BIO

Ida is originally from Hollandale, MS and she moved to St. Louis, IL in 1987.

Prior to joining ICCS Ida worked 8 years in a Children's Hospital in the Pathology Department and 3 years in a facility for disabled adults.

She joined ICCS in 1993 and served 2 years as a VISTA (Volunteer in Service To America).

Ida was hired as a full-time Community Development Specialist in September 1995. She is an avid supporter of youth/families and grass-roots community leadership.

PROJECTS

Riverbend Community Outreach. The RBCO committee host a food pantry and after school and summer programs. The summer programs has 70 children who participated in youth activities that includes educational and recreational field trips. The food pantry serves over 130 families each week. These activities are sponsored through a core group of community volunteers.

Trinity U.M. Outreach Center. The Trinity Outreach Center has a food pantry that provides food to over 80 families each week. During the summer they sponsored a summer food/activity program that fed over 50 children five days per week. This group mainly serves at-risk youth and their families and serves as a community resource center.

Joe Willie Roberts Youth Club. Joe W. Roberts Youth Club serves at risk youth and families in Venice,IL. The group hosts Summer Food/Activities four day each during the summer months that served 90 children nutritional meals. The group also mentors the youth dance troop who attends the center on an ongoing basis. Their expertise in community collaboration is what makes this group unique and is vital to their survivor as the grants and local funding received for these programs are small but minimal. Being able to network with other agencies helps them complete community activities for the youth.