The mission of Join Hands ESL is to empower the people of East St Louis, to walk in solidarity with those we serve, showing love and compassion to those in need, affirming and reflecting the beauty and potential of each individual. We build personal relationships with children and families through our youth programming, mentoring programs and the Ubuntu Center for Peace. We prioritize and support through our programs the pursuit of education as a pathway out of poverty.
Every child in East St. Louis will know their beauty, value and potential and have access to caring adults, quality education and opportunities that will allow them to realize that potential and their dreams.
We are committed to becoming a collaborative and inclusive organization that strives for equity and equal opportunity in all we do in order to be a catalyst for change in our community. We will work to create a welcoming environment for all; enable success for all; work constantly toward fairness, civility, and respect for all; and honor the rich mosaic of voices both within Join Hands and in the greater community.
To be relevant change-makers in our community and inspire deepened engagement and contributions, we will be intentional about building a Board of Directors and workforce, both paid staff and volunteers, that embodies the diversity of the community within which we serve; we will embed the pursuit of DEI in our organizational priorities; we will work to foster an organizational culture where each employee, board member, volunteer, and community member feels valued, supported and appreciated. And in keeping with our philosophy of solidarity rather than charity in the spirit of ubuntu, we will continue and strive to increase our work for racial equity and justice.
Join Hands is guided by the following organizational values:
