ST. LOUIS — The historic Annie Malone May Day Parade will happen on Sunday, May 21 in downtown St. Louis.
Ahead of the big event that will draw huge crowds, 5 On Your Side is taking a closer look at the mission of the Annie Malone Children and Family Services. The organization has a long history of making lives better across the region.
Going strong in St. Louis for 113 years now, the annual parade gives eager crowds a reminder of the legacy behind its namesake. Annie Malone was known for making hair products.
She became pretty wealthy doing so and in the early 1900s, she opened her first business on Market Street, near the current Pear Tree Inn.
Her generosity paved the way for what is now known as the Annie Malone Children and Family Services Center in the historic Ville neighborhood. What started as an orphanage for Black children is still providing hope.
"Day to day, Annie Malone is taking kids into the crisis center who may have overdosed on drugs, been killed, and also those who are homeless, and they don't want their kids to go into the system and lose them,” Annie Malone CEO Keisha Lee said.
From parenting classes to teenage drug prevention to simply being a resource, Annie Malone is there.
"We have kids coming to us with no shoes on their feet … People will come to this building and ask for food or if they need to fax something and they don't have a fax at home or simple things like that, it's 'I can go over to Annie Malone.' 'Yes, you can. Come on in. What do you need?'" Lee asked.
"Far too many children that we've buried in this community possibly could still be alive had they had the resources of Annie Malone,” parade sponsor William C. Harris said.
It's why the organization continues to be a cornerstone in the community, continuing a legacy that began in 1888.
"It's still standing,” Harris said with pride.
Saturday night at 10, 5 On Your Side will not only dive deeper into some of Annie Malone's programs and how people in the area are not only benefitting from those services, but how others are giving back to keep the mission alive.
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