How We Help
Our mission is to aid refugee families in St. Louis by connecting them with teens seeking volunteer opportunities. Volunteers help through fundraising, providing moving assistance, and tutoring.
START Inc is a program of Welcome Neighbor STL founded by two St Louis teens – Adam Saleh and Luke Braby to benefit refugees in the St Louis area. Together we can make a difference for those in need.
Market and Festival Events
START raises funds for its projects through donations which it receives through markets, festivals and other events. Each donation, no matter the size, has a great impact on the aid START is able to provide to those in need.
Food Delivery to the Unhoused
Every Sunday morning, START, along with volunteers from Street Kitchen, delivers 50+ meals and supplies to the unhoused living on the streets of downtown St. Louis. The ingredients for each meal are paid for by START, and the meals themselves are prepared each morning by local refugee chefs.
Delivery/Moving Assistance
START rents moving trucks to deliver furniture and appliances to refugee families in need. START also assists moving families, by renting trucks and delivering their belongings to their new homes.
Online Tutoring
Through START’s online tutoring program, volunteers are paired with students in grades K-8 from refugee families in the area. START tutors help these students to complete their homework over Zoom and become more comfortable with distance learning.