The ARJ Community is a grassroots organization that touches all lives from newborns to great grandparents, no matter their race, sex or gender. ARJ Community was founded to continue the legacy of Arthur Roy Johnson, a leader in serving and developing stability for families in South Saint Louis City. Our work started in 2014 with the now-annual Back-to-School Bash, which distributes school supplies for hundreds of families in need. ARJ has continually expanded and is offering the following programs in 2024:
- Moms Club: Gives moms the tools to advocate for their babies and young children, primarily regarding safety and healthcare. We offer baby showers to new moms with a class on safe sleep to prevent infant mortality. Moms walk away as Safe Sleep Champions with diapers, baby clothes, and much more!
- Food Security: We provide a food pantry for emergency needs and monthly mobile drive-through food giveaways. This includes a special "turkey drive" every Thanksgiving. At our monthly Food Giveaways, we can service 130 families or more with food and toiletries. During our 2022 Thanksgiving Drive, 280 families received turkeys, holiday food, mask, wipes and hand sanitizer.
- Back-to-School-Bash: Every August, we provide about 450 children with backpacks, school supplies, uniforms, clothes and shoes. In addition, our vendors provide resources on finances, mental health, school policies and personnel to give parents tools for strengthening their family situations.
- Christmas Charitable Campaign: We are passionate about making sure the children have presents under the tree. Not only do we provide toys, but clothes, shoes, coats, and food to ensure a happy holiday for the families. We serve about 650 children every year.
Additionally, we connect families engaged with our organization to other resources and programs to address their needs in food, employment, and mental health.