HUD's St. Louis Area Office honored these high performers with "Shining Star" Community Partnership Awards based on their sustained accomplishments. Each group works with the Department and local neighborhoods and jurisdictions on the difficult and complex issues that are essential to helping HUD meet its core mission. Their outstanding service on behalf of low- and moderate-income residents in eastern Missouri made the individual initiatives and groups models in the delivery of HUD programs and services.

Nominations were made by local HUD program staff who deal with a wide variety of organizations on a day-to-day basis - who are in the best position to judge the effectiveness of these programs. The 16 groups were selected for honors based on ballots from throughout the St. Louis office.

In a recent ceremony hosted by St. Louis HUD staff, Area Coordinator Roy E. Pierce presented "Shining Star" awards to: Rolla Apartments Neighborhood Network Center, Rolla, Missouri; COVAM Community Development Corporation, St. Louis, Missouri; The Catholic Commission on Housing, St. Louis, Missouri; The Holy Ground Project, St. Louis, Missouri; Good Samaritan Services, St. Louis, Missouri; The Sansone Group, St. Louis, Missouri; Oak Tree Apartments, Overland, Missouri; The St. Louis County Housing Authority Meacham Park Project; Forest Park Southeast Housing Corporation, St. Louis, Missouri; Wellston Community Support Association, Wellston, Missouri; St. Francois County Public Housing Agency; SEMO Alliance for Disability Independence, Southeast, Missouri; Enterlight Ministries Community Development Corporation, Columbia, Missouri; Love Park Technology Center, Wentzville, Missouri; St. Louis Reinvestment Corporation, St. Louis, Missouri, and Neighborhood Housing Services, St. Louis, Missouri.