We are excited with the progress being made with the Springwood Faith Project, which will in the near future be known as the R&R Marketplace. Refuge and Restoration has a rich history of serving within the community. Through collaboration, our partnerships have opened many doors to good success. This project is merely an extension of the work that is currently being done. This phase of work will allow R&R to expand our borders as well as create a socioeconomic environment where the impact will be far reaching.

5 Project Pillars

• The North County Innovation Center (Entrepreneurial Center) will help build capacity of 100 entrepreneurs. The projected impact will create over 100 new jobs.  Our current relationship with CIC has created a working partnership that bridges a union to promote equity as well as enterprise within the community.

• The Employment Training Center, we calculate will train 150 – 200 people yearly utilizing the Jobs for Life curriculum. This readies every individual in the program for job placement. Secondarily, the Employment Training Center will train and equip a minimum of 30 other churches and organizations to host their own classes, creating another exponential increase of 300 additional employment ready people.

• The Brilliant Angels Academy – BAA is and Early Childhood Learning Center that will offer a high quality education to our earliest learners, fostering inquisitive thinking, intuitive perception, and innovative concepts. We will teach and develop a minimum 90 pre-school age children. This will allow 90 families to have access to a state of the art, creative, compassionate, learning environment.

• R&R Church will be housed on this site as well with a multi function purpose. Inside this area many needs will be served for the community, physically & spiritually. The sanctuary will serve many needs for the community, as well as, a place for theatrical productions, community meetings, and events. Student interns will be able to come and learn for college credit video production and broadcasting.

• Our banking partner will host financial literacy classes as well as second chance programs for housing and credit readiness. This will also be an opportunity for possible microloans to entrepreneurs within the North County Innovation Center.

Partners, Consultants, and Funders:

The St. Louis Economic Development Partnership, Heartland Regional Investment Fund, LLC,  In addition, Smith NMTC Associates, LLC are all involved in a fiduciary manner inclusive of New Market Tax Credits and Grant Funding totaling an achievable gift sum of 3.5 million dollars.

Other partners and consultants that have richly contributed to the overall scope of work include; The Refuge and Restoration Planning Team, CIC St. Louis, Lou Brock Mechanical Inc, Arcturis, St. Louis Design Alliance, Jobs For Life, Bryan Cave LLP, Beckemeier Law Firm LC, Kwame Building Group, St. Louis Univeristy, Roofing Services and Solutions, and Washington University’s Olin School of Business. These entities alone have invested over 1200 hours with a total approximate contribution in-kind donation of $120,000.

We are presently seeking additional corporate funding, individual donors, private foundations, and other willing investors via our capital campaign.

Your financial investment has the potential to change the lives of 700 – 800 families per year. This is a rare opportunity to see a return on investment with this kind of exponential impact.