Keeping Kids Safe: Stories from 40 Years — A Conversation with Charlotte McClure

As the Saint Louis Crisis Nursery marks 40 years of Keeping Kids Safe and Building Strong Families, we are reflecting on the people whose compassion, service, and dedication have helped shape our story.

In this interview series, we’re sitting down with board members, staff, volunteers, and partners to hear how the Nursery has impacted their lives, and why this work continues to matter.

Today, we’re honored to share a conversation with Charlotte McClure, a longtime volunteer and Chair of the Best Friends Group (now Hearts & Hands Volunteers) whose decades of service have supported the Nursery in countless ways. From her leadership with the Best Friends group to her years as Razzle Dazzle Auction Chair, Charlotte has helped create meaningful moments of connection, generosity, and joy for families and the broader community of care that supports them. Her reflections offer a powerful reminder of the lasting impact of showing up with purpose, and the difference one person can make over time.

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How did you first come to the Crisis Nursery?
I decided when I retired 20 years ago that volunteer work would be the next path in my journey. I knew I wanted to volunteer with an organization that addressed child abuse in our community—preferably one that focused on prevention. Somehow, I found the Crisis Nursery.

What were your first impressions of the Nursery?
As I started volunteering at the original location, I was most impressed by the dedication and strong commitment of the staff—DiAnne Mueller, Laura Coatney, and Sara Nelson immediately come to mind—and those working with our kids in the Nursery.

Eventually, I had the opportunity to meet one of the Nursery’s strongest supporters, Roberta Cohen, who initiated the Best Friends volunteer committee. When planning each year’s Razzle Dazzle, her enthusiasm and excitement were infectious, and her creativity was boundless.

Why have you continued to stay involved over the years?
Coming from a career in sales, I value results over activity. The Crisis Nursery produces results. Over the years, I have had the opportunity to hear about—and personally encounter—some of those results.

When Whole Foods opened in Town & Country, they offered one nonprofit each quarter the opportunity to promote their organization in-store and receive a portion of the day’s profits. We were fortunate to be selected. Volunteers gave out samples, including small pieces of birthday cake in honor of the Nursery’s anniversary, and children enjoyed face painting. At one point, a cashier let me know the donation cart was full—but it had just been emptied. He explained that store employees had taken up a collection and used their employee discount to purchase items. When I thanked one of the cashiers, she shared, “When my daughter and I needed help, the Crisis Nursery was there for us.”

For a few years, I also volunteered with a hospice organization. At a holiday luncheon, another volunteer shared that she was training to become a medical assistant, with hopes of one day becoming a pediatrician. She spoke about her young son as the “light of her life.” Afterward, she told me how much she loved the Crisis Nursery—because her son had once been cared for there.

What impresses me most is that these young women were not only surviving, but thriving—and paying it forward by giving back to their communities.

Is there a memory that stands out from your time at the Nursery?
My ten years as auction chair preceded today’s online auctions. We typically had more than 200 auction baskets on display at Razzle Dazzle. Since I also served as the Best Friends Chair, I would invite our volunteers to a “basket party” at the Nursery administrative office the Sunday before the event.

With snacks and beverages, volunteers gathered to create beautiful baskets with colorful bows that became part of the festive entrance to the Ball. Some guests later told me they bid on the baskets as much for their beauty as for what was inside them.

What do you wish more people knew about the Crisis Nursery?
I wish more people knew about the Crisis Nursery so that we could prevent more of the tragedies that still occur in our community. At the same time, I am grateful for the many children who have been protected over these 40 years, and for the families who have been reunited and strengthened because of the Nursery’s presence and support.