What's Happening at Employment Connection: September 2026
See what we've been up to at Employment Connection over the last month!
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EC's Annual Awards Luncheon
Team EC celebrated our annual Awards Luncheon, recognizing our amazing employees and community partners! A capacity crowd enjoyed a catered lunch and saw a sneak peek of the nearing-completion construction at University Crossing, which recently won Citizens for Modern Transit’s New Initiatives Award! Special guests included Keisha Hammock, Vice President of United Way of Greater St. Louis, and 11th Ward Alderwoman Laura Keys.
Special thanks to our Platinum Sponsor, Ameren Missouri, and our Gold Sponsors, Brake Landscaping & Lawncare and Life at Marsh McLennan Agency!
Employees of the Year
Christina Brewington, Director of Programs
Lisa Cross-Shelton, Co-Manager, Managed Work Services and Ticket To Work
Michael McCoy, Co-Manager, Managed Work Services and Ticket To Work
Employer of the Year
Peter & Paul Community Services
Corporate Citizenship Award
Great Southern Bank
Landlord of the Year
Golden Rule Property Management LLC
Community Partnership Awards
Dutchtown Main Streets
City of St. Louis Department of Human Services
City of St. Louis Community Development Administration
St. Louis County Department of Human Services
Team EC staff also voted on internal awards that were presented at our annual luncheon! Honorees included Tammy, recognized as our “Best Team Player,” and Shantel, honored for her outstanding leadership skills.
University Crossing Wins CMT Award
Employment Connection and Bywater Development Group were honored to receive Citizens for Modern Transit's New Initiatives Award in September! CMT bestowed the award for our University Crossing development at the North Hanley MetroLink Station.
University Crossing is a mixed-income, mixed-use, transit-oriented development project designed to connect North County residents to transit and expand access to jobs, education, healthcare, and other amenities accessible by transit across the region. The development will feature 60 brand-new apartments and a new Employment Connection satellite office to better serve our North County clients.
Construction is nearing completion! View photos and details about University Crossing here.
Green Jobs Update
Our fall cohort of Green Jobs clients is nearing graduation! The crew has been getting hands-on across St. Louis, with stops at SLU's Urban Garden, Dutchtown's Marquette Park, New Roots Urban Farm, the new Brickline Greenway, the Gravois Park neighborhood, and many other locations where they gained firsthand experience to prepare them for new careers in the green workforce.
Salute to the Dutchtown Beautification Team
Cheers to the Dutchtown Beautification Team! The team was established and sustained through a wonderful partnership between Employment Connection, Dutchtown Main Streets, and the Community Development Administration.
The Beautification Team, led by Emily and Idara, were charged with maintaining and beautifying green spaces in Dutchtown, including Marquette Park, Dutchtown Common, the VAL Community Garden, and the bump-out rain gardens along Louisiana Avenue. They also regularly collaborated with our Green Jobs clients, providing hands-on experience and guidance across many aspects of urban gardening and landscaping.
The Dutchtown Beautification program will be honored by East West Gateway Council of Governments at their annual meeting in November. This successful partnership will receive an Outstanding Local Government Achievement award!
Housing Update
Meet our Housing Team! The Housing Team manages many programs, including:
Project Homecoming and Project Transition, funded by the City of St. Louis Affordable Housing Commission
Adult Rapid Rehousing, Youth Rapid Rehousing, and Permanent Supportive Housing assistance programs in St. Louis County
The VOCA Program, providing emergency housing assistance for victims of domestic violence and other crimes, funded by the Missouri Department of Social Services
The Impacted Tenants Fund for City of St. Louis residents who lost their housing due to natural disaster or other reasons that cause their homes to be condemned
Missouri Housing Development Commission's Disaster Relief Program for tornado victims in St. Louis City and County
Through the end of September, our Housing Services Team has served 695 clients! Their work keeps hundreds of individuals and families off the streets every year, and we thank them for their dedication.
North City Corridor Services Update
On September 30th during Good Neighbors Week, Manager of North City Corridor Services Charles joined the St. Louis Anti-Violence Project in their region-wide Belonging Campaign by participating in The Longest Table!
This coordinated community dining event encourages neighbors to sit down together for a catered meal, leave politics and professions at the door, and focus on shared humanity and mutual support. While adults engage in small-group discussions facilitated by trained volunteer table captains, children and teens will receive curated belonging kits.
World of Work Update
WoW! Over 1,000 clients have graduated from World of Work so far in 2026! This is a nearly 40% increase over our record-breaking 2025 figures! Clients continue to complete our cornerstone job readiness training program at a rate well over 90%. Thanks to our dedicated staff who guide our clients through this essential first step toward self-sufficiency and success!
EC Out and About
Latisha and other staff enjoyed the IL 300 NASCAR weekend this month courtesy of the United Way of Greater St. Louis and the Steward Family Foundation!
Sal joined EC board member Reyna Spencer (far right) and other speakers as panelists at the recent Ameren Community Voices Workshop!
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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