funding for these grants were provided by a generous gift from the Margaret and Richard Riney Family Foundation, which supports programs and organizations that prioritize equity in health, education, care for animals, and the arts. The Foundation and United Way have partnered on summer learning and nutrition programs since 2019, impacting over 6,000 young people across the St. Louis region.
“We are grateful to deepen our partnership with United Way of Greater St. Louis. We believe their organization supports our local community in such a vital way,” said Margaret Riney. “These programs allow children access and education on how to engage in proper self-care, which is an essential component to their future success.”
“We are incredibly grateful to the Margaret and Richard Riney Foundation for their generosity and commitment to helping young people in our community,” noted Tucker.
