 Bob Marshak, of Social Justice 4, All checks the tiny house built by geometry students at Eureka High School. Source, Jim Erickson photo. Bob Marshak was born and raised in St. Louis. The oldest of 3 children, he and his siblings went to University City schools, and after high school, he joined the military. That was at the beginning of the computer age, he had the opportunity to attend many IBM technical schools and learn computer technology at an Army data center in Virginia. After two years, he returned to St. Louis and started a family. Bob started working as a civilian for the Department of Defense and retired after over thirty years as Deputy Director of a systems design and development agency. Bob’s wife, Dianne, was always focused on homelessness and the inequities surrounding economic injustice. Together, they joined Bernie Sammons, a retired plant scientist, and formed a faith-based group in St. Louis County in 2016, determined to foster a greater understanding of the negative impact of racism and economic injustice in the St. Louis Area. Social Justice 4 All (SJ4A) joined The Ville Collaborative and has become a partner in many of their projects and efforts, with goals to improve the lives of the residents of the Ville and Greater Ville.  Students from Eureka High School in front of Tiny House Project A significant effort of SJ4A was to address the issue of homelessness, and research showed that many metropolitan areas around the country were using tiny houses as transitional housing. In 2016 Dianne Marshak met with Father Gary Meier, then Executive Director of North Grand Neighborhood Services (NGNS), a non-profit dedicated to providing affordable homes in the Jeff-Vander-Lou neighborhood. NGNS donated a city lot at 3633 North Market to the effort to begin the first project in the City of St. Louis to use tiny houses for the homeless and for those at risk of being lost. As part of their grassroots outreach, NGNS and SJ4A reached out to local churches, which led them to one enthusiastic parishioner’s school district for a partnership” (Engel, 2018). The Rockwood School District in St. Louis County was beginning a program to combine geometry with a practical application of the math concepts called “Geometry in Construction.” Rockwood’s Summit and Eureka High School students built the first two houses during the 2017-2018 school year. “On a pro bono basis, a well-known architectural firm volunteered to complete the tiny house design and specifications and handle the permitting process with the city of St. Louis” (Erikson, 2018).  Tiny houses are being placed in JeffVanderLou neighborhood in North City. Updates on the Social Justice 4 All website states, “The houses have been transported from the schools to the site at 3633 N. Market thanks to HWP Rigging”. The houses are placed upon permanent foundations connected to MSD, City water, and Ameren. Volunteers completed all interior finishing. Both houses built by the schools are now complete and occupied by formerly homeless individuals.” The third house is now under construction. The pandemic restrictions halted most work by volunteers, and a construction company built the framing, but currently, volunteers are working on completing the job and finishing the interior. Many community businesses and individuals are generously contributing building materials and specialized skills to ensure the house will be concluded by the end of the 2020 fiscal year. The next step is critical. County students at Rockwood schools learned a great deal about geometry and construction and the needs of those less fortunate. It was a top-rated program at Rockwood; it started with one class at each of two high schools and now is in four schools with seven courses. SJ4A’s goal is to begin Geometry in Construction class at an SLPS high school as a pilot program to provide the same opportunities to City students. The Covid pandemic indeed halted any progress on that effort, but it remains a high priority. The trades are a viable option to college for many students, and the opportunity to combine studies with a practical application of learned skills should be an option. “For good measure, they want city school students to be a part of it.” (Beene, 2019). The North St. Louis construction project spearheaded by Social Justice 4 All and the North Grand Neighborhood Services (NGNS) has provided homeless individuals with permanent, energy-efficient housing. Dianne Marshak said, “No one should have to live on the streets. Shame on our society for not solving this issue.” (Engel, 2018). Bob stated, “Tiny houses are cost-effective and are being used in other cities to address homelessness issues. St. Louis can be next. Together, all of us can make a difference in the lives of those who face this trauma.” (Engel, 2018) Sources:
https://westnewsmagazine.com/2018/08/12/98917/west-county-residents-educators-help-give-tiny-house-program-a-successful-start https://metrostl.com/2019/09/19/tiny-houses-are-big-idea-for-homeless-plus-city-students/ https://nextstl.com/2018/03/tiny-houses-for-st-louis-homeless/ https://socialjustice4all.org/projects/tiny-houses/ Comments are closed.
|
RSS Feed
