News & Events
1898 Society Donates $58,838 to Moog Center for Deaf Education
September 4, 2026
McKelvey Homes Donates $58,838 to the Moog Center for Deaf Education Through the 1898 Society
The gift continues McKelvey’s commitment to giving back after the St. Louis Business Journal recognized it at the 2026 Corporate Philanthropy Awards.
ST. LOUIS, Mo. (August 2026). McKelvey Homes, Missouri’s oldest residential builder, has donated $58,838 to the Moog Center for Deaf Education in West County. The gift was presented in July through the 1898 Society, McKelvey’s community giving initiative that donates $1,898 from every home sold to a local nonprofit.
The donation continues McKelvey’s long-standing commitment to giving back to the St. Louis region, an effort recently recognized by the St. Louis Business Journal at the 2026 Corporate Philanthropy Awards, which celebrate the region’s leading corporate givers.
Why the Moog Center
The Moog Center teaches children who are deaf or hard of hearing how to develop spoken language so they can enter kindergarten prepared for a general education classroom. Beginning as early as infancy, the center provides hearing technology, speech-language therapy, and parent education during the years when language development is most critical.
The choice of the Moog Center for this quarter’s 1898 Society donation is personal for the McKelvey team. David Auer, Jim Brennan’s nephew and Manager of McKelvey’s New Home Renovation Division, and his wife Kalina are parents to Wade, who turns 3 in November. Wade was diagnosed with permanent hearing loss as an infant and has been fitted for hearing aids and supported by the Moog Center ever since.
“The work they do here is incredible,” said Jim Brennan, President of McKelvey Homes. “Where so many other people would give up, they don’t. After seeing the work they do here, we want to help with the cost of helping a child learn how to speak.”
The Moog Center currently serves almost 100 students of various ages. While some funding is available through the state, tuition can be a hurdle for many families. Moog Center Executive Director Betsy Moog Brooks said the donation from McKelvey will be used where it’s needed most.
“We are incredibly grateful,” Brooks said.
About the 1898 Society
Named for the year McKelvey Homes was founded, the 1898 Society is the company’s community giving initiative, established in 2023 by Jim and Rose Brennan and the McKelvey team. The Society donates $1,898 from every home McKelvey sells to a local nonprofit. Recipient organizations change each year, but the mission stays the same: invest in the St. Louis communities where McKelvey builds.
With approximately 100 homes sold annually, each sale represents another opportunity for McKelvey to give back.
“Supporting St. Louis is a core value of McKelvey Homes, regardless of the state of the economy,” Brennan said. “This community has supported us for more than 128 years. We are just trying to share the wealth, and we are lucky to have so many great organizations in St. Louis that we can support.”
About McKelvey Homes
Founded in 1898, McKelvey Homes is St. Louis’ oldest residential builder. The family-owned company has been led for more than four decades by President Jim Brennan and is known for prime locations, legendary quality, and the personalized care that has helped more than 5,000 families find their homes. Through the 1898 Society, McKelvey donates $1,898 from every home sold to a local nonprofit, an initiative that has generated more than $800,000 in charitable giving since 2023. McKelvey was recognized by the St. Louis Business Journal at the 2026 Corporate Philanthropy Awards for its contributions to the region. For more information, visit www.McKelveyHomes.com.
About the Moog Center for Deaf Education
Located in West County, the Moog Center for Deaf Education teaches children who are deaf or hard of hearing how to develop spoken language so they can enter kindergarten prepared for a general education classroom. The center serves nearly 100 students of various ages and provides hearing technology, speech-language therapy, and parent education from infancy onward. Betsy Moog Brooks serves as Executive Director.
