FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions

Please contact Kathleen Benckendorf at [email protected].

North America for Ukraine is bridging the gap for resettlement support in the United States & Canada. NA4U is working to provide assistance with the immigration process, host matching, employment opportunities and general resources. It is their goal to support Ukrainians through the entire process of resettlement. You can find their Facebook group through the link below.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/na4ukraine

If you have items to donate, please consider three local organizations that help distribute items to refugees in St. Louis. Please contact the organizations beforehand to check their donation drop-off hours.

House of Goods Baitulmal at 5911 Southwest Ave, St. Louis, MO 63139 | (314) 833-3300

Home Sweet Home at 290 Hanley Industrial Ct, Brentwood, MO 63144 | (314) 448-9838

Oasis International Ministries at 5035 Gravois Ave, St. Louis, MO 63116 | (314) 353-3800

Currently, the Welcome Neighbor STL office is available by appointment only. Contact us at [email protected].

Yes, kids would love blown-up soccer balls, soccer shoes, and athletic socks. Equipment to play cricket is also very popular.

Please contact us at [email protected] to discuss the details.

Please email your full name, email and phone number to Zohra, our Supper Club Coordinator, at [email protected].

We will contact you as soon as we have information regarding the next class.

You may contact Zohra, our Supper Club Coordinator, at [email protected] or fill out our Supper Club form:

https://forms.monday.com/forms/9ac25b2c07e3fc3f15830b6dd32669f9

Once we receive your form we will get back to you to discuss the details.

Also, visit our website and check out our 6 delicious menus options: https://welcomeneighborstl.org/supper-clubs/menus/

Thank you for your interest in supporting us! Check out a few ideas below:

– Hold a lunch or dinner and invite one of our cooks to cater it

– Visit a family to do yard work and planting

– Hold a fundraiser to purchase gift cards for families (our most needed items are Aldi and Schnucks gift cards)

– Hold a fundraiser to purchase welcome mats to place at our families’ front door

– Collect used laptops that are cleared to donate to new families (we do not need cell phones)

– Collect bike locks and helmets for our families. When we have bikes to donate it is always good to hand the child or adult a helmet and lock as well.

– Do a fundraiser to cover the cost of the first 6 months of car insurance when our partner organization, HumanKind STL, gives a used car to a family.  

– Visit our website and donate meals to unhoused individuals at:

https://welcomeneighborstl.org/product/donate-a-meal-to-unhoused-individual-dec2021/?fbclid=IwAR2x2ke9r34pvmWm2Mdi8y9em2u1VVn4U7giKU95N5bMcswg7GgkkxSrfoo

Thank you for your interest in partnering with a refugee family. You can learn more about this program by clicking the link below.

https://welcomeneighborstl.org/programs/family-partnering/

We hold monthly orientations over Zoom to help answer any questions you might have. Joining an orientation is not a commitment to become a family partner, but an opportunity to learn more about the program. We hope to see you there!

Thank you for your interest in becoming an ESL tutor. You can learn more about this program through the link below.

https://welcomeneighborstl.org/programs/esl/

Our program provides in-home tutoring for those that don’t have access to English classes elsewhere. It’s meant for those with low English ability. Our volunteer tutors are given lesson resources to support the learners’ ability to communicate, and be part of the community.

Thank you for your interest in our supper club events. You will find a list of all our supper clubs scheduled through the link below.

https://welcomeneighborstl.org/events-directory/

Your meal will be prepared by our new refugee neighbors who will share their cooking skills by providing a table of traditional food from their country of origin and you will have an opportunity to hear their story. Proceeds from the supper club events directly benefit our refugee cooks.

Please fill out the form in the link below and a member of our team will contact you shortly.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/508084da5ad2ea4f49-housing#/

Rugs (a lot of our families like to cover their entire floor with rugs and carpets), good working sewing machines, electric tea pots or tea kettles, and kitchen blenders.  

Please contact Zohra at [email protected].

Yes, we do accept children’s clothes for ages 0-5 if our office storage bins are not full. Otherwise, we suggest that these donations be brought to Oasis International or House of Goods.

Please contact [email protected] to ask about the children’s clothing. 

Thank you for your interest!  Yes, we will be raising money to provide gift cards for the children to purchase a special outfit for their Eid celebration. We will be posting this fundraiser on our Facebook page and website.

Please find some helpful links below:

• For Ukrainians
• For Cubans, Haitians, Latin Americans
• For Afghans
• Refugees from other countries
  • Please note: “All refugees sponsored through the Welcome Corps must meet the eligibility and admissibility criteria to be approved for resettlement through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP). There are several USRAP processing requirements including the determination of eligibility for refugee status through an interview overseas conducted by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, security vetting by U.S. government law enforcement and intelligence agencies, and a medical screening. For more information on the eligibility and admissibility criteria for the USRAP, please visit: About Refugee Admissions – United States Department of State.”

For more information about the refugee process, please visit this link.

Yes! We try to provide each family with a laptop to use for English classes, bill paying, and learning computer skills. If you have a laptop to donate, erase the contents first and then contact [email protected]. We will gladly accept your donation!