WELLSTON, Mo. – The Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis was out cleaning neighborhoods with hundreds of volunteers Thursday to build them up.
It was the final day of the two-day phase to help one home at a time in Wellston. Many residents were delighted with the renovations.
“Leaders in our neighborhoods and communities were coming to us saying, ‘We’ve got this overgrown brush and debris and abandoned structures, and we want to make our neighborhood safer and help to beautify where we live.’ And we said, ‘We can help you with that,” St. Louis Regional Business Council CEO Karen Branding said.
The Urban League was in collaboration with the Regional Business Council, City of Wellston, construction companies, churches, community stakeholders, and residents to revitalize the area.
“We are excited about the future. St. Louis: We are at a very pivotal point now, where we have to take a deeper dive, and this is an example of what taking a deeper dive looks like,” James Clark with Urban League said.
The “Clean up, Build up” initiative is focusing not only on beautification, but also improving public safety.
“I’m glad that Urban League is coming out to redo the porch and my grandmother is able to come out and enjoy the day… it’s a good deed,” resident Donnell Jones said.
Additionally, 100 families will have Ring doorbell security systems or solar powered floodlights installed in their homes, FOX 2 was told.
“Major crimes that occur on this street will become fewer and fewer, the more we can do projects like this,” Clark added.
Farrakhan Shegog with Urban League added, “What we did is not just remove some trees and remove some bushes and cleanup some illegal dumping. But we sent a message to the everyday, dedicated residents who have been trying to do the best they can over 20, 30, 40 years they’ve been staying in their home, but they have just received the support and momentum for them to continue doing the work that they’re doing.”
