For The Lou | The Crossing

Serve like Jesus. Know your neighbor. Cross the divide. Commit. This is what it means to be ForTheLou.

Want to do that alongside others from The Crossing? Great! Want to do it on your own time? Awesome! Looking to serve in a specific way or at a special place? Super!

No matter what you are looking for, we are happy to help you find your way to commit to being ForTheLou throughout the year. Explore ideas below. Join in or be inspired to DIY! As you do so, we encourage you to think critically about the information being presented on external websites and through other resources below.

Prefer to see a calendar of scheduled opportunities where you can jump in with other Crossing folks? CLICK HERE

Join a Serve Day

Don't forget that being ForTheLou is a heart posture for everyday life. Serve your neighbors on your own or join other Crossing attenders and commit to serving regularly!

Outreach Serve Days

Gift Cards for Tornado Relief

Offer relief with Aldi or Visa gift cards in denominations of $10, $25, $50, or $100. Drop them at Chesterfield during open hours or in the offering boxes at any campus this weekend. For more info email Outreach.

Email Outreach

Donate Food for Disaster Relief

Click "Learn More" below to see how you can support our friends in North City by donating food to TCDC's food pantry.

Learn More

LOVEtheLOU Workdays

Tornado relief efforts are still happening in North City alongside LOVEtheLOU. Click Learn More to see how you can get involved.

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Community Day

Join Holland Law Firm on September 20th for a Community Day. This is a day about coming together as neighbors, celebrating the strength of our city, and providing access to free resources. Resources include: health screenings, legal guidance, youth activities and local nonprofit support.

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101 Ways to be a Good Neighbor

Check out this list of 101 ways to be a good neighbor in your own neighborhood!

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Become a Reading Champion

Join the team! Encourage students at one of our partner elementary schools by showing up weekly to teach simple reading skills during the 25-26 school year. Must be 18+. No experience necessary!

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Behind the Scenes Team

Serve on our on-call outreach team. You'll help with things like setting up for large collection events, stuffing materials for outreach events and more.

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Bridge Bread Bakery

Contribute to the work Bridge Bread is doing to support our neighbors experiencing homelessness. Purchase a treat or volunteer your time in this historical Cherokee Street bakery!

Learn More

Civil Rights Virtual Exhibit

St. Louis has played a significant role in our country's civil rights movement. Take a virtual tour of one of the most popular exhibits at the Missouri History Museum and learn all about it. Link available when you click I'm in.

I'm In!

Construction Crew

Like swinging a hammer? Have skills to fix up a house? We need you for requests to fix, build, and re-invent things for our community partners. We'll let you know when we have a project.

Learn More

Crisis Nusery

Play with kids, clean, and organize at Crisis Nursery during our regular serve days. NOTE: 14+ age requirement

Learn More

DIY Meal Kit

Donate non-perishable items that, together, make a whole meal for families at The Care Service. Instructions and additional details available via link when you click I'm in.

I'm In!

Donate Blood

What better way to be ForTheLou than by saving a life by donating blood with the Red Cross. Click below to find a time and location that works best for you.

Learn More

Feed a Family through Circle of Concern

Help Circle of Concern feed families through the summer by shopping a family-specific list and dropping off at Circle. Shopping list and instructions provided after sign-up.

Learn More

Golf Tournament

Volunteer at the Forces on the Fairways golf tournament to support veterans on September 15 at Bogey Hills Country Club. Email Rachelle Meyer for more information.

Email Rachelle

Good Neighbor Initiative

Good Neighbor Initiative Details: Commit for one year to befriend a refugee family.

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H.E.R.O.E.S. Care

Serve our veterans and current armed service personnel by sorting materials and shopping with clients.

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Helping Hand Me Downs

Sort clothing and deliver donations during our regular monthly serve days.

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Hope Ignites St. Louis

Hope Ignites has many serving opportunities including: providing dinner for the scholars, academic mentors, college care packages, carpool drivers, and interior and exterior house projects to name a few!

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Jump-in Later

Not able to serve right now, but want to join in? Unsure of where to start? Click the link below to email our Outreach Team. We'll help you get connected when you're ready!

Email Outreach

Meal Kits for Circle of Concern

Grab your family and friends to purchase supplies, make a meal kit, and deliver to Circle of Concern. Get meal kit and delivery info when you click I'm in.

I'm In!

Oasis Baby Showers

Oasis International welcomes refugees to St. Louis with the goal of making them feel loved and at home. One way they do this is by showering moms-to-be! Grab a group of friends and help a refugee mom get prepared for her little bundle. Reach out to Oasis staff for more information.

Contact Oasis

Oasis International

Serve our refugee neighbors through our regular Oasis Serve Days.

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Operation Food Search

Grab a friend and pick a shift to sort and organize food donations that serve local pantries, schools, and more.

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Operation Shower

Looking for a fun and rewarding opportunity? You've found it! Operation Shower's mission is to host joyous baby showers for military families to ease the stresses of deployment and separation. Click learn more to inquire about volunteer opportunities.

Contact Operation Shower

Operation Shower Baby Items

Operation Shower's mission is to host joyous baby showers for military families to ease the stresses of deployment and separation. They need your help in providing items for the moms-to-be.

Shop the list

Outfit Kits

Make an Outfit Kit for kids at the St. Charles Crisis Nursery. See additional details when you click I'm in.

I'm In!

Outreach Partner Needs Portal

A place where you can peruse and purchase items that will meet ongoing needs of our Outreach partners.

Learn More

Parkway Pantry

Serve with Parkway Pantry at our regular monthly distribution serve days. NOTE: must be 14+

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R3 Development

Rehab buildings in East St. Louis with R3 Development during our monthly serve days. NOTE: must be 15+.

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Restore St. Charles

Restore and repair homes in St. Charles County at our monthly serve days. NOTE: must be 16+.

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Serve at a Food Pantry

Stock pantry items and shop with clients at The Hub Food Pantry in partnership with our friends at Tabernacle Community Development Corporation

Sign up

St. Louis Area Food Bank

The St. Louis Area Food Bank has opportunities to serve at the Repackaging Center or at Food Distributions that occur in 26 counties in the bi-state region. Want to serve from home? They even have an opportunity to write notes that go to seniors who receive meals.

Learn More

Team Activities for Special Kids

See how you can befriend special kids and have a lot of fun with TASK. Be a buddy during a social club or one of the amazing day camps they have this summer. Volunteers must be 14+.

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The Care Service

Sort food with a team at The Care Service during our regular serve days.

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The Freedom School

Tutor or read to students, be a lunch room monitor, and more options to serve with The Freedom School. If you volunteer, let them know that you heard about the opportunity from The Crossing.

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The Sharing Shed

Shop with clients or clean and organize donations at our monthly serve days.

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The Ville Workday

Clean, organize, or work on projects in The Ville neighborhood during our monthly Serve Days.

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Veterans Community Project

From organizing to construction, serve veterans by jumping in with Veteran’s Community Project.

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Visit Locally Owned Restaurants

Expand your palate and enjoy new foods from locally owned restaurants.

I'm In!

Visit the Blues Museum

Learn about the rich musical history of St Louis through interactive exhibits and artifacts at the National Blues Museum on Washington Avenue.

I'm In!

Visit the MO Civil War Museum

Learn about our unique roll in history as the Missouri Civil War Museum brings local stories to life from the Missouri Compromise and the Dred Scott decision to over 1,000 battles fought in our state.

I'm In!

Visit the Museum at The Arch

Set aside an hour or more to browse the free world-class museum at The Gateway Arch National Park. Click I'm in for additional details.

I'm In!