“I love Midtown because of the love I feel at Midtown and because of the people!”
- a member of the Midtown Mamas
“Family PRIDE has given us a place to grow and achieve, and to learn family and parenting knowledge, health, wealth and community inclusion. Family PRIDE has helped me greatly attain a better quality of life. ”
-Tabatha, previous Family PRIDE parent
“Camp was a place for me
to come and be myself and
have fun.”
-Kahlila, previous Summer Academy Day camper
& Junior Leader
“Camp showed me a lot about leadership. I was able to look up to the junior leaders and see them lead us in activities. I always wanted to be a Junior Leader myself!”
-Robert, previous Summer Academy Day Camper & Junior Leader
Since 2015, Tiffany's daughter Essence has participated in Midtown
Community Services' Summer Academy Day Camp along with 80 other fellow campers.
.
According to Tiffany, Essence loves the adventures she's experienced,
from days at the pool to trips to the Saint Louis Zoo. But even more
important are the friendships she's made along the way and the
personal attention she's received from the Midtown team.
"There's a level of compassion at Midtown we've never felt at another camp," said Tiffany. "As a mother's there's a relief knowing that the positive interactions the kids have with the leaders and staff reinforce the values and principles they're being taught at home.
Midtown Helps Ashley Build a Support System
and Grow Her Confidence
A natural introvert, Ashley was always a little shy in new situations and nervous about opening up to others.
But when she heard about Midtown’s Family PRIDE healthy baby program and its lineup of workshops for parents and playgroups for their little ones, she decided to step out of her comfort zone for the sake of her children.
Within a few months, she not only became a Family PRIDE regular, but also a member of the Midtown Mamas social group and an active participant at Midtown’s bimonthly community Coffee Talks.
“Since we started coming to Midtown, my family’s life has changed for the better,” she says. “I usually keep to myself, but Midtown has helped me open up here and in the rest of my life. The talks, the groups, the workshops—they’ve all expanded my mind in a way that helps me let my greatness out!”
The benefits of Family PRIDE for Ashley & her family
Ashley tries to take advantage of all the programming Family PRIDE has to offer, especially when it comes to her children, two-year-old Darrion and 11-month-old Azariyah.
“The playgroups have been great about teaching Darrion how to engage with kids his age. He has older siblings, but like all older kids, they can get a little rough when they play. Darrion’s been learning how to play more gently, share his toys with other kids. He really loves his time here.”
While Darrion and Azariyah play, Ashley takes part in Family PRIDE’s variety of parenting workshops, which cover everything from healthy cooking and exercise to financial planning and mental health care.
The stress management workshops have been phenomenal. I try to manage my stress on my own, but sometimes, as all new moms know, that’s easier said than done. I’ve started putting some of the techniques we’ve been going over into action—taking time to meditate, putting the babies in the playpen for a few minutes to get some downtime. What I’ve learned here, I’m able to share with other moms outside of Midtown.”
Ashley and her children love their time at Family PRIDE so much that her husband. Darris, wanted to participate, too. When he can, he joins Ashley and the kids on Family PRIDE fields trips, including a recent trek to a local pumpkin patch to stock up on
goodies for the fall.
In just a few short months, a new family member will join the fun when Ashley introduces her third child to the Family PRIDE program, ensuring Midtown will continue to have an impact on her family for years to come.
Shelly S. had just moved into The Grove neighborhood
with her young daughter Brooklyn when she found a flyer
on her door, inviting her to visit Midtown Community
Services and check out the programs they had to offer.
From the moment she stepped through Midtown’s doors,
Shelly knew she had found an extended family and a support
network that would be by her family’s side for years to come.
Shelly immediately enrolled Brooklyn in Midtown’s
afterschool and summer camp programs. And when she
became pregnant with her second child Mason in 2014, she
jumped at the chance to participate in the Family PRIDE (Parent Resources, Infant Development and Environment) program.
“My pregnancy with Mason was kind of rough,” she said. “I would walk into Midtown feeling one type of way, and because of the love and peace I felt here, I would leave with a positive attitude. Midtown has always been a wonderful place to turn to for support. Even if I didn’t need anything, when I just wanted to talk, they were always here for me.”
Shelly took advantage of Family PRIDE’s parenting classes while she was pregnant and was able to stock Mason’s nursery with items from the Family PRIDE store. After he was born, the two received home visits from Midtown’s parent-child outreach workers and began attending workshops and playgroups with other families in the neighborhood.
Remarked Shelly, “The classes that were offered were very useful, and I still apply many of the techniques I learned from the different speakers to my life today.”
As Mason grew older, the playgroups played an important role in his emotional and social development.
“Mason always had issues with sharing, but by coming to playgroup and socializing with the other kids, he became less defiant and began sharing with those around him. Midtown has really become his home—he can feel the love, even at his young age.”
Creating stronger families and stronger communities
For 34 years, Midtown served under the Catholic Charities umbrella and focused only on the Forest Park Southeast neighborhood. When we became an independent nonprofit in 2017, we were able to open Family PRIDE to any new or expectant parents in the City of St. Louis.
In Shelly’s case, the change was crucial. She had recently moved out of the neighborhood, and without the expansion, she and her kids could not continue to receive the support they had counted on for the past five years.
“The fact that Midtown has expanded to all zip codes is wonderful. There are so many parents who need this kind of programming, but there are few communities that offer it. Being pregnant and being a new mom is so stressful. To know that there’s someone who can offer the resources and tools and support you need, that’s just awesome!”