Price is right

DeAnna Price finished first in the Olympic team trials for track and field in the hammer throw, breaking the meet record twice and the American record twice to land on her second U.S. Olympic team. Price visited her former school, Immaculate Conception in Old Monroe in August of 2016 after competing in her first summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where she reached the finals and finished eighth. Price urged students to work hard and keep at it despite setbacks or failures, which really are just learning experiences and minor hurdles on the road to success. “God’s the reason I’m here,” said Price, who made use of the chapel in the Olympic village at Rio. “What has kept me strong is my faith, my trust in God. … Praying to God always makes things better.” At the Olympic trials at the end of June, the reigning world champion became just the second woman ever to throw the 4-kilogram (8.8-pound) ball-and-chain over 80 meters. Price, who now lives in Carbondale, Illinois, overcame a mysterious illness in April that affected her digestive system and was compounded by a recent diagnosis of celiac disease. Watch her performance at bit.ly/3x38FpP.

Anniversary celebration

Sts. Joachim and Ann Care Service is celebrating its 40th anniversary with an outdoor event from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Saturday, July 24 on its campus at 4116 McClay Road in St. Charles. The event will feature live music by the Charlie Mann Trio, free ice cream from Freddy’s Frozen Custard for the first 100 guests and free outdoor games and activities for adults and children. Food trucks and beverages will be on-site and available for purchase. The nonprofit agency had its start on July 26, 1981, with just $500, five volunteers and a mission to serve the poor. Over the last four decades, the agency has assisted thousands of local families in crisis. Families were fed, homes were saved and housing secured for people who were homeless.“While we have made great strides in serving St. Charles, Lincoln and Warren counties, there is still more work to be done,” said Pam Struckhoff, executive director. “Hundreds of individuals in the area are currently homeless. About 30% of tri-county population is facing food insecurity. We will continue in our mission ‘to serve those in crisis and prevent homelessness and hunger’ until families don’t have to worry about choosing between feeding their family and paying the rent.”

Employment after incarceration

The Criminal Justice Ministry is hosting a virtual forum on employment after incarceration. It will be held from 3 to 5 p.m. Thursday, July 22, and will involve several community partners: the Criminal Justice Ministry’s Makin’ It Work program volunteers; Employment Connection; Empower Missouri; Missouri Department of Corrections Division of Probation and Parole; and Saint Louis University’s Transformative Workforce Academy. Topics will include vocation training, probation and parole complexities and legislative aspects such as record expungement. To register, visit bit.ly/3hFkHPK. The Criminal Justice Ministry also is hosting its 10th Annual Trivia Night at 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 21, in the St. James the Greater Gym, 1360 Tamm Ave. in the Dogtown neighborhood of St. Louis. For information or to register, visit cjmstlouis.org/trivianight2021 or call (314)652-8062.

Holy tosses

The athletic association at Bishop DuBourg High School is hosting a bags tournament from 10 a.m. to 4 pm. Saturday, July 17, on Don Burras Field at DuBourg, 5850 Eichelberger Ave. in St. Louis. Teams of two are encouraged for the tossing game, and the cost is $30 per player. Business sponsors also are sought. For information, email [email protected]. To register, visit bit.ly/3ykbqU1.

‘The Kitchen Bowl Gang’

Catholic Supply of St. Louis is now carrying the children’s book, “The Kitchen Bowl Gang,” in-store at 6759 Chippewa St. in St. Louis and 2985 Highway K in O’Fallon, and online at bit.ly/3qDTaCa. Author Kelly Peach partnered with her mother, artist Mary Rae Reese, during the pandemic to bring to life a fun story for children of friendship that gives glory to God. “The Kitchen Bowl Gang” is a story about friendship and is inspired by the Bible. There are some surprises and life lessons, grounded in faith. Peach is leadership communications director at Mercy and a member of St. Ambrose Parish in St. Louis. Reese is a member of St. Catherine Laboure Parish in Sappington. For more information, visit piccadillypeach.com or email [email protected].

State tax law includes Earned Income Tax Credit

Gov. Mike Parson signed into law an omnibus tax bill. One of the provisions is the “Wayfair Tax” which allows Missouri and local jurisdictions to collect sales taxes on online purchases that will help protect Missouri’s brick-and-mortar businesses. The bill also includes a state Earned Income Tax Credit. Modeled after the federal Earned Income Tax Credit, it allows low- and middle-income Missouri families beginning in 2023 to claim a 10% state tax credit to offset their Missouri income tax liability. The tax credit may not exceed the amount of the taxpayer’s liability, and will not be refundable. The Missouri Catholic Conference has long supported a state Earned Income Tax Credit as a way to provide for and encourage hard-working families to achieve a better future and a pathway to the middle class.

Auditions set

The Young Catholic Musicians orchestra and choir will hold auditions during July for singers and instrumentalists ages 10 to 17. The Young Catholic Musicians’ 47th season begins in August. In the past, the Young Catholic Musicians have led the music for Mass at various churches, encouraging full and active participation. The young musicians also have performed two concerts each year and have taken part in tours. For additional information or to schedule an audition, contact Father Bruce Forman at [email protected] or (314) 231-7464 or Mary Smith at [email protected] or (314) 962-4040.