Outreach Program Policies and Practices

The Outreach Program operates from the lower level of the Parish Center at 3628 Lindell, just west of Grand.

The Program serves the unemployed and low-income individuals of the City of St. Louis including those who are homeless or living in neighboring shelters. We offer:

• Guidance, forms, and in some cases financial assistance, in applying for Missouri State IDs and birth certificates (from any state).
• Referral resources for work, housing, food, clothing and medical treatment.
• Kits of personal care toiletry items for everyday use.
• Legal Clinic consultation (3rd Wednesday of month only).

Outreach services are offered on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings only. We ask visitors to sign-in between 9:00 and 9:15 AM. Service is first-come, first-served, in sign-in order. There are no appointments. We limit the number of sign-ins to what we can handle with the volunteer workers we have.

The Legal Clinic is the only time an attorney is here — we are not able to provide legal advice at other times or by telephone. Click here for more information about the Legal Clinic.

Rules and Restrictions

• Our services are for St. Louis City residents
• Assistance is limited to one state ID and/or one birth certificate per individual per year
• Assistance with a birth certificate is provided only if the birth certificate is needed to secure a state photo ID, or if the need is substantiated by a written referral from an agency or from an employer requiring the birth certificate.
• Assistance for more than one birth certificate requires written referral from an agency or employer requiring the birth certificate, noting the names and financial need; with a referral letter, the maximum number of birth certificates provided is 4 per family.

Missouri State ID Assistance

To obtain a new, renewal or replacement Missouri State ID, you must present certain documents at the License Office to prove your identity.  We provide financial assistance for an ID only if the applicant brings the necessary documents with them when they visit us. Click here for a summary of the documentation requirements (as they apply to U.S. citizens).

For most people, a birth certificate is part of the documentation required for a new or renewal ID. 

If we pay for your state ID, we will send you to either the City Hall license office or the Northside license office (on Aubert, behind the old Sear's building) to get your ID.

Birth Certificate Assistance

We can assist with a birth certificate when it is needed to acquire a Missouri State ID or for a purpose substantiated by a written referral from the agency or employer requiring the birth certificate.

If you were born in Missouri and have a photo ID that is current within the last two years, you can get your birth certificate immediately at City Hall. Bring your photo ID with you in order for us to assist you with this in-person process.

If you were born in Missouri and do not have a current photo ID, we will send your application to Jefferson City and it may take as long as 4 to 6 weeks for the birth certificate to arrive. The birth certificate will be sent to the address you specify on the application (which can be our address if you are homeless).

If you were born in a state other than Missouri, our birth certificate help is for mail orders only. We have the forms for all states and we do the mailing. It usually takes three or more weeks for the birth certificate to arrive. (The length of time varies by state and by season.) The birth certificate will be sent to the address specified by the applicant. Illinois and several other states require that a copy of the applicant’s state ID or a photo ID or other documents be sent with the application.

If you have any questions or need direct assistance, please contact Vicki Simon, Director of Social Ministry at the College Church, at 977-7300 or vsimon1@slu.edu.