This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Business & Tech

Monsanto Unveils St. Louis Grown Initiative

Residents will vote for non-profits competing for grants of up to $15,000

It may not be instant stardom but Gail Wuellner is proud of it all the same.

“There are going to be some billboards also,” said the St. Charles resident. “They’ve been switching those out. It may be in the Riverfront Times too.”

Wuellner’s moment of fame, a photo of her volunteering at the St. Louis Area Foodbank, ran recently in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch as part of a new program introduced Tuesday by Creve Coeur-based . Titled St. Louis Grown, the initiative aims to boost both the city and its spirit of volunteerism by awarding grants of as much as $15,000 to area schools and non-profits. The effort is being promoted in a local multimedia campaign that spotlights employees of the company who give time.

Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.

It’s also designed to emphasize the agricultural product giant’s commitment to the area.

“We’re proud to call St. Louis home,” said Hugh Grant, Monsanto’s chairman, president and CEO announcing the program  at Forest Park’s Jewel Box. “This is more than our global headquarters. It is where we all live. It is where we raise our families.”

Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.

It’s also where the company gave nearly $9 million last year to philanthropic efforts while employees donated about 10,000 hours of time.

“It’s really in the DNA of who we are and in the DNA of this city to help so we formalized a program last year and started logging those volunteer hours,” Grant said. “Our goal is to do our best to support the great work that is done by many of the organizations that are right here today.”

The new program which is now accepting nominations, will decide which non-profits get grants via an online voting system. Anyone can nominate and vote. Three grants of $15,000, $10,000 and $5,000 will be given to qualifying organizations each quarter under the arrangement. The initiative covers organizations across 15 counties in Missouri and Illinois and the City of St. Louis.

The initial round of nominations will be due Sept. 15. Voting will start later that month, closing in mid-October.

St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay was on-hand to present a proclamation to honor the effort. He told the assembled guests Monsanto’s generosity was important in helping to create new opportunities for volunteerism.

“We have many challenges, on both the individual and the regional level,” he said. “All of you in this room are on the front lines in addressing challenges in different kinds of ways. To be effective as an organization, a government or a region, it is important that we have partnerships with individuals and non-profits working together.”

Adrian E. Bracy, CEO of YWCA Metro St. Louis also lauded the company’s efforts.

“Programs like the St. Louis Grown initiative not only expand critical dollars, they engage the entire community,” she said. “An effort like this is a real shot in the arm, particularly given the economic challenges we face as a nation today.”

Interviewed afterwards, Grant said that the program is areawide but individuals in localities can put up organizations that might not otherwise receive attention.

“The novelty in this, I think, is really the grassroots approach,” he said. “It might fly below the traditional radar so it can be a group coming together in a coffee shop or a church group in Creve Coeur that perhaps hasn’t had the recognition and funding in the past. This campaign really speaks to those kind of groups.”

Deborah Patterson, president of the Monsanto Fund, said it demonstrated that the company was dedicated to the area.

“Monsanto is committed to the St. Louis region,” she said in an interview after the presentation. “We have been steadfast in our support of organizations and institutions and this just takes it to another level.”

Barb Bunning-Stevens was among those featured in a video that the company made regarding the project. Interviewed after the event, the Chesterfield resident, who is assistant general counsel for trademarks in the company’s legal department, said she was thrilled to be on hand for the event.

“I think it’s fantastic,” said Bunning-Stevens who volunteers with Foodbank. “Being on the board of the Foodbank, I know that with the decline in the economy, donations have gone down. I think it’s an exciting way, whether you are part of the organization or you are a volunteer to nominate your organization.”

Serena Gregory of Florissant was in one of the promotional ads. The photo shows her discussing plants with three children in front of the St. Louis Science Center, one of a few St. Louis landmarks that appear in the promotional materials.

“It was a really great opportunity to just engage with some of the young people in St. Louis,” said the research biologist who has worked at Monsanto for 11 years. “I took them around Forest Park while we were out there pointing out some native species, interesting nests of bugs and things like that. It was a learning experience and we had a really good time.”

Gregory, who recently won a young leadership award from the St. Louis American for her volunteer work, likes to give her time at the Science Center as well as being involved with YMCA and Junior Achievement.

“A little known fact about people who give back to the community is that they are a little bit selfish,” she said. “When you are a giver you get so much more out of giving than receiving. You really feel connected to humanity when you give.”

Visit www.stlgrown.com for more information.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?

More from Creve Coeur