Celebrating The Legacy of Caring Communities
Saturday, September 6, 2025
Caring Communities Families, Friends, Stakeholders, and Supporters! we welcome you to the 36th Commemorative Caring Communities Commemorative Celebration Registration begins at 5:00 pm and dinner will be served promptly at 6 p.m., following the drum call by Ngoma (NIM). Join us on Saturday, September 6, 2025, held at the Better Family Life Center, 5415 Page Boulevard. St. Louis, MO The theme for the reunion is “Connecting and Remembering Caring Communities.”
The tornado that tore across the St. Louis area on May 16th interrupted the initial planned celebration but the Caring Communities Committee Planning Committee believes in the old adage: "To stumble is not to fall but to rise." So we rescheduled the event for September 6, 2025. We're READY!
Keynote Speaker
Dr. Kelvin Adams
Dr. Kelvin Adams
Dr. Kelvin Adams, former Superintendent of Saint. Louis Public Schools, is the keynote speaker for the historic St. Louis Caring Communities 36th Anniversary Celebration at Better Family Life Inc., 5415 Page Boulevard in St. Louis, MO., Saturday, September 6, 2025, from 6:00 – 9:00 p.m.
Dr. Adams served for 14 years as the Superintendent of Schools for the Saint Louis Public School District. As Superintendent, he provided oversight for approximately 19,000 students and 3,500 employees. Retiring in 2022, Dr. Adams was the third longest serving superintendent of the St. Louis school district.
Prior to accepting the Superintendent position with the Saint Louis Public School District, Dr. Adams was Chief of Staff for the Recovery School District (RSD) in New Orleans, Louisiana. Adams earned his Ph.D. in Educational Leadership in Administration from the University of New Orleans in 2005. He earned an M.A. in Elementary Education from Xavier University in 1991 and a B.A. in Elementary Education and Special Education from Northeast Louisiana University in 1978.
During his tenure with the St. Louis Public Schools Dr. Adams had many notable accomplishments including regaining provisional and full accreditation from the Missouri State Board of Education and increasing the high school graduation rate from 54 percent to 80 percent.
Reminiscent of a family reunion, the theme of the 36th Caring Communities celebration is “Connecting and Remembering Caring Communities.” Performances by Young Men of Vision led by Marlon Wharton, a former CCP staffer; spins by DJ Naybahud and inspiring poetry by author/artist Cheryl D.S. Walker, Esq.
All tickets previously purchased for attendance will be honored. A few other highlights of the evening's entertainment include oral video testimonials, historic footage, and scrumptious food will also compliment the evening events and launch the Caring Communities Oral History project.
Cheryl D.S. Walker, Esq
Caring Communities Celebration...
36th Commemorative Anniversary
"Cultural Chic" decor....photos from original layout of 36th Commemorative Anniversary of Caring Communities at Better Family Life.
May 16th: Tornado Impact on STL Area
There was a stillness in the air that day. Many were excited and preparing to attend the Caring Communities Celebration at Better Family Life. Who knew that the universe had other plans. That afternoon most neighborhoods were plunged into darkness at 2:39 pm. There was darkness inside homes, businesses and buildings; neighborhoods were also in darkness. Better Family Life, the venue for the Caring Communities event, was also plunged into darkness immediately canceling the Caring Communities event. On that day, the high winds raged all around; also loud crashes of flying trees, other areas many buildings imploded. Just as suddenly as it began, the storm ended. The bright sun came back out. The entire damaging storm only last 26 minutes.
Numbers are generally finite, limited, and unchangeable. But on the day of the tornado, May 16, 2025, that was not the case. The numbers kept changing. Numbers still prevail; they reveal a great deal about the impact that the tornado had on families and neighborhoods.
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The F3 Tornado hit ground at 2:39 pm.
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The duration of the tornado was 26 minutes.
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The path of destruction was 23 miles.
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66,000 customers were without power; either 1 day, or weeks
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There were seven fatalities and 38 injuries.
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But the changing numbers that were revealed continue to dominate the media, discussions, and the future.
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5,000 buildings destroyed or damaged.
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$1.6 billion dollars in losses.
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Since the tornado the St. Louis Urban League has served over 27,000 families and 5,000 free meals
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Direct Impact to Caring Communities Volunteers
Jandra Carter, former State of Missouri Department of Mental Health Caring Communities Coordinator, working hard with her physical therapist..
Prior to the tornado, Jandra worked tirelessly on the Planning Committe to organize the Caring Communities event. On May 16th the tornado was almost fatal for Jandra. She exited her car and was knocked down by a flying tree as the storm reached its height. She lay on the ground with rain pelting down on her. For hours she screamed until hoarse but could not move. It was hours before rescue when she was teleported to the hospital. At the hospital Jandra was diagnosed with two broken ankles and a spinal fracture.
Over the past three months Jan has received four successful surgeries, six weeks in a spinal brace, time in a wheelchair and and is now enjoying physical therapy.
"I believe I am very blessed. God has been taking care of me. I am grateful for all the cards, phone calls, text messages, and hospital visits. God has been very good to me and I am grateful. And I am looking forward to seeing everyone at the celebration on September 6th."
Jandra Carter working hard in rehabilitation therapy
Elam King III, Wendell Kimbrough, Veronica Banks, William "Bill" Dent and Khatib Waheed take a moment to pose after a planning meeting about the 36th CCP Anniversary Celebration
St. Louis Caring Communities was a highly acclaimed school-based, public-private partnership initially located at Walbridge Elementary School at 5019 Alcott Avenue. Khatib A.F. Waheed was Co-Architect and Director of Walbridge Caring Communities Program, which was initially funded by the Danforth Foundation, Missouri Department of Mental Health, Missouri Department of Health, Missouri Departments of Elementary & Secondary Education, and Missouri Department of Social Services. Performance evaluations led to the expansion of the program from one to twenty sites across the metropolitan area.
St. Louis Caring Communities Video Library
All Videos
All Videos
Caring Communities Teen Drop In Center Grand Opening
Khatib Waheed Veronica Banks with Bernie Hayes #BH 887 KhatibWaheed&VeronicaBanksdated5 16 25NewHD
Tale of Two Schools: GREAT EXPECTATIONS
Neighborhoods Under Siege Khatib A F Waheed Caring Communities
Our Families Our Future Hosted by Walter Cronkite
Walbridge Caring Communities | Elam King: “When to Act: Now or Later?”
CCP Records Accepted at State Historical Society.
Former CCP staffer Denise Carter helps to sort and categorize original documents of the St. Louis Caring Communities
A.J Medlock Coordinator of St. Louis Research Center, examines records from St. Louis Caring Communities
Some projects begin as a single idea but never reach fruition. Other ideas are the beginning of a legacy. For over 35 years former Caring Communities Operations Manager Veronica Banks stored and maintained original records, books, articles, briefs, books, pictures, newspaper clippings, booklets, research papers about Caring Communities, the school-based, public-private partnership that gained national acclaim.
As the Operations Manager, Banks was responsible for organizing the site visits to Caring Communities from across the country and globally. She recognized the value of the Caring Communities lessons learned; Banks dreamed of having the resources placed in an archival library or historical institution.
"We are excited to re-connect and celebrate the 36th anniversary and the launch of the Caring Communities Oral History project. The oral history project chronicles the historical milestones of Caring Communities with digitization, oral recordings and a website dedicated to Caring Communities history," said Veronica Banks.
Walbridge Caring Communities Program was a highly acclaimed pilot program that began in St. Louis on May 15, 1989. Wrap-around services were provided to students and families in the crime-infested neighborhood of Walnut Park. These included counseling, substance abuse counseling, crisis intervention, day treatment, pre-employment, after school tutoring, latchkey, health liaison, student assistance and anti-gang/anti-drug activities.
A successful evaluation of Walbridge Caring Communities Program resulted in the expansion of the program sites from 1 to 20 sites across the city of St. Louis; over a thirteen year period. Delegates and representatives from all over the world visited Walbridge Caring Communities; across the United States, some from Amsterdam and also Israeli. "So I kept everything packed up with a dream that the resources would be available to future generations. For this to be happening is a dream come true" Banks stated.
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