After the Storm: JSMF Grantee Efforts Since the Tornado
As the one-year anniversary of the deadly and destructive May 2025 tornado approaches, we’re remembering the lives lost and reflecting on the hardships that St. Louis residents faced — and continue to face — since the storm. Homes and businesses were destroyed, families were displaced, and neighborhoods remain scarred. We acknowledge that the response has not been enough and that the amount of work that remains to be done is substantial.
At the same time, we’re grateful to our community partners who immediately jumped into action and who continue to stabilize homes, support residents, and brainstorm long-term solutions to these challenges.
Today we’re sharing examples from across our grantee portfolio of projects that represent practical steps forward in the region’s recovery — and a commitment to continue the work that helps build a more prosperous St. Louis.
Preserving Household Wealth
JSMF grantee Invest STL moved quickly to distribute emergency funds to impacted households through the Northside Resilience Fund. More than $4.1 million in direct cash assistance was provided to assist individuals and families with urgent, temporary needs in the first few months after the tornado struck. JSMF’s investment in the program supported 300 households, mitigating loss of income in the short-term and bolstering long-term financial stability.
Meanwhile, a grant to the Home Repair Network will enable the nonprofit coalition to increase its capacity for home repairs in tornado-affected neighborhoods by creating a more efficient, scalable system for addressing critical home repair needs. Because homes are one of the largest sources of wealth for many households, these repairs preserve wealth and prevent displacement.
Stabilizing Early Childhood Education Centers
Several early childhood education centers were damaged in the tornado, compounding disruptions to daily life for impacted children, parents, and employees. IFF, which was already working on a separate JSMF grant at the time, stepped in to support facility rehabilitation or relocation for seven providers, ultimately protecting 280 early childhood education seats in the region.
Strengthening Capacity for Regional Collaboration
Efforts are also underway to improve collaboration on some of the region’s toughest challenges, many of which were exacerbated by the tornado.
Action St. Louis led a large community-based response immediately after the storm. With a grant from JSMF, the grassroots organization enhanced its data and canvassing infrastructure to track resident needs and mobilized resident fellows to champion neighborhood needs in extended relief work. More than 150 applications were submitted for 20 fellowship positions, indicating a significant desire for community members to grow as leaders while advocating for their fellow residents.
Invest STL and 4theVille are implementing a system designed to document and address the relief and stabilization needs of more than 200 impacted residents and refer them to appropriate resources. The two organizations’ coordination has already led to collaboration with numerous local partners, giving rise to a more dynamic and efficient approach to supporting residents in need.
314Oasis is connecting North City residents with essential social and financial well-being services and strengthen residents’ ability to advocate for their needs. In the year following the tornado, the climate resilience hub has provided regular community-centered care, including hot meals and individualized assistance.
Finally, Civic Collaboration Fellows — a program from UMSL and MU Extension that is strengthening regional leadership by bringing fellows together to design and implement economic mobility initiatives — was gearing up to launch its first cohort when the tornado struck. The program sharpened its initial focus to natural disaster recovery and the fellows took an experiential learning trip to New Orleans to hear from local leaders about lessons learned since Hurricane Katrina and apply these ideas to the St. Louis region.