WHEN TWO PATHS COLLIDES FOR A GREATER PURPOSE
As children growing up in the inner cities of East Saint Louis and Centreville, we both experienced firsthand the challenges and struggles of trying to rise above the stereotypes, poverty, violence, addiction and the hopelessness that plagued so many in our communities and families. Witnessing firsthand the blight of the city and hearing the hopelessness of the people we made a commitment to be a part of the solution.
In 2000, we were lead to plant a church in the city of East Saint Louis, which would focus on addressing the needs of the people in the metro-east and surrounding areas. In four years (2000-2004) we began to notice a great disconnect between the spiritual condition of the people and their social needs. In 2002, we began partnering with other community agencies to empower youth and families from the metro-east communities who were facing hard times; crime rates, gang violence, economic decline, and infant mortality which were among the highest in the country; while education, employment, and annual income, were among the lowest in a city that has been listed as one of the most dangerous cities in America.
COMMUNITY LIFELINE is a faith-based comprehensive outreach program
designed to improve and enrich the lives of urban youth and families.
Community Lifeline was established in 2004 as a 501©(3) nonprofit organization, as an outgrowth of New Life Community Church, to provide programs that simultaneously address the educational, physical, social, and spiritual needs of families in our community. The mission of Community Lifeline is to rebuild communities from the inside out with comprehensive programs designed to improve and enrich the lives of urban youth and families. We believe that by seeking a holistic, long-term solution for meeting needs in a way that change how people think, ultimately will determine how they live! Within the last ten years we have served over 15,768 individuals.
MISSION
Community Lifeline’s mission is to rebuild communities from the inside out with comprehensive programs and community partnerships designed to transform the lives of urban youth and families through Education, Health, Economics and Community Development.
OUR VISION
A BETTER COMMUNITY AND LIVING FOR ALL.
OUR VALUES
Our core values provide the basis of how we serve. These core values are:
INTEGRITY
We work to deserve the trust of those we serve by operating ethically with honesty, openness and respect in all aspects of our work.
COLLABORATION
We believe in the transformative power of partnerships, combining resources for community benefit.
INCLUSION
We value persons, from all walks of life and we seek broad community involvement; working together in partnership we accomplish much more.
INNOVATION
We demonstrate and welcome creativity, resourcefulness and ingenuity for achieving community good.
STEWARDSHIP
We take seriously the financial responsibility of safeguarding and growing the assets and resources entrusted to us for the good of East Saint Louis and the surrounding metro-east communities.
We believe that by seeking a holistic, long-term solution of meeting needs in a way that change how people think, ultimately will determine how they live!