Get Involved: June 2025
By Marisa Tesoro
With World Refugee Day on June 20, below are some opportunities to show your support for local resettlement agencies and immigrant service providers.
Across Missouri, communities continue to welcome and support their newest neighbors through volunteering, donating, or attending events. You can join in!
Your support matters now more than ever as recent policy changes at the federal level have impacted Missouri agencies and the clients they serve. Learn more:
Daily State of Play, Church World Service
Explaining Current Resettlement Policies, International Refugee Assistance Project
St. Louis
International Institute of St. Louis (IISTL)
As the largest resettlement agency in the state, IISTL offers a variety of services to assist refugees and immigrants.
Donate:
IISTL is seeking donations of household items, feminine hygiene products, toilet paper and more. You can purchase items and have them delivered using their Target wishlist and Walmart wishlist.
Volunteer:
IISTL is seeking volunteers to assist with their new Food Pantry as well as help with job interview preparation. More information about volunteering can be found here.
Events:
IISTL is hosting a special Community Bazaar on Friday, June 20! Join for an outdoor picnic at the Institute where Taste of Bosnia will have food available for purchase, and the Metro Market from Operation Food Search will also be onsite selling discounted produce.
Also mark your calendars for their Festival of Nations on August 23-24 in Tower Grove Park!
Subscribe to their newsletter to stay tuned for events and volunteer updates!
Job openings: IISTL is hiring a Language Services Coordinator.
Kindness Begins with Me
A local non-profit focused on connecting refugee families in the community and supporting refugee women.
Volunteer:
They are looking for volunteers to assist with their summer excursions, which include trips to the Magic House, Muny, the aquarium, and more. Email toni.zychinski@kindmestl.org if you're interested in volunteering for a summer excursion or want more information.
Sign up to be a volunteer driver to assist refugees in getting to and from their programs.
You can also assist with English classes and other opportunities. Learn more here.
Events:
Kindness Begins with Me and Monarch Immigrant Services have partnered to host an event in honor of World Refugee Day! Join them for a pickleball tournament and cricket exhibition, world market, raffles and more on Saturday, June 14 in Francis Park.
Migrant and Immigrant Community Action (MICA) Project
Established in 2011, the MICA Project provides low-cost legal and support services to immigrant communities.
Job openings:
The MICA Project is hiring an Advocacy Coordinator to lead MICA Project’s efforts in community coalition building, policy advocacy, and systems change initiatives.
Volunteer:
The MICA Project has a new internship position open for a Bilingual Practicum Student. This position will help with needs assessments, referrals, and more.
Volunteers willing to help lighten the load with copying, filing, grant applications, newsletters and other office tasks are also needed.
Attorneys seeking pro bono opportunities are also encouraged to contact carolvizzier@mica-project.org for more information.
Welcome Neighbor STL
A local non-profit supporting newcomers with a “pay it forward” mentality.
Donate:
Help build Welcome Kits for new arrivals. Choose a kit, purchase items from the corresponding Amazon Wishlist, and the items will be sent directly to Welcome Neighbor.
Volunteer:
Welcome Neighbor is looking for tutors and volunteer drivers to assist with their evening tutoring program at the Afghan Community Center, which takes place each Wednesday evening from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at 3611 S Grand Blvd, Suite 105. Email Laura at volunteer@wnstl to sign up!
You can also become a Family Partner and get paired with a refugee family.
Events:
Welcome Neighbor has also teamed up with STL CITY2 for a special fundraiser on Sunday, August 24 at Energizer Park.
Central Missouri
City of Refuge
Established in 2010, City of Refuge helps refugees integrate and thrive in their new communities.
Donate:
City of Refuge accepts gently-used or new clothing, household goods, or furniture. They pass on donations directly to refugees in need, and anything that is not utilized/needed will be sold in their City Boutique to support their programs and services. To arrange donations of large furniture items, fill out this form. Drop off items at 10 N. Garth Ave., Columbia, MO 65203 from 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., Monday-Thursday.
Volunteer:
They are looking for fall interns for various departments, but all interns will assist with the City Boutique, office tasks, and sorting donations.
Events:
City of Refuge is hosting their second Summer Market on Friday, June 20 in celebration of World Refugee Day!
They have also decided to open their City Boutique on the second Saturday of each month this summer: June 14, July 12 and August 9.
Kansas City
Della Lamb Community Services
As a local resettlement agency, Della Lamb supports newcomers and provides services to help inspire a kinder Kansas City.
Donate:
Della Lamb has launched their Swag Shop! Now you can purchase shirts, sweatshirts, hats and more to support their programming with proceeds going directly to supporting their programs.
Volunteer:
Della Lamb is looking for volunteers to help with transporting clients to and from appointments, upcoming men’s and women’s tea events, and more.
Job openings:
Della Lamb is seeking an HR and Operations Director.
Events:
In recognition of World Refugee Day, you can also attend an upcoming fundraiser featuring dueling pianos with proceeds going to Della’s work.
They are also hosting a reflective gathering at Jacob’s Well focused on learning, supporting and solidarity.
Jewish Vocational Service (JVS)
As a local resettlement agency, JVS has a mission of healing the world by welcoming all refugees and immigrants to the community.
Donate:
JVS is seeking donations of children’s clothing, items for health and hygiene kits, and school supplies.
They are also in need of new cribs, pack-and-plays and car seats for clients, which can be delivered to the JVS office in KC Monday-Friday between 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
You can also donate directly to their Emergency Support Campaign.
Events:
Jewish Vocational Service is hosting a volunteer info session on Saturday, June 28! Attend to learn more about the work of JVS as well as current volunteer opportunities. To RSVP, email volunteer@jvskc.org.
Mark your calendars for Bingo hosted by their Young Professionals Board on July 25.
Southwest Missouri
Refugee and Immigrant Services & Education (RAISE)
RAISE is a local resettlement agency with a goal of creating a thriving, integrated community.
Volunteer:
Assist RAISE with childcare during English classes, housing setups, transporting clients to appointments, and more.
Events:
RAISE is hosting a benefit concert to support their continued work serving refugees in the Joplin area. Join them on June 21 at the The Roxy!
International Institute of Southwest Missouri (IISMO)
IISMO is a local resettlement agency connecting immigrants and refugees with first-touch services and resources while engaging the foreign-born and wider community.
Job openings:
The International Institute of Southwest Missouri is hiring a Job Developer to support immigrant and refugee job seekers, build relationships with employers, and coach clients through the job search process.
Events:
Stay tuned for updates about CultureFest 2025 happening later this fall!
Virtual
World Refugee Day Town Hall: Join Refugees International for a special town hall session with their 2025 refugee fellows and experts. They’ll discuss key updates on their latest research and advocacy and share stories of impact and opportunities to get involved. Wednesday, June 18 at 1:00 p.m.
Welcome.US at the Table: In honor of World Refugee Day, join Welcome.US to learn about one newcomer’s refugee experience from displacement to resettlement and thriving. You’ll hear from experts in refugee processing and resettlement to learn more about the nuts and bolts of this journey, and you’ll hear from a refugee and sponsor share firsthand how their lives and community have been impacted by the transformative experience. Wednesday, June 18 at 2:00 p.m.
Decoding US Government: Navigating Structures, Laws, and Policies: This session will provide participants with a foundational knowledge of the U.S. government political system and practical tools for civic engagement. Attendees will learn about the legislative process, including how bills are drafted, debated, and passed into law, with real-world examples of legislation at the state and federal levels. Thursday, June 26 at 4:00 p.m.