Open a Door for a New Neighbor
With your help, St. Francis Community Services will be able to welcome families who recently arrived in St. Louis, assisting them with comprehensive support as they prepare for a new life here. While each family’s story and needs look different, our organization stands with them and provides wraparound support. Most families have recently arrived in the U.S. as asylum seekers fleeing persecution, are starting life from scratch, and do not yet have the household essentials they need.
Why We Need Your Help
The journey of a newly-arrived asylum seeker does not stop at the border or point of entry: building a new life in the U.S. is a journey that lasts forever. At St. Francis Community Services, we are working to welcome a large increase of recently-arrived immigrant families to our area with compassion and care through this new initiative, Abriendo Puertas. While our bilingual staff members assist with an array of essential services like locating housing, enrolling children in school, and addressing trauma through mental health counseling, new neighbors need help from the whole community to give them a housewarming and meet basic needs. Your support will help families with the costs of establishing their new home – food, furniture, baby products, beds, and clothing – while also providing for the services to help them acclimate to St. Louis.
Needs for August 2022
For the month of August, we have a high need for the following donations:
- Laundry detergent
- Paper towels
- Toilet paper
- Dish soap
- Shampoo
- Deodorant
- Silverware (new or like new)
- Kitchen utensils (new or like new)
- Microwaves
To schedule a donation drop-off, email Carlos Ruiz Martinez.
How You Can Help
- Help organize a parish or community-based donation drive
- Volunteer to be a Vecino Volunteer (Spanish-Speakers highly preferred)
- Make a donation to the Bienvenidos Fund by going to our donate page, selecting “Southside Center” in the drop-down menu, and then type in “Bienvenidos Fund” in the notes.
For more information on ways to help, email Carlos Ruiz Martinez.