Author: Neel Achary

Child Care Aware of Missouri Hosts Walk Fundraiser

The fifth annual “2000 Steps To Make A Difference” walk will benefit the nonprofit’s programs.

(St. Louis, Mo., July 23, 2024) Child Care Aware of Missouri (CCAMO) will host its fifth annual “2000 Steps To Make A Difference” walk on Saturday, Sept. 21. The event will take place at Millennium Park located at 2 Barnes West Dr. in Creve Coeur, Mo., with registration starting at 9 a.m. and the walk beginning at 9:30 a.m. Proceeds from the fundraiser will support CCAMO’s statewide programs aimed at enhancing early care and education of children during their crucial first 2,000 days of life.

The walk will follow a 0.6-mile paved trail and features family-friendly activities including yard games, emergency vehicles for children to explore, an online silent auction, and snacks. Attendees will also have access to the park’s newly updated splash pad and playground.

Founded in 1999, Child Care Aware of Missouri is a statewide nonprofit that focuses on a comprehensive early childhood education experience through impactful programs and partnerships. The organization’s services include workforce development, child care business supports, advocacy and policy work, and its new Child Care Keeps Missouri Working, a regional campaign offering concierge solutions to businesses undergoing employee recruitment and retention challenges due to the overwhelming shortage of quality child care options.

Tickets are $25 per adult, $15 per child 12 and under and $10 per person for virtual participation. Register for the fundraiser at https://child-care-aware-of-missouri.networkforgood.com/events/72126-two-thousand-steps-to-make-a-difference-walk-2024. For more information about Child Care Aware of Missouri, call (314) 535-1458 or visit www.mochildcareaware.org.

National Musician Academy Recognizes St. Louisan “Lady J” Huston

Huston recently named a cohort for the academy, which is the only incubator of its kind for musicians.

(St. Louis, Mo., July 3, 2024) Joyce “Lady J” Huston, a seasoned entertainer and musician, has been selected as one of only 10 cohorts for the 2024 Musician Changemaker Accelerator (MCA) Academy by Music to Life. This prestigious program is designed to help musicians from across the U.S. make a transformational impact in their communities through their art.

The MCA Academy is the only incubator of its kind for musicians looking to create social change with their music. The Academy combines entrepreneurship and social design instruction with one-on-one coaching and strategic community engagement activities so its cohorts can develop a roadmap to turn their concepts into fundable realities, addressing critical issues such as cultural diversity integration, racial justice, and activism.

The MCA Academy provides participants with a stipend, funding to engage with nonprofit collaborators, and matching grant opportunities supported by The Mellon Foundation, The Warner Music Group/Blavatnik Family Foundation Social Justice Fund, and Music to Life’s individual contributors. Music to Life was founded by Noel Paul Stookey of the folk trio Peter, Paul & Mary along with his daughter Liz Stookey.

Huston is a multi-award-winning vocalist, trumpeter, and songwriter who has performed with notable artists such as B.B. King, Etta James, and Robert Cray while touring with Albert King as his Music Director. She was a featured headliner at St. Louis’ Intersection Festival alongside Erykah Badu, Gary Clark, Jr., Buddy Guy, and Booker T. Jones. Her accolades include recent honors from the 2024 Global Music Awards, as well as an invitation to join the 2024 New Member Class for the Recording Academy, the organization behind the annual GRAMMY Awards.

This cohort recognition highlights Huston’s potential to create meaningful social change through her music and community engagement, aligning with her role as Community Arts Program Coordinator for A Red Circle. Founded in 2017, A Red Circle is a nonprofit dedicated to the advancement of racial equity in North St. Louis County, Mo. The organization creates economic and community betterment solutions through education, employment, and empowerment. For more information, call (314) 328-2286 or visit www.aredcircle.org.

A Red Circle Holds Good Food Fridays

Nonprofit offers free drive-thru farm-fresh produce to the community.

(St. Louis, Mo., May 17, 2024) A Red Circle recently launched its third annual Good Food Friday’s program, a free weekly produce giveaway that runs from 3 to 5 p.m. every Friday through October. The initiative takes place at A Red Circle’s North County Agricultural Education Center (NCAEC) located at 4521 Hamilton Ave. in Pine Lawn, Mo.

Good Food Friday visitors receive a complimentary bag containing freshly harvested fruits, vegetables, herbs, and eggs from NCAEC’s collaborative growing space on a first-come, first-served basis. A Red Circle also provides recipes plus storage tips, and the nonprofit’s Food & Farm Teaching Specialist Chef Queenie Vesey conducts recipe demonstrations with food samples, weather permitting.

The NCAEC is an urban farm oasis established by A Red Circle in 2019 on five converted residential lots. The space features fruit trees, chickens, bee hives, and a hoop house that allows for year-round vegetable production. Visitors are invited to tour the farm where their produce has been grown.

Founded in 2017, A Red Circle is a nonprofit dedicated to the advancement of racial equity in North St. Louis County, Mo. The organization creates economic and community betterment solutions through education, employment, and empowerment. A Red Circle has four Missouri locations – Healthy Flavor Community Garden in Riverview, North County Agricultural Education Center in Pine Lawn, The Creative Spot in Ferguson, and North County Community Nexus in Bellefontaine Neighbors – to best serve the community and improve wellness opportunities for its citizens who experience healthy food access disparities in the region.

Reservations are not required. For more information about Good Food Fridays, call (314) 328-2286 or visit www.aredcircle.org.

Valley Insurance Agency Alliance Names New Alliance Coordinator

David Drda previously worked as an Account Manager for sister company Powers Insurance & Risk Management.

(St. Louis, Mo., Feb. 23, 2024) David Drda was recently hired as an Alliance Coordinator for Valley Insurance Agency Alliance (VIAA), a cohesive family of more than 160 independent insurance agencies in Missouri and Illinois. His responsibilities include generating a systematic approach to information gathering, analysis, and problem solving. Drda will also assist alliance member agencies with system processing and carrier code updates.

Drda brings 12 years of insurance industry experience to the alliance. Prior to joining VIAA, Drda served as an Account Manager for sister company Powers Insurance & Risk Management where he helped clients with policy services. He previously worked at various Illinois insurance agencies in numerous capacities. Drda earned his Associate of Arts degree and Associate of Science degree in Business Management from Southwestern Illinois College in Belleville, Ill.

“We moved David from Powers to VIAA based upon his strong detail-oriented skill set,” said Valley Insurance Agency Alliance’s co-founder Henry Powers. “Our alliance continues to grow its membership, and David is the ideal candidate to work with onboarding new agencies to ensure efficiency and profitability.”

Founded in 2006, Valley Insurance Agency Alliance generates more than $600 million in written premium and is the regional founding member SIAA – The Agent Alliance, a $12.5 billion national insurance network. Founded in 1991, sister company Powers Insurance & Risk Management provides personal and business insurance, surety, risk management, and employee benefits. The companies are headquartered at 6825 Clayton Ave. For more information, call (314) 725-1414 or visit www.viaa4u.com.

Leif Assurance Hires Two Marketing Specialists

Lauren Elizabeth Gulli and Connor Kay bring extensive marketing background to the growing company.

(St. Louis, Mo., Feb. 16, 2024) – Leif Assurance, a full-service insurance agency that exclusively handles construction insurance, recently hired Lauren Elizabeth Gulli as Brand Marketing Specialist and Connor Kay as Digital Marketing Specialist.

Gulli’s responsibilities include developing and executing effective marketing campaigns to enhance brand visibility and drive business growth. She will focus on creating strategies and managing content to best engage target audiences. Prior to joining Leif Assurance, Gulli worked as a Marketing Director for a business consulting firm. Gulli earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Multimedia Studies from Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Fla.

As Digital Marketing Specialist, Kay will use various digital platforms to optimize Leif Assurance’s marketing campaigns. He also will ensure the company’s online presence aligns with its long-term goals. Prior to joining Leif Assurance, Kay worked as a Business Development Representative at a Chicago law firm. He previously was the Digital Media Planner for a contemporary clothing label company. Kay earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture Communications and Media Advertising from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in Urbana, Il.

“Lauren and Connor add comprehensive experience and insight to our marketing team,” said Leif Assurance CEO JD Powers. “They understand how to create messaging that focuses on our customer’s needs while staying true to our organization’s objectives. Both are a welcome addition to our growing company.”

Founded in 2022, Leif Assurance offers actionable risk management, as well as data-driven pricing models to build the most accurate risk profiles so contractors are rewarded for safe job sites with earned insurance savings. Leif provides cost-effective and comprehensive insurance solutions for worker’s compensation, general liability, builders’ risk, inland marine, and commercial auto.

Leif Assurance is the sister company of Powers Insurance & Risk Management and Valley Insurance Agency Alliance (VIAA), a cohesive family of more than 160 independent insurance agencies in Missouri and Illinois. Powers Insurance & Risk Management is one of the largest family owned and operated independent insurance agencies in the bi-state region. All three companies are located at 6825 Clayton Ave. For more information about Leif Assurance, call (314) 202-4200 or visit www.leifassurance.com.

St. Louis Area Diaper Bank Hosts Fourth Annual Bloody Mary Brunch

Fundraiser to support the nonprofit’s period supply program.

(St. Louis, Mo., Feb. 3, 2024) — The St. Louis Area Diaper Bank will hold its fourth annual Bloody Mary Brunch on Sun., March 24 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at its headquarters located at 6141 Etzel Ave. The event, open to those 21 years of age and older, will feature a Bloody Mary and mimosa bar plus light brunch. Tickets are $60 per person, and all monetary donations will support the Diaper Bank’s period supply program, which helps nearly 35,000 girls and women annually with period kits.

Attendees will have the interactive opportunity to count, sort, and pack period supply kits for local school partners. Other activities include raffles, a glitterati photo station, and a brief presentation about the agency’s efforts to end period poverty in St. Louis.

The period supply program distributes period supplies through community partners and advocates for the elimination of “period poverty”. In 2024, 900,000 period supplies will be distributed in St. Louis, with 20,000 period supplies allocated each week. Two-thirds of low-income women in St. Louis cannot afford menstrual hygiene products, with 46% of low-income women having to choose between food and period supplies.

The St. Louis Area Diaper Bank, founded in 2014, provides diaper and period supply access to the region’s low-income families and raises community awareness about the causes and consequences of diaper need and period poverty. The nonprofit is a member of the National Diaper Bank Network and its sister organization Alliance for Period Supplies, a nationwide nonprofit dedicated to eliminating diaper need and “period poverty” in America. The period supply program ensures access to menstrual hygiene products, which allows full participation in daily life with dignity.

For more information about the Bloody Mary Brunch or to donate, call (314) 624-0888 or visit their website.

Former CM Kiran Kumar Reddy among 36 HPS alumni explored Raunaq’s H.I.G.H. as part of HPS’s 100-year celebrations, at a high tea & more, hosted by Nawab Raunaq

Hyderabad, December 30, 2023: 36 H.P.S. school alumni visited recently Raunaq Yar Khan’s H.I.G.H.*/Highest In Greater Hyderabad* “, a man-made hill, which is taller than the city’s tallest ancient Naubat Pahad (the hill where Birla Mandir has come up), located on eight acres of the 80-acre private land estate on Road number 25 in Jubilee Hills. The large batch of guests, mostly from outside Hyd, were taken by surprise that such nature-friendly real estate still exists in the centre of this expensive IT Capital of India.

I live close to this place. I knew it, but never knew that it is so big said Kiran Kumar Reddy, former Chief Minister of undivided Andhra Pradesh, who visited Nb Raunaq to explore this mostly unexplored landmark of Hyderabad. This visit was in between the 100-year celebration of “Hyderabad Public School” at a High tea hosted by Nb. Raunaq for a large group of HPS alumni & their spouses.

Nawab Raunaq Yar Khan, 60 years old, the creator of the hill, is a well-known citizen of Hyderabad and a distinguished personality who has recently been crowned the 9th Nizam of the Asaf Jahi Dynasty by his vast royal family. He is presently the owner of the film set facility located on an 80-acre plot at Road No. 25, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad. Part of it is a man-made hill on 8 Acres, only one-of-a-kind in any urban area of the world.
In-city, bigger than all film facilities together.

Nizam Prince Raunaq Yar Khan is known for amazing family buildings and this man-made hill is known as H.I.G.H “Highest in Greater Hyderabad Hill”. Film wallahs know it is a ” Bhoot Bungala”. Many mega-budget films were shot at this place including ‘Rangasthalam’. Already on an elevated plateau, the hill is taller than Naubat Pahad. This place is the talk of the town now. On Google map, it is “Raunaq’s H.I.G.H. Man Made Hill”

It took me ten years to create this hill on an existing tall plateau. I have used moram(a sticky type of soil) so that it holds the embedded rocks. I had to put this place to use to protect it from land sharks, that won’t stop at anything to claim or grab it, Raunaq said.

Coincidentally the party venue, Raunaq’s Hill was the place frequented by Raunaq’s ancestor SultanUlMulk(who built some accommodation within existing air-raid shelters, before World War 2). Sultan-Ul-Mulk was the son of Sir Viqar(who built Falaknuma) & Lady Viqar/Jahandar-Un-Nisa, sister of Nizam 6th, who gifted more than 100 acres to the original “Jagirdars College”, presently Hyderabad Public School, from her private estate.

The tea party was organised to celebrate Christmas & New Year. Nawab Raunq Yar Khan has personally hosted huge exclusive celebrations of many religious festivals other than his own, like Divali and Sankranti for decades by inviting people to the same venue.0He is a sincere believer in the role of inter-religious harmony in a peaceful society, having been recognised and honoured for the same (which included his work as Delhi Police adviser)with a conferred doctorate.

The entire group including g members of the 1975 batch enjoyed the evening g was present. Dilip Chenoy, Former Secretary General of FICCI and a member of the batch was a guest and he coordinated with the group who came from all parts of India and the world.