Courtesy of Gateway Arch Park Foundation http://archpark.org/webcams
This is NOT a fundraising pitch or a photo opportunity. This post is instead an act of public accountability in a time of crisis.
The punchline is basic: We got hit by a tornado and here’s what we’re doing about it.
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Former Scholarship Foundation board member Marilyn Boettcher once told me that her grandmother slept with her shoes on. Grandma had seen a tornado’s impact first-hand (likely the 1927 twister that killed at least 72 people and injured more than 550). Just the thought of running for safety in the dark and barefoot across a field of broken glass led her to sleep with shoes on nightly.
Two weeks ago, a tornado turned on St. Louis with a vengeance. As of now, clean-up and recovery are progressing much faster in the county than in the city. Within the city, the tornado did not discriminate by race or class yet impact and aftermath are much worse in areas previously devastated by economic disparity and neglect. The differences are not just geographic; they are racial as well.
Marilyn’s grandmother might have reasoned that all of us should have had our shoes on our feet on the afternoon of May 16, 2025. Even Marilyn, who passed away in 2013, would have imagined proper warnings and swiftly deployed rescue and relief services. Tragically, it is 2025 and the need for improved emergency alert and response systems is still great.
Right now, as an organization, we are:
- Contacting our 94 current students and recent graduates (who live in the zip codes directly affected by the tornado) to check on their families and offer tangible support: micro-grants, grocery cards, mental health services, and help with adjustments to FAFSA/financial aid.
- Issuing automatic two-month repayment forbearance to interest-free loan borrowers and reaching out to them directly to learn more about their needs.
- Preparing to increase 2025-26 awards as needed to those affected.
- Supporting The People’s Response with paid release time for qualified staff to work in affected communities where they have pre-existing relationships of trust.
That’s not enough, but it’s essential. The greatest hope of the most devastated communities is vested in their young people. We’ve stepped in, holding ourselves accountable to our mission and our people first.
– Faith Sandler
