The United Way of Greater St. Louis announced Friday that thousands more volunteers are needed in Joplin, Mo., to help with relief efforts in the aftermath of the May 22 tornado. Volunteers can sign up through the United Way's 2-1-1 telephone call system.

The magnitude of need in Joplin is plain, but the United Way also is busy helping St. Louisans better understand opportunities to help folks nearby — neighbors who need food, clothing, shelter, child protection, abuse prevention, mental health counseling and elderly services.

One way to raise that awareness is set to premiere this week.

More than 30 staff members from 25 United Way agencies have formed a choir. Among agencies represented are Effort for Aids, Epworth Children's Services, Nurses for Newborns, Northside Community Center, Family Resource Center, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, YMCA, Almost Home, Kids in the Middle, St. Patrick Center, Salvation Army and the St. Vincent de Paul Society.

The choir is led by Terri Merideth, a longtime music teacher at St. Margaret's School who now works at the Muny, and Gerald Cozart, a retired music teacher from St. Louis Public Schools. In eight rehearsals, the choir has mastered 26 minutes of music, along with the choreographed steps, turns and gestures that animate community choir performances. Ms. Merideth said the people-oriented choir members are true to type, each eagerly willing to give up soloist opportunities to whomever is best for the job.

Danny Ludeman, president and CEO of Wells Fargo Advisors, chairs the 2011 United Way of Greater St. Louis Campaign set to begin later this summer. "[T]here never has been a greater need to work on the social safety net," he said. He expressed confidence that the "big hearts of St. Louisans" will come through.

"A lot of people and corporations are doing quite well," he said. "What we need to do in the private sector is step up and increase giving."

The choir idea came from Mr. Ludeman's wife, Susan. He said his "blue-plate special" would be to build the choir so that it eventually has representatives from each of the United Way's 177 member agencies.

Thursday's rehearsal was the last before the choir's private debut performance on Wednesday before a group of fundraising leaders. The program is a musical expression of the members' daily work — challenging, uplifting, sprinkled with achingly beautiful solos — all made possible by our community's tradition of generous giving.

The choir may help close the deal with some of those big-hearted St. Louisans.