Noah Kleinlehrer, a fourth-grader at Community School, recently donated more than 800 personal care items to Magdalene St. Louis, a support program for women who have been in prison or on the streets. He got help from classmates, family and members of Temple Emanuel, where his mother, Elizabeth Hersh, is a rabbi. “Anyone who wants to can make a difference in the world,” Noah says.
Dignity Harbor, an award-winning documentary by two former St. Louisans, recently aired on Nine Network of Public Media’s America Reframed series. The film, directed by Mike Gauldoni and co-produced by Zach White, focuses on a group of homeless people who set up camp along the Mississippi River after being rousted from the tunnels under Tucker Boulevard.Gauldoni and White followed the group for a year as they tried to build a community despite harsh winter weather and threats from the city to clear the area. The filmmakers graduated from St. Charles High School and Lindenwood University. Gualdoni is now a producer at Wyoming PBS; White works for Turner Broadcasting in Atlanta.
General manager Jim Connett and the Radio Arts Foundation-Saint Louis board recently received the 2014 Great Music Award, presented at the Saint Louis Cathedral Concerts’ annual gala. They were honored for their efforts to bring classical music back to local airwaves.
Shriners Hospital for Children- St. Louis will receive the International Humanitarian of the Year Award June 19 from World Affairs Council of St. Louis. It recognizes contributions that help alleviate global humanitarian crises. Shriners Hospital provides free, high-quality medical care to underserved kids.
When several women in her circle of friends experienced the loss of their mothers, Laurie Garland was moved by their stories and the ways inwhich they coped with their loss. So she wrote Amazing Moms: Tales of Love…Loss…Legacy. “It’s a glimpse into the lives of these women that shows how we can learn and draw strength from each other,” says Garland, a mom of three who grew up in Ladue and now lives in Clayton. The book is available at Lusso, Ladue Pharmacy and Deer Creek Cafe.