What's Happening at Employment Connection: April 2025

We’ve been busy at Employment Connection! Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn for all of the latest info on our programs and events. And if you're not already receiving our monthly newsletter in your inbox, click here to sign up.

Give STL Day: May 8th

This Thursday is Give STL Day, but early giving is already open! Help us hit our $5,000 goal early! Thanks to a generous anonymous contribution, early donors can see their donations matched dollar-for-dollar!

Support Employment Connection of Give STL Day!

This year, we're raising funds for three purposes: World of Work, our job readiness training program that prepares clients to find and maintain employment; our Housing Programs, including emergency housing assistance and rapid re-housing to help prevent clients stay on track; and Behavioral Health Counseling, which helps our clients address and overcome underlying mental health issues to ensure their success on their path to self-sufficiency.

Stay tuned for more details on these cornerstone programs and our Give STL Day progress as we strive to raise $5,000 to support our clients!

Green Jobs Graduation

Twelve outstanding clients graduated from our fourth Green Jobs cohort in April! Special guests at the ceremony included Rosie L. Willis, founder of the Fresh Starts Community Garden, Aisha Muhammad, Community Conservation Planner at the Missouri Dept. of Conservation, and Joshua Moore, Community Landscape Specialist with Missouri Botanical Garden and Shaw Nature Reserve.

After the ceremony, our Green Jobs Graduates attended a special job fair featuring opportunities to put their new skills to work in the Green Jobs Workforce! Participating employers included City of St. Louis Government Forestry Department, Beyond Housing, Missouri Dept. of Conservation, Growing Green, and the City of Fenton Parks Department.

We are looking forward to starting our next cohort later this summer! For more information, please contact us at (314) 333-5619.

Spring Into Employment Fair

Our Spring Into Employment job fair was a big hit! Kudos to Karla, our Manager of Career Services, and her team for planning such a great event along with other Team EC members. We appreciate all of the clients, visitors, employers, and partners who joined us to share some great opportunities. We also want to offer special thanks to our partners, ARCHS and United Way of Greater St. Louis!

World of Work Update

Congratulations to April's World of Work graduates! Through April 2025, over 300 clients have graduated from World of Work year-to-date! Our free two-day job readiness program prepares clients to find and keep jobs by helping to create a résumé, practice interviews, and learn the essential skills for maintaining steady employment.

Breaking Down Barriers

In partnership with ARCHS, our Breaking Down Barriers Youth Empowerment, Opportunity, and Access program connects young adults to training programs and job placement opportunities. The young clients above are studying for Certified Nursing Assistant certifications to prepare for careers in healthcare and are joined by Shadonna, one of our career specialists!

The State of Public Safety in St. Louis

Employment Connection CEO will participate in this year's State of Public Safety in St. Louis forum focused on finding solutions to teen trauma and violence. EC's youth programs are essential to addressing root causes of violence by providing educational and employment opportunities that help at-risk young people escape cycles of violence and poverty. Register here.

United Way Volunteer Breakfast

Team EC members Sarah and Angela attended a recent United Way of Greater St. Louis Training Session focused on effective volunteer recruitment and retention and returned with some great ideas! If you're interested in volunteering with Employment Connection, visit employmentstl.org/volunteer to find out how you can help.

DOCY in the Streets

South Side youngsters gathered at Tiny Postcards Counseling & Creative Arts in Dutchtown to express their creativity! Stay tuned for more programs from the Dutchtown Opportunity Coalition for Youth this spring and summer.

Community Builders Network Annual Awards Ceremony

Employment Connection CEO Sal Martinez took to the stage to once again emcee the Community Builders Network of Metropolitan St. Louis' 13th Annual Community Development Family Reunion awards ceremony held at Rung for Women in Fox Park. It's always a joy to participate in this event and celebrate the amazing people and organizations undertaking transformative efforts in St. Louis!

One of the award recipients was Bridget Flood, Executive Director of the Incarnate Word Foundation. Bridget was instrumental in the creation of the DOCY program, a partnership between Employment Connection, Thomas Dunn Learning Center, and Gene Slay's Girls & Boys Club of Saint Louis.

Ald. Laura Keys Visits ECHQ

City of St. Louis Alderwoman Laura Keys visited Employment Connection HQ during our all-staff meeting. Our main office is located in the "Elevated" 11th Ward, spanning from Midtown to O'Fallon Park, and represented by Alderwoman Keys. We appreciated her taking the time to share her own lived experiences with us and discussing the importance of EC's work to serve residents of the 11th Ward and all of our St. Louis metropolitan community. Staff decorated for our special guest—it was an honor to host her!

US Bank Volunteers

Over the past several years, U.S. Bank has provided financial support for our violence prevention, youth services, and solar panel installation programs. And last week, a wonderful group of U.S. Bank volunteers joined us to help organize our offices and client clothing closet! We're grateful to have committed partners like U.S. Bank!

MWS Is Hiring!

Looking for a job that leads to a career? Start here!

MWS is now hiring for housekeeping positions at a St. Louis healthcare facility. These are full-time positions with the potential to be permanently hired by a leading area healthcare provider!

Pay starts at $14/hour with extra pay for weekend shifts and weekly paychecks! Visit MWSstl.com to apply now!

EC Out and About

DOCY Program Manager Carlette attended Dutchtown Main Streets' Spring Fling Block Party and met South Siders young and old, including 3rd Ward Ald. Shane Cohn.

Carlette was also joined by EC CEO Sal and Dutchtown Green Team Crew Leader Ronald for Lutheran Development Group’s Dutchtown Spring Clean event at Marquette Park, where they teamed up with neighbors and volunteers from across the region to address litter in the neighborhood.

There's much more going on at Employment Connection! Make sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn to stay up to date with all of our programs and events in St. Louis City, St. Louis County, and St. Clair County.

If you're not already receiving our monthly newsletter in your inbox, click here to sign up.

And don't forget to donate for Give STL Day! Your generosity is appreciated!

Support Employment Connection of Give STL Day!