The Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, Inc., headquartered at the Peter H. Bunce Water Tower Center, is a longstanding non-profit organization that has served the St. Louis community for over 108 years since its founding in 1918. It operates as the largest affiliate of the National Urban League movement and is dedicated to empowering African Americans and others throughout the region in securing economic self-reliance, social equality, and civil rights.
The organization offers a comprehensive range of free and low-cost services spanning multiple life domains. Their financial services include HUD-certified housing counseling, financial literacy programs (Family Financial Empowerment and Save Our Sisters), and credit wellness events offering free credit reports, FICO scores, and one-on-one credit consultations. Beyond financial services, they provide employment training reaching over 5,000 residents annually, Head Start early childhood education, energy assistance programs (LIHEAP, weatherization, utility assistance), food and clothing support, and community empowerment initiatives.
What distinguishes this organization is its holistic, community-based approach combining financial education with broader social services and advocacy. Their programs target economically disadvantaged populations through multiple integrated services rather than offering a single financial product. The organization maintains strong community partnerships (including Boeing) and operates multiple listed programs like Save Our Sons, Save Our Sisters, and the Neighborhood Healing Network, demonstrating deep institutional commitment to systemic community change.
As a legitimate non-profit with 108 years of operational history and HUD certification, this organization represents genuine free financial counseling. However, consumers should understand that while credit wellness events and financial literacy are offered free, the organization's primary focus extends well beyond credit repair into broader community empowerment, meaning services may be less listed than dedicated credit counseling agencies.
