Carissa Figgins, Founder

Carissa Figgins originally founded The Sparrow’s Nest in 2013 from a place of righteous anger. It was never ok to overlook and dismiss young mothers and their children. Carissa started with the thought that young teen mothers just needed a safe place to stay as they figured out their next steps. Little did she know how the simple idea of home would evolve into so much more.

The Sparrow’s Nest has always been committed to creating a safety net for young families. The Sparrow’s Nest is committed to a high level of individualized care and will always go above and beyond any rule, regulation, or level of compliance to ensure the safety and well-being of the entire family. Through collaboration and coordination with churches, schools, and social service organizations Sparrow works to safeguard young families and their children. Sparrow will always be a place where families are seen, accepted, and loved.

Kirk Kasicki – President

Kirk has been married to his wonderful wife Darrah for 20 years and they have one daughter. Darrah also volunteers at The Sparrow’s Nest. Kirk is the Vice President of Corporate Tax at CSI Leasing and is a member of the St. Charles Jaycees. They attend McKnight Crossings Church of Christ in Rock Hill.

“I serve because I believe in the mission of The Sparrow’s Nest to house and educate young women that would otherwise fall through the cracks of the system. Matthew 25 implores us to protect the vulnerable and the Nest is there to provide services to some of the most vulnerable in our society: pregnant young women that do not necessarily have many other good choices.”

Mark Hollander – Vice President & Treasurer

Mark has been married for 19 years to his amazing wife, Melissa. Mark has two daughters – Katie and Maggie – and two beautiful grandsons – Blake & Jacob.   Mark and Melissa own La Belle Vie / The Cafe at Frenchtown and work with several non-profit organizations across the county.  They attend The Crossing Church in Chesterfield Valley.

Jessica Henman – Secretary

Jessica has been married twenty-five years and has three nearly-grown-up children by birth. She has been mom to fourteen more through foster care. Jessica and her family are active members of The Crossings Church St Charles County. She is a Certified Nurse-Midwife and provides healthcare to growing families through her private practice, Primrose Midwifery.

“I believe people at all stages of development and in all life circumstances deserve respect, compassion, and the opportunity to live life to their greatest potential. At some point, most of us will need help from a loving friend or mentor to accomplish that. The Nest provides the love and sanctuary that young parents and their children need at a critical time in their lives, so they won’t merely survive a hard time, but will blossom into all that God has planned for them.”

Janssen Longenecker – Director

Janssen is a financial advisor and founder of investment firm Mission Financial. Mission Financial supports a number of community charities, including The Sparrow’s Nest, Child Evangelism Fellowship, Strong Tower Ranch, Covenant House and Set Free Ministries. Janssen is active in the First Step Back Home Ministry, and has been a member and president of the St. Charles Optimist Club. Originally from Chicago, Janssen lives in St. Charles. He has seven children: Josiah, Michál, Chloe, Eli, Phoebe, Priscilla and Anna. Josiah, Janssen’s oldest, works at Mission Financial as well. Janssen attends Grace Community Chapel in St. Peters on Mexico Rd. with five of his children.

“I was saved at a young age by praying to receive Jesus with my father. My dad was my model and example who led me to Christ, taught me to love, helped me understand and relate to my loving Father in heaven. Later in life, in my mid 20s, I was re-baptized only because I wanted to relate baptism more personally to my calling/purpose/vision to serve the Lord.”

Sonya Burnett – Director

Sonya has three wonderful young men and two grandchildren. Sonya holds a Bachelor’s in Child and Family Development from Missouri State University and a Master’s in Public Health with a focus in Community Health from Saint Louis University and currently works for Washington University School of Medicine as an Educational Liaison for the Sickle Cell Clinic at Children’s Hospital Department of Pediatrics Hematology/Oncology. Sonya has worked in Early Intervention/Early Education for 25 years including working directly with young parents for 10 plus of those years. Sonya lives in St. Charles. She attends Harvester Christian.

“I serve because I, first hand, witnessed the need for young parents to have an affordable quality child care center with love and guidance to nurture parents as they grow and develop on their own parenting journey. I see the Sparrow’s Nest addressing the needs of young parents, in the community, and engaging their babies in the best start in life with a strong foundation including growing in Christ. ~James 2:26”

Angela Lockett – Director

Angela and her husband Geoff have been married for 32 years residing in St. Charles County since 1992. They have four children and four extraordinary grandchildren. Both Angela and Geoff are active members of Chapel of the Lake in Lake St. Louis.

“My vision for The Sparrow’s Nest is inspired by my own experiences. My mother was pregnant with me during her senior year of high school. By the time I was in middle school, she had four kids and her second marriage was ending. Like so many young families in our community today, we needed help. Under the most unlikely circumstances, God brought people into our lives who would change our lives forever. Their unconditional love and practical help drew my mother to Christ, and her decision to follow Him has impacted the lives of her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, and countless others. As we seek to provide young families with needed resources, we do so under a higher caller which is to change the world by spreading the gospel of Christ.”

Lance Rogers – Director

Lance is a business owner who is service driven and community focused with 30+ years of experience in sales management, operations, human resources, recruiting, talent acquisition. and project management with a demonstrated history of delivering results. He is skilled in implementing and executing business strategies to achieve company sales and profit objectives. He’s had a high degree of success and ability in recruiting, training, coaching, and developing to build and grow teams.  Lance has lived in St. Charles county for over 21 years. He served on the University of Missouri Advisory Boards at the College of Human Environmental Sciences and the Trulaske College of Business. Lance currently serves on the O’Fallon Family YMCA Advisory Board. He is a member of the O’Fallon and the Western St. Charles County Chambers of Commerce and is a Vision Leadership St. Charles County 2020 graduate & alumni. He’s been married to his wife, Lisa, for 30 years and has three children. He and Lisa are members of Harvester Christian Church where they help serve.