Dana Brown Charitable Trust Grant

Karen Silverman, NCJWSTL, Denise McKibben, ALSTL & Renee Sigel-Hearst, NCJWSTL

Assistance League of St. Louis (ALSTL) and the National Council of Jewish Women St. Louis (NCJWSTL) will share a $50,000 grant from the Dana Brown Charitable Trust to provide clothing and supplies to elementary school students.  Each organization received $25,000 to stock shared school closets with uniforms, belts, underwear, socks, fleece jackets, hats, gloves, coats, dental kits, hygiene products and period supplies. Students have access to these necessary items throughout the school year.

There are 12 closets covered by the grant, seven in the St. Louis Public School system and five in the Normandy School Collaborative. They are called AL’s Closets / Kids Community Closets. ALSTL also operates 28 other AL’s Closets independently in six school districts. “Teachers, social workers and counselors use the closet when a child comes to school in a uniform that doesn’t fit, isn’t clean or becomes soiled during the day. It also is used when a new student is enrolled who doesn’t have a uniform or resources to buy a uniform,” explained Denise McKibben, ALSTL member-volunteer, who worked as a liaison between the two organizations on this grant project.

Increased school attendance is one of the many benefits of having a school closet, said Cierra Evans, the Family Engagement Liaison for Jefferson Elementary School in the Normandy School Collaborative. When children can get replacement clothing, they are more likely to attend school because they feel more confident, she added.

This is the second year that ALSTL shared a Dana Brown grant with NCJWSTL for school closets. Last year’s grant was $20,000 for each organization. “ALSTL will explore other areas where it can collaborate with NCJWSTL to avoid duplication of services,” McKibben said. “The two organizations have a very good working relationship.” Their partnership started in 2018.  Renee Sigel-Hearst, Director of Community Impact at NCJWSTL, said “Our mutual cooperation for the closets is effortless, as both of our organizations have a deep commitment to children and families.”  

ALSTL President Sandy Thal said, “Our partnership continues to thrive as we join forces to serve even greater numbers of students in our community. Dana Brown Charitable Trust (DBCT) encourages nonprofits to work together and it allowed us to add more school closets.  “More closets equal more students having access to school uniforms, coats and other essentials throughout the school year. DBCT is more than a generous financial resource. It is a guiding force in our community to increase the impact on the lives of the students we serve,” Thal said.  

AL’s Closets are an important part of ALSTL Operation School Bell (OSB) program. Volunteers stock and maintain 40 closets during the school year.  “We work together (with NCJWSTL) to make sure our future leaders have all the needed items to be present at school to focus on their studies,” OSB Chair Pam Bogosian said.  

Elizabeth Welsh, NCJWSTL Director of Development, coordinated the grant-writing efforts with Sigel-Hearst and Susan Peters, ALSTL Corporate and Foundation Support Chair. McKibben and Dawn Thomas, Vice President of Programs, were also on the grant team.  

The DBCT honors the legacy of St. Louis entrepreneur, philanthropist and adventurer, Dana Brown. It provides organizations the chance to have a strong positive impact on the St. Louis region, specifically for those who are least capable of helping themselves: children and animals.