Joe's Place

Joe's Place is an innovative idea born from a perpetual need in the Maplewood Richmond Heights School District (MRH). Every year, high school students in our district find themselves without a home due to serious family difficulties. To respond to this traumatic need, a community-wide collaboration of MRH, local churches and volunteers came together to form Joe's Place, a 501 (c) (3), in 2006. Soon after, the school district purchased a house, developed a program, and hired house parents. In 2007, the first group of students moved into the house and became a family with a purpose - to graduate high school. Our education and social service model was the first of its kind in the United States.

In 2019, a study by Washington University revealed many of our graduates were at risk of becoming homeless again. To respond to this need, we significantly expanded our services by hiring a case manager to prepare graduates and support alums with college and career choices, housing, and mental health needs.

In 2022, we modernized our mission and strategic plan to include nonbinary students and males struggling with gender identity.

To learn more about Joe's Place, send an email to joesplacestl@gmail.com or visit our website at www.joesplacestl.org.