About MEOC
The Metro East Organizing Coalition is grassroots, faith-based community transformation initiative created for the express purpose of building a personal and collective growth culture in the Metro East area and East St. Louis in particular. We are committed to ending gun violence and mass incarceration. We are a movement for racial and economic dignity. We mobilize communities of faith to build power. We propose to implement proven strategies steeped in public health culture to integrate a group violence intervention, hospital linked violence prevention program and a community help center to create a trusted space for residents to reach out and touch.
The social bonds that are created at community help centers build strong, safe and inclusive communities; social interaction, volunteerism, civic pride and aesthetics all play a role. After-school programs can help deter at-risk youth from criminal activities and can provide a constructive environment.
Metro East Organizing Coalition has been very active in the East St. Louis Metro Area has been active in many ways. To name a few things;
Peace Walks in the John D. Shields Apartment Complex
Peace Walks in Greystone Apartment Complex
Peace walks in The Samuel Gompers
Gave out toys and food in hotspot areas of the city
Sponsored a youth movie night at East St. Louis City Hall
Hosting Monthly Organizing Training in person pre-Covid and currently via zoom
Organized Peace Week for East St. Louis in
-Worship Service at St. Luke
-Community Silent March for Peace
-Movie Night
-Pastor’s Theological Training Brunch
-Resume Development Workshop
-Career Job Day EXPO
-Middle School Reading Day
Led the East St. Louis census campaign (No Count No Cut)
Donated several thousand PPE kits during Covid and still distributing
Hosted Gun Violence Town Hall
Hosted Mental Health and Covid19 virtual event
Our theory of change includes creating projects to link East St. Louis residents to opportunities for:
· Violence Intervention
· Income Development
· Food Security
· Parenting Assistance
· Adult education
· Youth Services
· Entrepreneurial Training
· Resource Information
· Women’s Self Help Groups
· Mentoring
– DeRay Mckesson
“Protest is telling the truth in public. Sometimes protest is telling the truth to a public that isn’t quite ready to hear it. Protest is, in its own way, storytelling. We use our bodies, our words, our art, and our sounds both to tell the truth about the pain that we endure and to demand the justice that we know is possible. It is meant to build and to force a response.”