Registration is open for both Basketball and Redbird Rookies Baseball at the SouthSide Rec! Basketball runs from April to early May for grades K-6. Redbird Rookies Baseball runs from June to July for ages 5-13. Register today!

DeSales Community Development and Fox Grove Management held our second Rental Assistance Clinic on March 5, 2022. In a single day we connected 15 families to $65,000 of rental assistance, along with additional resources to help them get back on track.

Since 2020, DeSales has been working to gain access and possession of a long-vacant commercial property in Fox Park. We discovered the site had large amounts of dangerous chemicals, so have asked the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to conduct a cleanup at the site. We hope to eventually redevelop the property for productive use for the neighborhood.

Girls on the Run is returning to the SouthSide Rec for Spring 2022! Registration will be open from March 2nd - March 11th at 5:00 PM. Practice begins the week of March 7th. The season will conclude with a celebratory 5K on Saturday, May 14th at Forest Park for participants and their registered running buddy!

DeSales was awarded a $40,000 grant from the Enterprise Community Foundation’s Section 4 program to develop a strategic asset management plan.

Basketball is BACK at the SouthSide Rec this spring! The season will run from March 19th-April 23rd. We’re looking for players and volunteer coaches!

Long-time DeSales Community Development Executive Director Tom Pickel has announced that he plans to retire at the end of this year. His departure will cap a 35-year career with the non-profit. Succeeding Pickel as Executive Director will be Assistant Director Becky Reinhart.

DeSales’ “Here To Stay” eviction prevention program was awarded $50,000 from the Affordable Housing Trust Fund for 2022!

DeSales Community Development and Fox Grove Management held our first ever Rental Assistance Clinic on December 18th, 2021. In a single day we connected 15 families to nearly $52,000 of rental assistance, along with additional resources to help them get back on track.

We are hopeful to have this hazardous site cleaned up and returned to productive use in the near future.

Southside Rec is wrapping up its 2021 Fall Soccer Season this Saturday with around 200 players. With the help of our partners at the Buddy Fund and St. Louis City Soccer Club, we were not only able to provide all the equipment our players needed, but we were also able to help them develop into better players.

DeSales held its annual fundraiser, Night Out for Neighborhoods, on September 30th, returning to an in-person format. Together, we raised over $29,000 to promote the ongoing growth of STL neighborhoods as healthy, diverse urban communities with quality housing.

On August 9th, the new process which allows for criminal record screening appeals opened to applicants of Fox-Grove Management (FGM) housing. The updated policy bans arrest records and misdemeanor convictions from being considered and states that no applicant is rejected automatically based on their criminal background.

Summer programming is finishing up in Fox Park! This summer was super busy and rewarding because of SouthSide Rec programming. Throughout June and July, four AmeriCorps VISTA volunteers took the lead coordinating four major programs!

Summer is here in Fox Park! June has been super busy with Red Birds Baseball, our new Youth Garden program, Summer Meals, and more!