ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. — A nonprofit organization active in 24 different north St. Louis County neighborhoods will be able to expand its reach in agricultural work with the help of a $20,000 grant.
Joe Oelke and his team at Beyond Housing, a comprehensive community development organization dedicated to transforming the St. Louis region’s under-resourced communities, have already worked to clean up trash and invasive vegetation and put healthy roots in the ground.
"We're taking vacant lots and turning them into miniature prairies within the footprint. We also have some tree-planting programs going that are kind of starting up. So we're kind of all over the place," Joe Oelke, the director of Forestry and Community Conservation for Beyond Housing, said.
The "24:1" footprint Oelke referred to consists of the 24 small municipalities surrounding the Normandy School District. Partners include Bel-Nor, Bel-Ridge, Hanley Hills, Normandy, Northwoods, Pagedale, Velda Village Hills, and Wellston.
The nonprofit offers financial assistance toward initiatives such as mitigating hazardous trees, planting new trees, and acquiring essential equipment for tree-related public works projects.
The American Water Charitable Foundation recently awarded the group a $20,000 Water and Environment Grant to do more work.
"We want to start focusing on storm mitigation. With the use of tree planting as well as our vacant lot remediation, we are also going to be working with Missouri Stream Team to start hosting more cleanups," Oelke said.
Councilwoman Rita Heard Days said she hears the hearts of the people who live in the impacted communities.
"I see a lot of people that are interested in making sure that their property is maintained," the councilwoman said. "Many of them are senior citizens and perhaps can't do as much as they used to do, but this is indeed a grant that would help them significantly, I think."
Oelke added that the dollars would grow interest from residents in cultivating a green and clean community.
"To generate buy-in from the residents so they can take pride in the work that they are doing," he said.
"We do want areas with trees. It's environmentally healthy. We do want areas with grass because I think that that adds to the aesthetics of a municipality," Heard Days said.
People in need of assistance can reach Beyond Housing here.