On Thursday, October 6, East Side Heart & Home Family Center held a groundbreaking ceremony for their new single-story building as part of their Capital Campaign, “Continue Our Legacy,” to help in serving more efficiently and safely, as well as to help expand on the services they provide to the community. East Side Heart & Home Family Center was founded and is still run by Sr. Carol Lehmkuhl, O.P. ’64, and the joyous groundbreaking day was the result of years of hard work and community support. The ceremonious day was attended by over 100 people, including Sr. Carol’s classmates and Ursuline sisters Susan Harris ’64, Patricia Fletcher Parker ’64, Janet Milde Wittenauer ’64, Jo Castellano Brockhaus ’64, and Sr. Jeanine DeClue, O.P. ’56.
The mission of East Side Heart & Home Family Center is to invite individuals from varied backgrounds to be catalysts for change by providing them with opportunities to work side-by-side with each other on programs and projects that cultivate positive changes in their lives and their communities. We believe that each and every person has gifts to contribute and we hope to foster an environment where people can come together and use their individual gifts for the betterment of our city and our world.
According to their website, “Sister Carol has been supporting the community of East St. Louis since 1993. She has been instrumental in building homes and community in a two block area around Summit Ave, North 7th, North 8th, and Pennsylvania Ave. With her go get’em determinations she has been able to build 21 homes in this two-block section as well as help families become homeowners of those homes.”
In 1995, Sr. Carol was the recipient of Ursuline’s Distinguished Alumnae Award, an award presented to an alumna who exemplifies in her public and private life the Christian ideals and standards of Ursuline, for distinguished service in her profession or to her community. Since early October, the team has been making great progress on the building, as well as raising funds for their campaign. Congratulations to Sr. Carol and the team at East Side Heart & Home Family Center for this wonderful accomplishment, and for their years of living out Serviam in their community.