Comm(unity) Day
EAST ST. LOUIS - East St. Louis residents are unstoppable! No amount of rain or shine holds them back from unifying as one to show up for themselves and their city.
On Saturday, April 4th, at the Wyvetter H. Younge Higher Education Campus, over 300 locals gathered for our first annual Community Day. A dynamic event designed to promote access to resources and celebrate progress.
We partnered with the SIU System Office of Community Engagement and the generous support from Ameren Illinois, to develop this inaugural event which serves as a gateway opportunity for residents to create real pathways to stability and success- all in one location.
This dynamic, community-powered event sought to bring together employers, service providers, small businesses, and community organizations under one roof to address the pillars that matter most: health, wealth, jobs, and family. Bridging the gap in resources often stripped from this community.
33 vendors participated offering resources, from on-site job interviews and financial empowerment workshops to free health screenings to record expungement services and family fun, Community Day had a meaningful impact on each participant.
The event was bigger than your standard resource fair. It was a strategic investment in economic mobility, collective power, and within the Metro East region.
“Community Day delivered real results for the community.”
“Community Day delivered real results for the community.” said Connie Frey-Spurlock, PhD, Director, SIU System Office of Community Engagement. “We saw employers actively recruiting, residents making direct connections to jobs and training programs, and clear pathways opening into the region’s growing clean energy workforce.”
The day was filled with a multitude of resources, but the fun was not forgotten! Guests were entertained throughout the event by host Tee Parks. She brought heart and energy to the stage, complementing the live DJ, Daniel Terry, who brought the dance party!
Outside, there were even more activities for the kids and food trucks for everyone to enjoy. Children participated in a huge Easter egg hunt around the event, where over one thousand eggs were found, including five specialty golden eggs, but that’s not all!
Five thousand dollars was raffled off throughout the event to participants who pre-registered. One hundred winners left Community Day with a bit more than what came in the standard goodie bags.
“Community Day is about more than a single afternoon; it’s about investing in the future of our region.”
“This is first about bringing people together, it’s a community that loves hard, and there’s not a lot of resources, so our organization decided: why not create a community day where we all can get together,” said Darnell Tingle, Executive Director of UCM. “Community Day is about more than a single afternoon; it's about investing in the future of our region.”
We were elated that the entire community was buzzing about this event. So much so that First Alert came out to see what all the fuss was about.
Community Day is an event dedicated to uplifting the Metro East community by connecting residents with valuable resources, job employers, and pathways to education, health, and wealth. Join us next year as we continue to restore opportunity and move forward together because when we invest in health, wealth and jobs, we invest in our future.
If you would like to learn about sponsoring next year please contact info@ucmetroeast.org. Vendor and participant registration will open Spring 2027.