Our Founder & Vision
About Our Founder & Vision
The STLHospital-Free Future Project was born and raised out of a lifelong passion for serving St. Louis's less fortunate and low-income communities.
Our Story
Decades on the Frontlines of Community Service
Our founder, Cjuna Cole, has spent decades working on the frontlines of community outreach — including serving as a supervisor for the homeless hotline at Catholic Services, conducting direct street outreach, and founding the Memorial Blvd Church fundraiser flea market.
Having sat on the boards of several local nonprofits like Strategic Visions and Solutions (SVAS) Resource Center, Birtha Gilkey, and Yours Market — just to name a few — Cjuna launched this initiative to impact the masses in a major way by shifting the focus to premium preventative health.
Organization Details
Measurable Outcomes
Impact by the Numbers
We track outcomes rigorously because accountability to our donors and our families demands it.
How We Got Here
From One Neighborhood to 18 Zip Codes
The Idea Takes Root
Founder Cjuna Cole, a community health worker in North St. Louis, begins distributing Atomy products out of her own pocket to three families in her neighborhood after watching a neighbor skip a doctor visit she couldn't afford.
First Formal Distribution
With support from a local church and a small group of donors, the initiative distributes its first organized batch of products to 47 families across two zip codes. The response is immediate and overwhelming.
Nonprofit Status & Growth
The initiative receives official nonprofit status and expands to 12 zip codes. A volunteer network of 30+ community members forms to handle distribution logistics. Enrollment reaches 300 families.
Scaling Impact
Partnerships with St. Louis social services agencies and faith communities accelerate referrals. Enrollment surpasses 600 families. First annual impact report published, documenting measurable health outcomes.
Hospital-Free Future
With 847+ families enrolled across 18 zip codes, the initiative launches its formal "Hospital-Free Future" campaign — a commitment to reach 2,000 St. Louis families by 2027 and demonstrate that preventive nutrition is a viable, scalable public health intervention.
"We're not running a charity. We're running a public health intervention — one that happens to be funded by people who believe every St. Louis family deserves to be healthy."
— Cjuna Cole, Founder & Executive Director
The People Behind the Work
Our Team
Cjuna Cole
Founder & Executive Director
A community health worker with 15 years of experience in North St. Louis, Cjuna founded the initiative after witnessing firsthand how nutritional gaps drive preventable health crises in low-income families.
Henry McCoy
Director of Community Partnerships
Henry manages relationships with 40+ community organizations, churches, and social services agencies that form the backbone of our referral and distribution network.
SirJuan Primus
Health & Nutrition Advisor
A registered dietitian and public health researcher, SirJuan guides product selection and tracks health outcomes across enrolled families to measure and communicate our real-world impact.
Terence Smith Jr
Operations & Logistics
Terence coordinates monthly distribution logistics across 18 zip codes, ensuring every enrolled family receives their package on time, every month, without fail.
What We Stand For
Our Values
Dignity First
Every family we serve receives premium products — not discards, not "good enough." Dignity is non-negotiable.
Radical Transparency
We publish our financials, our outcomes, and our methodology. Donors and families deserve to know exactly where every dollar goes.
Community-Rooted
We don't parachute in. We work through the churches, organizations, and neighbors that families already trust.
Prevention Over Treatment
The healthcare system treats illness. We prevent it. Nutrition is the most cost-effective public health intervention that exists.
A Message for You
Dear Neighbors,
I'm here to pray,
To help St. Louis families find a healthier way.
From supervising homeless hotlines and working outreach in the streets,
I've seen the health crises our neighbors often meets.
With STLHospital-Free Future Project as our prime time name,
Preventing medical emergencies is our main game.
We pack premium health kits with essentials and HemoHIM,
To fill the nutrition gaps that make choices look grim.
Our 501(c)(3) serves fifty families each month at zero cost,
Ensuring baseline health protection is never truly lost.
So check out our card, scan our Crowded Fund link right here,
And help us keep St. Louis healthy and home all year!
With dedication,
Cjuna Cole
Founder & Executive Director
Scan to support us
Thank you for building a healthier St. Louis
Be Part of the Story.
Whether you donate, volunteer, or refer a family — you become part of a community-wide effort to keep St. Louis healthy.
Share our mission