Community Involvement

Involvement in Our Community

The Law Offices of Joan M. Swartz has a long history of community involvement and public service. In addition to serving the legal community in elected positions for the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis and the Missouri Bar, Managing Attorney Joan M. Swartz has served on the board of the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District and The St. Louis City Chapter of the American Cancer Society.  Ms. Swartz currently serves on the board of the St. Louis Violence Council, an entity dedicated to significantly reducing the incidence of family violence in St. Louis through discussion, education, advocacy, intervention, systemic change, and coordination of community resources.

Project Angeltree

Project Angeltree is the signature public outreach project for the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis. Joan M. Swartz is a founding member of the Angeltree Committee, having participated in the Bar's adoption of the project in 1992 and its ultimate expansion to serve over 3500 children and their families in the St. Louis area. It is a cooperative effort between the St. Louis Rams, Prison Fellowship Ministries, the Fostercare Coalition, and area shelters to bring Christmas to children with one or both parents in prison and children in the foster care system. Project Angeltree celebrates its 15th year in 2006. The project expanded from the church basement to the floor of the Edward Jones Dome – the only local facility large enough to house our annual Christmas party. The Law Offices of Joan M. Swartz and its staff is a proud sponsor of the event. The firm commits significant resources to ensure the continued success of this worthwhile community outreach program.

Block-Aid

Beyond Housing's Block-Aid, now in its 16th year, organizes volunteers to repair and paint homes and to landscape several blocks in a low-income area each year. The Law Offices of Joan M. Swartz sponsors a home in the selected area each year, purchases supplies, and enlists volunteers to work.

Habitat for Humanity

You are probably familiar with Habitat for Humanity and its mission. As chair of the Young Lawyer's Division of BAMSL, Joan decided to enlist the help and energy of the Young Lawyers and the Bar Association to build one of the first Habitat for Humanity homes in St. Louis. The YLD raised the money necessary to fund the building through a series of fundraisers, then built the house with volunteer lawyers and their staff from area law firms. The Habitat house was the largest volunteer project YLD has accomplished. The Law Offices of Joan M. Swartz still supports Habitat for Humanity financially and made a special contribution last year to Habitat for Humanity in New Orleans for the victims of Hurricane Katrina.