Why FBW?

As with most major metropolitan cities, St. Louis is a city within a city. A city where the "haves" continually improve and "have nots" continually experience a lack of attention and services.

A city with the finest medical centers, yet some residents who live within walking distance have not received a physical in years.

A city where one of the largest aeronautical manufacturing plant resides, yet residents cannot receive reliable transportation to sustaining employment.

A city where residential construction abounds in the suburbs, yet children in the city are dying of lead poisoning due to older housing stock with lead exposure.

A city where residents are strong in their history, faith and values, yet racial polarization permeates the system.

There is no dearth of community improvement projects. Many of St. Louis' faith-based institutions are involved in community projects. However, we clearly need more resources to solve the problems that plague us. There are an increasing number of citizens who realize the importance of working together and helping one another for the good of the entire region. Some citizens realize that they are no better off than their less fortunate neighbor and that unless that neighbor can fully participate in what the region has to offer, St. Louis will falter in the next millennium. But what is needed is a critical mass - a critical interfaith mass of spiritually enriched residents who want to put their faith into action by helping their communities improve.

A community is like a ship; everyone ought to be prepared to take the helm. —Henrik Ibsen, poet and playwright