Magdala House President and CEO Thomas J. Mangogna received the 2024 Community Partners Award presented by the Northside Seventh Day Adventist Church, located in Jennings, MO.
The award recognized Northside’s outstanding community partnership with Councilwoman Rita Heard Day and Magdala’s President and CEO, Thomas J. Mangogna. Both were honored with a Resolution by the St. Louis County Council and a Proclamation from Northside Seventh Day Adventist Church for their contributions to the church and community. Senior Pastor Trevor Barnes, Jr. reflected on why community partnership is important.
“When I came to St. Louis, I was discouraged to learn the people in my community are projected to live less than 15 years of others in other parts of the St. Louis community,” said the Pastor of Northside Seventh Day Adventist. “I was heartbroken but knew we could not do everything alone. We need partnerships to do the work God called us to do.”
Understanding the need for partnerships to fulfill their mission, Northside engaged in community activities and established a relationship with Magdala House’s CEO and Councilwoman Day. This collaboration demonstrates that teamwork and shared dedication can positively impact lives. After receiving the award, Thomas Mangogna emphasized that his achievements were not accomplished in isolation but through the collective efforts of his dedicated team.
“I have an excellent staff that does everything we accomplish daily. They are the people who carry out the vision of where we are and where we are going,” finished the CEO after receiving the award.
Mangogna joined Magdala House in 1968 as its first Executive Director, managing the first halfway house in the country for women previously incarcerated. During his leadership spanning over a decade, the organization underwent significant growth, introducing programs focused on parenting, tackling the AIDS epidemic, and providing shelter for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Upon his return as president and CEO in 2017, Magdala House opened a day program for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities and an unhoused and emergency shelter program, successfully graduating nearly 600 individuals with permanent housing.
Mangogna is recognized for assisting Northside in securing the St. Louis City Continuum of Care (COC). This organization consists of over 100 entities and individuals from both private and public sectors collaborating to combat homelessness in the City of St. Louis.
