What's Happening at Employment Connection: August 2026
Team EC is beating the heat as we near the end of summer! See what we've been up to at Employment Connection over the last month!
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World of Work Update
Through August of 2026, 936 clients have completed our cornerstone World of Work job readiness training this year! This represents 48% more graduates than there were at this time in 2025—an amazing increase! We're proud of the many graduates for taking this important first step to self-sufficiency, and we're grateful for the dedication of our staff to help lead these clients on the path to success!
University Crossing Update
University Crossing, a mixed-income development at the North Hanley MetroLink Station, is nearing completion! The development is a partnership between Employment Connection and Bywater Development Group that will bring 60 modern apartments and a new Employment Connection satellite office to this key North County transit hub. Click on the video above for a virtual tour.
We're also honored to have University Crossing nominated for an award by Citizens for Modern Transit! CMT will present the New Initiatives Award to the development team at their sold-out 42nd Annual Meeting and Awards Luncheon on September 11th.
Tornado Relief
Employment Connection, in partnership with the City of St. Louis Department of Human Services and the City’s Building Division, launched the Impacted Tenants Fund in late fall of 2025. So far, we have assisted 382 clients and provided $488,400 in direct emergency assistance.
We've also partnered with the Missouri Housing Development Commission to provide housing assistance for St. Louis City and County residents affected by the May 2025 tornado. Through this program, 34 clients have received $195,389.82 in emergency assistance.
If you were impacted by the 2025 tornado, contact us at (314) 333-5622 to learn about these assistance programs.
North City Corridor Services Update
Charles, our Manager of North City Corridor Services, brought lots of smiles at our Back-to-School event last weekend as he distributed school supplies, gift cards, and snacks to our guests. This event was co-sponsored by Demonstrate the Love Outreach Ministries, located in the historic Ville neighborhood.
For more on our North St. Louis office, please call Charles at (314) 499-7209 or via email at HatleyW@employmentstl.org.
Great Southern Bank Award
Employment Connection is proud to be a recipient of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines' Member Impact Fund Award through a partnership with Great Southern Bank! This award will invest $30,000 into our community and support our new financial literacy program in collaboration with Prosperity Connection.
Pictured left to right are Brian Davies, Market President, Great Southern Bank; Sal Martinez, CEO, Employment Connection; Sarah Robberson, Manager of Client Services, Employment Connection; and Chris Boudoures, Relationship Manager, Great Southern Bank. Brian and Chris are also proud EC board members!
Senior Services Program
As the end of Summer fast approaches, we want to thank our funders at the City of St. Louis - Community Development Administration and the Charless Foundation, who have sponsored our Senior Services Program. This program has allowed us to provide FREE landscaping and snow removal services to hundreds of senior homeowners in the City of St. Louis over the past few years!
This program would also not have been successful if not for the enduring care and commitment that Calvin, our Senior Services Coordinator, has for our clients. Calvin and the EC Alumni Association have gone above and beyond to share how much our seniors mean to Team EC. We also want to acknowledge the hard work of Christina, our Director of Programs; Desiree, our grant writer; and our finance team for using their talents to manage such a dynamic initiative.
Equifax Volunteers
Our wonderful partners at Equifax recently provided us with a great group of volunteers who conducted mock interviews with our clients as part of our World of Work job readiness course. We appreciate Equifax's continued support and look forward to welcoming additional volunteers from their great company soon!
Green Jobs Update
Our ninth cohort of Green Jobs clients has been getting hands-on experience across St. Louis this summer! The group visited Dutchtown to work with our own Dutchtown Beautification Team to spruce up Marquette Park and the rain gardens on Louisiana Avenue. They also spent time at New Roots Urban Farm and the SLU Urban Garden to learn more about urban agriculture.
EC Out and About
Charles, our Manager of North City Corridor Services, participated in a resource fair hosted by the St. Louis Housing Authority at their James House development located in the historic Ville neighborhood. The event also served as an ice cream social, and so a great time was had by everyone!
Carlette, our Dutchtown Opportunity Coalition for Youth Program Manager, attended Marquette Community Day, a huge back-to-school event for South Side kids! Employment Connection is proud to be a sponsor of this annual event.
Sal attended the annual dinner at Fresh Starts Community Garden, which was co-sponsored by Employment Connection! Other attendees included Ald. Rasheen Aldridge, State Rep. Yolanda Fountain-Henderson, and Recorder of Deeds Michael Butler.
There's much more going on at Employment Connection! Make sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, 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.
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