Provident Counseling has a new name: Provident.  While the change may appear subtle, its implications are significant.   It is the culmination of an extensive planning and development effort that redefines how Provident intends to serve the community in the future.  Counseling will continue to be a major thrust of our work, but it is only one of many services we will be providing.  More importantly, the "new Provident" is reshaping the way in which those services are delivered.   

Provident annually helps more than 47,000 people throughout the St. Louis region, and we intend to serve many more through our new initiative.   Part of our 145-year legacy has been a willingness to look at our world clearly with boldness and courage in confronting new challenges. We are once again embracing that legacy to find better ways to help people build better lives. 

While we envision a model for serving the community that is more holistic and encompassing, we realize we cannot do it all at once.  One of the first steps will be to launch our Self-Reliant Communities Initiative in the O'Fallon-Penrose neighborhoods of north St. Louis.  In these neighborhoods -- and similar ones throughout our region -- we see grave consequences if we fail to take bold initiatives, and great potential if we do.  We will use our successes in these neighborhoods as a model for integrating the services we provide to underserved families throughout the St. Louis area. 

As committed as we are to making a major change in the way we deliver social services, we also know we cannot do it alone.  We do not see it as our place to single-handedly set direction for an initiative of this magnitude that affects so many people in our community.  Nor do we have all the resources or the answers to accomplish such a sweeping task on our own.   We are eager to have others join us in this significant undertaking, and we are ready to play whatever role is appropriate and necessary.  We are prepared to explore an array of collaborative options and opportunities, such as cooperative programming and joint funding efforts.  Depending on the situation, we can either lead the way or lend our expertise and support in working with residents and collaborators toward a common mission.  

Our new approach is prompted by a realization that social problems need to be addressed in a broader way that has a larger community impact.  That's essential because it is clear that chipping away at the situation one problem at a time with one person or one family at a time hasn't produced long-term, systemic solutions for our community as a whole.   

As part of this shift, we are taking a close look at ourselves in the mirror.  We are committed to serving people from birth to death through a uniquely integrated approach that includes counseling, community services, and social enterprise.  In order to fulfill that commitment, we know we must operate not merely as a collection of services, but rather as a tightly woven network of care.  We're developing plans and procedures for connecting what we do more cohesively than ever before.  As we move in our new direction, we will continue to examine our structure and approach it as a work in progress.  In the end, our goal for the "new Provident" is to optimize every opportunity to meet the broader needs of every person, family and neighborhood we serve.