No matter your age, interests or budget, you’ll find something fun to do in St. Louis this weekend.
Not only do meetings and conventions make an important economic contribution to the St. Louis region, but by coordinating resources with Explore St. Louis and local charitable partners, your group can leave a legacy of giving well after your event. To assist meeting professionals in offering a community service option to their attendees, Explore St. Louis has developed several turn-key ways for groups to give back based on your social values, available time commitment and number of participants.
The Giving Arch is the centerpiece to Explore St. Louis’ social responsibility effort making it rewarding, fun and meaningful for meeting attendees to make a difference during their stay in St. Louis. The Giving Arch is proudly displayed on the eastern wall of the Washington Avenue lobby in America’s Center where it serves as both a collection point for donations and reminder of the many ways groups can support a host of St. Louis-based charitable organizations. For example, attendees can benefit disadvantaged children by providing reading books, school supplies and personal hygiene items. Other activities take place outside of America’s Center with partners such as Brightside St. Louis, Better Family Life and Stray Rescue of St. Louis where attendees can roll up their sleeves in an organized group project.
Highlighted below are some of the service programs we offer. Contact your Convention Services representative to customize the service program that is right for your group.
Location: Meeting or convention venueNumber of participants: 1,000+ (projects also available for smaller groups)Time required: Groups can participate for up to eight hours and over the course of multiple days.Attendees can recharge by soaking up the love and energy from rescue puppies who will receive belly rubs from convention goers for a donation to Stray Rescue of St. Louis. Smaller groups may help with activities such as walking dogs, landscaping, cleaning the shelters and painting at one of the Stray Rescue of St. Louis shelters.
Location: Food pantry, soup kitchen, local school or the St. Louis Dream CenterNumber of participants: Fewer than 50 (customized projects can be created to accommodate larger groups)Time required: One to four hoursYour group can volunteer to assist the efforts of the St. Louis Dream Center, an organization that helps restore hope into the lives of those in need. Projects are available to assist in providing meals for the less fortunate, including children, seniors and area homeless. The organization also needs assistance with their clothing boutique that that gives out more than 500 outfits per month.
Location: Various locations in North St. LouisNumber of participants: 50-100 (projects can be scaled for both larger and smaller groups)Time required: One to four hoursConvention/meeting attendees can assist Better Family Life by engaging in neighborhood beautification, clean up and basic repair projects in North St. Louis. The impact of this project will be to assist with renovation and beautification efforts to improve the quality of life for residents of the area.
Location: Downtown St. Louis and surrounding neighborhoodsNumber of participants: 25‐30 (multiple projects occurring at the same time could accommodate a larger number of volunteers)Time required: One to four hoursGroups can volunteer to assist for Brightside St. Louis in a project to help beautify the community through restoring, maintaining and growing landscapes. Projects include planting gardens, cleaning thoroughfares and public spaces, to help make neighborhoods more livable and enhance the vibrancy of downtown.
Location: The Riverfront Trail is located north of downtown St. Louis in the Mississippi GreenwayNumber of participants: 50 or fewerTime required: One to four hoursGroups can roll-up their sleeves and volunteer to help Great Rivers Greenway with one of their many projects to improve a 600‐mile network of greenways and trails throughout the region. Potential projects may include litter pickups, graffiti removal, weeding, watering, mulching, planting, habitat restoration and flood cleanup.
Location: Meeting or convention venueNumber of participants: 1000+Time required: Flexible (projects can be completed over multiple days)Your group can help organize a donation project to assist the efforts of the St. Louis Public Schools Foundation. The Foundation works closely with the St. Louis Public Schools Superintendent, District leadership and schools to assist children in need. Projects may include the collection of personal hygiene items can help ensure children are able to maintain good health and improve a child’s overall quality of life.
Location: Meeting and convention venueNumber of participants: 1,000+Time required: Flexible (projects can be completed over multiple days)Organize a donation drive for the St. Louis Area Foodbank. They distribute nearly 35 million pounds of food and personal care items annually assisting more than 392,000 people in the region. The St. Louis Area Foodbank will deliver rolling barrels with their logo to the meeting/convention site, pick‐ up the donated food, and arrange distribution to worthy organizations.
