Some spaces are more than buildings. They become places where people gather, create, celebrate, and feel a true sense of belonging.
That is exactly what Jahna Moore and the team at We Live Performing Arts & Culture Center are creating in Granite City, Illinois.
Recently, members of the Justine PETERSEN team visited We Live for a staff outing that included roller skating, great food, and the opportunity to hear Jahna’s story firsthand. And what a story it is.
More Than a Skating Rink
Led by Executive Director Jahna Moore, We Live is a nonprofit performing arts and cultural center dedicated to creating a safe, welcoming, and creative environment for people of all ages.
Inside the historic Stoppkotte’s Skating Rink, We Live is preserving a piece of Granite City history while creating something new within it. Through dance, music, technical arts, skating, community events, and education, Jahna and her team are creating opportunities for people to express themselves, learn new skills, and find a place where they belong.
But getting here has not been easy.
We Live has faced challenges that could have stopped many organizations in their tracks. The facility has endured the aftermath of a devastating tornado, periods without a functioning HVAC system, necessary repairs, unexpected expenses, and the constant financial realities that come with operating and improving a large community space.
Still, Jahna kept going.
And Justine PETERSEN has been proud to keep going with her.
A Relationship Built Through Trust
Jahna’s relationship with Justine PETERSEN is not defined by a single transaction. We Live had the opportunity to access capital through Justine PETERSEN, providing access to capital as Jahna and her team worked through challenges, invested in the facility, and continued to build their vision.
That is an important part of what we believe community lending should look like.
Sometimes an entrepreneur or nonprofit leader does not need someone to simply look at where things stand today. They need a financial partner who is willing to understand where they are trying to go.
Through financing and continued support from the Justine PETERSEN team, Jahna has been able to address obstacles that threatened the future of the space while continuing to invest in a facility that now welcomes performances, celebrations, community gatherings, roller skating, and even staff outings like our own.
Seeing the space today makes that journey even more meaningful.
You Have to See It in Person
There is something special about walking into We Live and seeing what Jahna and her team have created.
It is a beautiful, vibrant space with room for creativity, movement, and connection. During our visit, our team had the chance to skate, spend time together, and experience the facility not simply as a borrower’s business but as members of the community it was created to serve.
And then there is the food.
Yes, We Live serves vegan food, and yes, it is delicious.
It is another piece of an experience that feels uniquely We Live: welcoming, creative, and full of personality.
This Is Why We Do What We Do
At Justine PETERSEN, we often talk about access to capital, credit building, and creating opportunities. But relationships like the one we have built with Jahna show what those words can look like in the real world.
They can look like a skating rink surviving a tornado.
They can look like overcoming a broken HVAC system and unexpected setbacks.
They can look like a building filled again with music, movement, laughter, and people.
And they can look like an organization continuing to believe in its community, even when the road has been difficult.
We are grateful for Jahna Moore and the entire We Live team, and we are proud that Justine PETERSEN has had the opportunity to play a role in their story.
What Jahna has created is bigger than a building. We Live is becoming a place where Granite City and the greater St. Louis metropolitan community can come together, create, celebrate, and, most importantly, keep moving forward.