Battles, Books and Business 2023
Greetings. Here we go!!! On April 22nd at the East St. Louis City Hall, we held our 3rd Battles Books and Business Seminar for middle school black boys. There are so many people to thank. On a personal note, I've never seen so many challenges and detours before any event we have hosted. I'm grateful to God for keeping me during this process 
. Over the next couple of weeks, I'll post more pictures and include stories along the way. Look at these dapper young world 
changers!! 
Brand new suits and shoes were given to each boy along with resources on how to start their own business and information on true Black History. Thank you to the City of East St. Louis for allowing us to host our event in the City Hall Building. Thank you to Lawrence Brazil Photography. Thank you to Vantage Credit Union for the sponsorship and for opening up savings accounts for each boy so that they will learn the power and value in saving and money management. 
All wonderful photos were produced by Mr. Brazil. Thank you to everyone who supported this event with your time and effort and donations. Thank you to the parents who trusted us with your time and your child's time. Please visit our website at www.focusonthecity.org for partnering options and for pictures of our past events and missions. Peace 
and Blessings.
The Back To School Event at the JJK Center 2023
Hello and greetings! I wanted to express my heartfelt appreciation for the incredible support we received for our Back to School Event at the JJK Center on August 5th. We are so grateful to God to have had the opportunity to partner with the JJK Center for this event. Thank you to Erin McNamara for bringing us close to 20 vendors for this event. Thank you to all of the Vendors who served the City of East St Louis.
During the event, we had the pleasure of awarding the Toni and Alonzo Perrin Scholarship to Chrystyna Yates, a senior at East St Louis Sr High School. Chrystina truly deserved this recognition, and she was awarded a generous scholarship of $1500.
Additionally, we were able to provide 350 backpacks and 350 books to students in need. Thank you to all who gave generously. Thank you to Bombas Socks, who generously donated 3000 pairs of socks for us to distribute.
In the coming weeks, we will be sharing pictures from the event, showcasing the beautiful families of East St. Louis and the Metro East area who attended. We are incredibly grateful for the support we received from every single one of you.
Lastly, I would like to extend a special thank you to Christopher Mikals Photography and Nonye Maddox Photography for capturing these memorable moments. Your pictures truly capture the spirit of the event.
Once again, thank you all from the bottom of our hearts. May God bless each and every one of you.
Lee Elementary School Christmas Mentoring 2023
Greetings and Happy Friday. I'm grateful to Lyla Payne and Lee Elementary School for allowing Focus on the City the opportunity to share and give back during this holiday season on December 20th. Due to scheduling conflicts, I had not been able to visit the school since 2021. During this visit I was able to meet Joseph and Hannah Robinson. As you can see in the pictures, they were extremely happy. I was able to have some meaningful conversations about growing up with Joseph.. He asked if I would come back, and I told him I will. They are being raised by their grandma, so let's keep her prayed up. We also donated 500 socks to the school, courtesy of Bombas Socks. Thank you, Bombas Socks. I also included one of my dad's Christmas rituals by giving away Candy Canes and 2 Dollar Bills. The books were given in honor of my mom who spent most of my childhood as a school librarian. One of the books given was , "Lovely Day", by Bill Withers. He saw it and said, "Thats a song. My grandma plays that." He was pretty hyped about that .We gave a Bike, Lego Set, and a Suri Wakanda Forever Doll. Grandma received a $100 Gift card to Kroger Grocery Store. Thanks to everyone who gave and supported Focus on the City in 2023 and since the beginning. Without your support, our efforts will not be possible. God Bless and Merry Christmas. 
CONTACT US
FOCUS ON THE CITY
Phone: (615) 310-0861
Email: Info@focusonthecity.org
East St Louis mailing address:
7809 Lake Dr,
East St Louis, IL 62203
DONATIONS
Donations can be received via Paypal(The Yellow Donate Tab) and CashApp($Focusonthecity).
Thank you for partnering with us. Your %100 percent taxable donation is much appreciated and your giving will continue to enhance our goals to add a focus on the families that God brings into our lives. Thank you for continued support and God Bless.
We want the families to feel loved and receive blessings from generous people.
Please see this article (click here) about the August 2019 event.
DONATING BACKPACKS
Backpacks can be ordered in bulk and individually from the following websites: www.dollardays.com, www.bagsinbulk.com and www.amazon.com. Please send all backpacks to 7809 Lake Drive, East St. Louis, Illinois 62203. Thank you for your continued support.