Shop for Sustainability-Fundraising for Old North St. Louis Restoration Group

I launched Zee Bee Market in early 2012 as a small "mobile operation" and it was important to find customers for our handcrafted and fair trade products. A good friend suggested I join the North City Farmer's Market on Saturdays and offer our products there. It was the perfect venue for us as we started to grow.

I didn't know at the time this weekly event was part of a larger, comprehensive revitalization strategy led by individuals passionate about creating a sustainable and welcoming neighborhood. The Old North St Louis Restoration Group was responsible for organizing this weekly gathering and my first home away from home. ONSL is also a non-profit organization that needs OUR support so they can continue to offer high quality housing opportunities for a diverse population from all walks of life.

Won't you join us for a Week of Giving and raise funds to support the work of ONSL?

YOU play a huge role in the success of this fundraising effort.

• WHAT: Shop Fair Trade for Mom at our store located at 3211 South Grand Blvd., St. Louis, 63118 or online.
• WHEN: Tuesday, July 12 to Friday, June 15 (11AM - 8PM)
  
• RESULT: we will donate 15% of all sales to ONSL!

Old North St Louis Restoration Group (ONSLRG) is working on many fronts. Here is a summary of the many programs/initiatives in place.

Community Building
Community is more than a collection of buildings; it’s the people who live in the neighborhood and the social bonds among them. ONSLRG sponsors a range of events throughout the year to bring neighbors together and to cultivate those relationships that sustain community.

Neighborhood Beautification

Thriving and attractive neighborhoods offer more than friendly people and good building stock. Public parks, clean streets, community gardens, and other green spaces contribute to the high quality of life enjoyed by ONSL’s residents. With eight community gardens throughout the neighborhood, Old North residents and visitors alike don’t have to look very far to find living testaments to the neighborhood’s commitment to revitalization.  As with any living thing, gardens take time, patience, and dedication.  Our Green Space Committee is a dedicated group always looking for more volunteers to help with the upkeep of these community gardens. 

Historic Preservation
Old North is committed to preserving and building upon the unique and irreplaceable features that have shaped its character and identity. By advocating for the preservation of Old North’s architecturally and historically significant buildings, and occasionally facilitating the development of these properties, ONSLRG is fueling the current revitalization that will ensure the neighborhood’s future viability. In the past few years, ONSLRG and its development partners have transformed dilapidated and crumbling eyesores into attractive, historically rehabbed properties that are providing high-quality housing for more than 100 families.

Housing Development
ONSLRG is committed to bringing a mix of housing types and retail and commercial services to Old North to meet the diverse needs of a growing population from all walks of life, including single individuals, couples and families, senior citizen retirees and college students in their twenties.

Arts Initiatives
Old North St. Louis is a community that has put out the welcome mat for creative individuals seeking a neighborhood with character for their home, studio, or gallery. Already home to poets, sculptors, painters, musicians, and graphic designers, ONSL also embraces opportunities to showcase and celebrate artistic expression. With financial support from the Regional Arts Commission and the Greater St. Louis Regional Empowerment Zone, the idea was to establish a gallery that would be free of charge, that would feature rotating exhibits of work by new and emerging artists, and that would provide space for events, such as poetry readings, artist lectures, and small concerts.  With a broad range of exhibits and events in that space over the past few years, the gallery has lived up to the initial vision. 

Health Initiatives
Old North may be the home of Crown Candy Kitchen, but the neighborhood also offers opportunities to get good, healthy, and locally grown produce. From June through October, ONSLRG hosts the North City Farmers’ Market on Saturday mornings, and ONSLRG continues to work with various partners on plans and creative efforts to make it possible for neighborhood residents to do much of their regular shopping within the neighborhood. In addition to good food, the Old North Walking Club meets every Tuesday at 6:00pm for a walk around the neighborhood, resulting in not only great exercise, but new connections with neighbors.

35 years ago, a group of determined and dedicated neighbors officially formed the ONSLRG. With the hopes of creating Historic Districts to protect the housing stock that was quickly deteriorating, the organization went on to achieve much more than anyone had originally thought. Help us support their work!

If you don't have plans to shop from July 12 to July 15, please consider making a donation to ONSLRG. Thanks from the bottom of my heart!

######