To Our Northside Neighbors: 

Thank you for the grace and understanding as we took time to rest and recharge this past weekend. The May 16 tornado that struck our communities — Academy, College Hill, Fairground, Fountain Park, Greater Ville, Hamilton Heights, JeffVanderLou, Kingsway East, Kingsway West, Lewis Place, Mark Twain, North Riverfront, O'Fallon, Penrose, The Ville, Vandeventer, Visitation Park, Wells-Goodfellow, West End — was more than a storm. It was a disruption to safety, to home and community, and to the Northside’s legacy.

In the days that followed, we mobilized … we leaned in … we listened. Because this is what community does. We care. We act. We rise. We neighbor.

We built something powerful together — for us, by us — the 4theVille Emergency Hub. With urgency and intentionality, 4theVille, Invest STL, and Dream Builders 4 Equity and for-profit, civic, and nonprofit partners including Action St. Louis, ForTheCultureSTL, and The Bullet Related Injury Clinic (BRIC) stepped into the gap. We transformed the 4theVille Info Center at 4144 Dr. Martin Luther King Drive into a drive-thru and walk-up hub to provide rapid response emergency relief. 

Our Impact Together

For three weeks, since May 17, we provided construction equipment, cleaning and hygiene supplies, building temporary stabilization services, nonperishable food, water, hot meals, recovery resources, hot showers, and WiFi and charging stations – all while serving our neighbors with compassion, care, and upholding community members’ dignity.

• Served 4,500+ families with construction materials, cleaning and hygiene supplies, food, water, and more

• Stabilized 360+ homes in North St. Louis City (tarped, boarded, and light shoring)

• Mobilized 660+ volunteers and donors across St. Louis

These numbers represent lives, families, and dreams that make up our city — and we are proud to have stood alongside you, listened to and talked with you, and served you during this time. 

We Acknowledge the Gravity of this Season.

We know this is not over. The devastation is deep and ongoing. Families are displaced. Homes are damaged. Needs are still urgent. We do not take lightly the weight of what you’re carrying — and we will not walk away from it. Our work is not done.

What’s Next: Our Ongoing Commitment to the Northside

1. We’re still here. 

   As Black-led organizations rooted in North St. Louis City, we are committed to rebuilding North City alongside you with dignity, justice, and care. We stood in the immediate gap to support rapid relief efforts and distribution of supplies to people and the places they call home. Other organizations will continue to focus on those things as we dial in our expertise on medium- and long-term solutions.  

   Together, we are working with local leaders and other organizations, including our friends at Action St. Louis and ForTheCultureSTL, to shape a recovery strategy that is rooted in the Northside’s community voice and vision.

2. Here’s what’s next.

   While daily operations at the emergency hub on MLK have ended, our work is far from over. This is what we want you to know:

• Direct Cash Assistance is our next, most immediate focus.
  With a host of partners, Invest STL is launching a Direct Cash Assistance Initiative to help our Northside Neighbors most affected by the tornado access flexible, immediate cash to begin rebuilding their lives.

• We will continue dispatching volunteer skilled laborers and contractor crews. 

  Dream Builders 4 Equity and 4theVille will continue dispatching volunteer skilled laborers to support with home repair and stabilization (e.g., tarping roofs, boarding windows, and light shoring); however, some home stabilization will slow down for a short time while the city ramps up operations to centralize this work.

• We are advising on the City of St. Louis’ recovery plan.
  We continue to work closely with the city to make sure that home repair and stabilization processes are accessible, timely, and centered on those impacted hardest – and ensuring North City is prioritized in this process. More broadly, we will continue to assist and work with the City to shape a medium- and long-term recovery, rebuilding, and restoration strategy that elevates the Northside and community needs.

• In this time of hardship, we believe it is still important to celebrate the resilience of our community on the Juneteenth holiday and make time for joy. The 2025 4theVille & Trailnet Juneteenth Ride will be a volunteer “donut delivery” this year.

  We’re pivoting our annual ride and mobilizing bikers to deliver donuts to our community on Saturday, June 14, from 9 a.m. to noon, in celebration of the Juneteenth holiday. If you have a bike and a few hours to spare, meet us at the Tina Turner mural (outside 4153 MLK Dr.) to deliver donuts and disaster relief information to our Northside neighbors. There will be music at the launch site, and delivery instructions will be provided on-site by 4theVille and Trailnet. Hope to see you there.

• Rooted in the Northside on MLK. 

  Well before the storm, we were making plans to deeply root our presence and partnership in The Ville. While the emergency hub is closed as of June 7, 4theVille and Invest STL will be opening up storefront community spaces on MLK Drive right across from where the hub has operated. These spaces will be open to you, our neighbors, offering a place for healing, comfort, community, joy, and care.

  Note: Invest STL will still have its office on 5600 Delmar Blvd and 4theVille will maintain its office at 4067 Lincoln Ave.

How You Can Get Support + Remain Connected

For residents:

• To connect with agencies offering guidance, resources, and assistance related to tornado recovery, visit or schedule an appointment at The City of St. Louis’ Disaster Assistance Center at Chaifetz Arena. 

(Uber is providing free rides, up to $50 each way, to and from the Disaster Assistance Center. Use promo code STLRELIEF2025 in the Uber app.)

• For hygiene, household supplies, and more, visit: The People’s Response, LOVEtheLOU, St. James AME Church, The BRIC
  (Watch their social channels and websites for updates.)

• For updates on construction supplies and home stabilization, visit: STLRecovers.com
  (The Mayor’s Office will coordinate these next steps.)

• Complete the recovery intake form if you still need assistance, including with home stabilization (tarp installation, boarding up windows, etc.): STL Resident Support

(Some home stabilization will slow down for a short time while the city ramps up operations.)

For the broader St. Louis community:

• Want to donate supplies? Contact any of the resource hubs above.

• Want to volunteer? Sign up through the United Way’s Volunteer Center. (Stay tuned for more information on volunteering with The People’s Response).

From the very beginning of this response to the long road ahead, we are committed to seeing North St. Louis and our beloved neighbors not just recover, but rebuild with justice, care, and community at the center.

We’re here. We’ve been here. And we’re not going anywhere. Stay tuned for more from us.

In power, care, and commitment,

All of us at the 4theVille Emergency Hub

4theVille • Invest STL • Dream Builders 4 Equity

An Open Letter to Our North St. Louis City Neighbors

From the 4theVille Emergency Hub team

June 10, 2025