The following is a statement from St. Patrick Center, a Catholic Charities of St. Louis federated agency regarding its partnership with the MLS ownership group – SC STL.  Catholic Charities of St. Louis, Eight Organizations. One Cause. A Stronger Community:

St. Patrick Center is excited to announce a partnership with the MLS ownership group – SC STL. A Housing First agency and the largest homeless services provider in the region, St. Patrick Center is partnering with SC STL, should an MLS team be brought to St. Louis, to provide opportunities for on-the-job training and work experiences for the agency’s clients. “Employment is a necessary component to permanent change for people who are homeless,” said CEO Laurie Phillips. “This new partnership will create benefits not only for our clients but for the entire community.”

Jim Kavanaugh, one of the lead partners in the MLS ownership group, and World Wide Technology have been significant supporters of St. Patrick Center. Kavanaugh has been involved with St. Patrick Center for more than 12 years, serving nine on the St. Patrick Center Board of Directors, from 2004-2013, including the final two as Board President.

“Jim has shown a great passion for and dedication to our mission to end chronic homelessness for our clients and build permanent, positive change in this community,” said Phillips. “His vision to include our clients in the process of bringing an MLS team to St. Louis is a great benefit for the citizens of the region who are struggling with homelessness.”

St. Patrick Center has longtime partnerships with other professional teams in St. Louis. The St. Louis Cardinals employ agency clients to recycle in and around Busch Stadium during home games as part of its Green Team. In addition, St. Patrick Center partners with the St. Louis Blues for various awareness-building events. “The possibility of an MLS team in St. Louis, and the ownership group’s outreach to include our clients, expands the strong community support for our mission,” added Phillips.

St. Patrick Center is working collaboratively to end chronic homelessness in the St. Louis region through Housing First, an evidence-based practice that works “smarter” to assess and prioritize people experiencing homelessness. Housing First removes barriers and immediately provides clients with the housing and support services they need. Job and skills training, along with employment placement, are necessary support services in the Housing First model. Along with partners Peter & Paul Community Services, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the St. Louis City Continuum of Care, St. Patrick Center has been providing housing coordination services through Biddle Housing Opportunities Center since August 2016.