‘For the Sake of All’ project kicks off community action series

First event focuses on economic opportunities

“For the Sake of All” is an interdisciplinary project funded by the Missouri Foundation for Health to improve the health and well-being of African-Americans in the St. Louis region.

The project officially kicks off its community action series Thursday, Oct. 23, with the first of six public forums.

The event, which is free and open to the public, will take place from 5:30-7 p.m. Oct. 23 at St. Louis Public Radio’s Community Room, at 3651 Olive St. in St. Louis. Light refreshments will be served beginning at 5 p.m.

Panelists will discuss ways to create economic opportunities for low- to moderate-income families and the results behind model policies and programs. A discussion guide and action toolkit will be released to help community members respond to the recommendations made in the first phase.

“This project has gained renewed attention and is particularly timely in light of the recent events in Ferguson,” said Jason Q. Purnell, PhD, assistant professor in the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis and lead researcher on the project.

The panel will moderated by Rebeccah Bennett, founder and principal of Emerging Wisdom LLC and InPower Institute. Other speakers are:

  • Edward L. Bryant, president and CEO, St. Louis Minority Business Council;

  • Tishaura Jones, treasurer of the City of St. Louis;

  • Roderick Nunn, interim president of St. Louis Community College at Forest Park;
 and
  • Michael Sherraden, PhD, the George Warren Brown Distinguished University Professor and director of the university’s Center for Social Development.

The first phase of the “For the Sake of All” projected culminated in May 2014 with the release of a final report at a community conference that included six recommendations:

  • Invest in quality early-childhood development.
  • Create economic opportunities for low- to moderate-income families.
  • Invest in coordinated school health.
  • Invest in mental health awareness, access and surveillance.
  • Invest in health-promoting neighborhoods.
  • Enhance chronic and infectious disease prevention and management.

The second phase focuses on engaging the
community, business leaders and policymakers to mobilize support for
implementation of these recommendations.

A discussion guide and action toolkit set will be released for each recommendation in the second phase of the project. The first set, which will be released at the Oct. 23 event, focuses on the topic of creating economic opportunity for low-to moderate-income families. This event is co-sponsored by the Brown School’s Policy Forum and FOCUS St. Louis.

For more information, visit forthesakeofall.org.