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We're kicking off 2010 by honoring several
individuals who are enriching the community,
some through their professional involvement,
others through volunteer work.
Each of the recipients of the 2010 North
County Suburban Journal Awards is involved
in the community in a different way, yet a
common thread exists among them: They are
all passionate about what they do, and they
have successfully used their passion to make
North County stronger.
The honorees are the Rev. James Aldridge
Jr., Frank Finnegan, Dora Gianoulakis and
Rebecca Zoll.
The REV. JAMES ALDRIDGE JR. had some big
plans when the Oasis of Love Fellowship Church
moved into the former St. Pius X church and
school in Glasgow Village.
"We needed more room for our programs,"
Aldridge said of their move from their location
in St. Louis city. "(St. Pius X) had a baseball
and football field, and a school building,"
said Aldridge, who is pastor of the church.
"We wanted room to reach out to the community.
This is an area that can use some help."
That was four years ago.
Aldridge believes the church has the duty
to reach out and become an important part
of the community, no matter what the residents'
denominations.
What he and his congregation of 50 did not
expect was how quickly Oasis of Love Fellowship
Church, 355 Shepley Road, became part of the
community.
Suddenly, teenagers began to arrive on the
door, looking for jobs or just for something
to do after school.
"I didn't really think we would be this
big right away," he said. "The community threw
the responsibility on our shoulders right
away."
The church responded with a pre-school program.
Its annual Hoop It Up half-court basketball
tournament draws teams from St. Louis city
and county.
However, it is the teenagers who have touched
the hearts of the congregation, Aldridge said.
"They come here looking for jobs," he said.
"We look and try to find something for them.
The need is strong. We have the facilities
here to be good stewards for the community."
As a result, the church is looking for financial
help to strengthen its future.
The board of directors is working with St.
Louis County to receive some grants for after-school
programs. A St. Louis County police officer
also is on the church's board of directors.
The county police have a substation located
about a block away from the church.
Aldridge and others also are looking at
the church site. The buildings still have
room that can be used. A new addition is contemplated,
allowing them to turn the church itself into
a gymnasium.
"That's something we really need," he said.
"St. Pius X didn't have a gymnasium. We've
got some open land that can still be used."
FRANK FINNEGAN knows hunger is not going
to be cured in his lifetime. However...
"That doesn't absolve the responsibility
we have to help people," Finnegan said. "The
need is always going to be there."
As the executive director of the St. Louis
Area Foodbank, Finnegan is an expert on the
hunger situation in the St. Louis region.
The food bank, which operates out of its facilities
in Bridgeton, will celebrate its 35th birthday
in 2010. The not-for-profit organization serves
500 food pantries in 26 counties in Missouri
and Illinois.
The problem has grown more acute in the
past few years, Finnegan said.
"In 2006, we distributed 12 million pounds
of food," he said. "For 2009, it was 22 million
pounds, That's almost twice as much in three
years."
The struggling economy has brought the problem
home to people who never dreamt they would
need help from a food bank, Finnegan said.
"We've got a 10 percent unemployment rate,"
he said. "We've heard from people who used
to make financial contributions to us and
now they're receiving food."
The holiday season always is a poignant
time of the year. Although hunger is a year-round
problem, the holidays are a time for family
get-togethers, he said.
"Thanksgiving is especially a big time for
families," Finnegan said. "Meals are important
on these holidays. It's a time when people
get together and share."
Many people are still finding ways to help
others, though. Out of the annual $2.5 million
in contributions to the food bank, 70 percent
come from people who send $50 or less.
"We get corporate donations, both food and
money, but it's the people who keep us going,"
Finnegan said.
The administrators are proud how quickly
food moves out of the warehouse into trucks.
"We help people in about a 100-mile radius
from our headquarters," Finnegan said. "We
used to be in the city at Martin Luther King
Drive and Lucas and Hunt Road. This is so
much better because of the room and the access
to the highways. It makes our job a lot easier."
DORA GIANOULAKIS loves living in Spanish
Lake. As president of the Spanish Lake Community
Association Board of Directors, she is determined
to keep intact the reasons for her affection.
"This area is unique in so many ways," she
said. "The housing stock is wonderful. We've
got Civil War-era houses along with mansions
and bungalows."
Spanish Lake also has history, including
early settlers and the Lewis and Clark's Expedition
returning from its journey up the Missouri
River.
Finally, it has the Columbia Bottom Conservation
Area with the confluence, the merging of the
Missouri and Mississippi rivers.
That is why she and the association are
part of a coalition working to stop a proposed
casino development. The site is in the Mississippi
River flood plains just north of Interstate
270.
Opponents say the proposed casino would
be too close to the conservation area. The
project allegedly would disturb the area's
peace and quiet, plus disrupt the migratory
habits of its bird population.
"It would be a major problem to this area,"
Gianoulakis said.
However, the Spanish Lake Community Association
is not anti-development, she said.
The association follows a 2007 St. Louis
County study, which says that development
in Spanish Lake should be along I-270 and
Bellefontaine Road, she said.
"Spanish Lake is basically a bedroom community,"
Gianoulakis said. "We just want to make sure
that any development is appropriate."
The Spanish Lake Community Association takes
a broad view of its mission.
The group works not only for Spanish Lake,
but for North County, she said.
"We are part of North County and we want
people to know that," said Gianoulakis, who
is a 23-year Spanish Lake resident. "We're
working for the entire area."
Twenty years ago, Gianoulakis could not
imagine talking in front of a group of people.
Over time, she has become a public face for
the Spanish Lake Community Association.
She is on the North County Incorporated
Board of Directors, an advocacy group for
North County, and she served on a select committee
that chose Marcia Pfeiffer as president of
St. Louis Community College at Florissant
Valley.
When it comes to business, REBECCA ZOLL
believes in the word "local."
"We urge residents to shop at their local
businesses," she said. "Keep the dollars in
our community."
Zoll is the president/CEO of North County
Incorporated, an advocacy group that works
to improve the way of life in North County.
For nine years, she and other group members
have stressed that need.
The group started in 1977 and will celebrate
its 33rd anniversary later this year.
"North County Inc.'s strength is that we
represent all of the community's major stakeholders,
from businesses and municipalities to schools,
health providers and residents. This lets
us speak in one strong voice on regional matters
that impact North County's quality of life."
Going into 2010, the economy remains the
big story for North County businesses.
"I don't know if North County is struggling
in this economy any more than anyone else,"
Zoll said. "We've all been impacted by the
economy. I believe our small businesses need
more attention now. Many of them are holding
on, just waiting for the economy to improve."
When it comes to business, that means more
than shopping at stores. It also means using
various services, she said.
"If you need your taxes done or need an
accountant, look for one in your neighborhood,"
she said. "Look in your community first for
whatever you need."
North County has much to offer people, the
longtime North County resident said.
"We're in one of the oldest and most historic
communities in St. Louis," Zoll said. "This
area has an incredibly strong, rich history
with neighborhoods that are strong and stick
together."
The spirit of volunteerism is strong in
North County.
"We've got a lot of people who reach out
to help each other," she said. "Many of us
work hard to make North County a great place
to live."
As for her part, Zoll insists she is just
a member of the team and deflects praise for
her work.
"I'm a small part of this group," she said.
"We have so many wonderful people working
with us. We're proud to live in North County
and we want to pass that on to other people."
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