Refugees

The Naichuk family was forced to flee after Russia attacked their hometown. Now, Olha and Mikhailo juggle multiple jobs in the St. Louis region while raising their three kids and dreaming of their native Ukraine.

The International Institute of St. Louis desperately needs the community to provide monetary donations to bridge the funding gap in resettling new arrivals. Officials say that because of rising costs, federal funding isn’t enough.

SEED St. Louis is helping immigrants and refugees plant and grow fruits and vegetables from their homeland on an urban farm. Immigrant farmers say the farm helps them feel connected to the land they left.

“You cannot move forward if everybody else does not have the opportunity to move forward. That was a major philosophical shift to address racial and spatial inequities that have held this region back for far too long,” said one leader.

Little Amal, a gigantic puppet, is coming to the St. Louis Gateway Arch on Sunday as part of a tour to spark conversations about refugees and the challenges they face.

Refugee and immigrant community advocates say more, and more accurate, resources and data are vital to overcoming the stigma and rising death toll from the opioid crisis.

The International Institute of St. Louis wants health care providers to make sure they’re able to communicate with an expected surge of new arrivals from other countries. The institute’s leaders say it can often be difficult for refugees and immigrants to understand the country’s health care system.

Shacko and Akim’s debut album, “As Long As You're Mine,” includes Afrobeat, contemporary R&B and other influences. The brothers moved to St. Louis eight years after fleeing war in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The International Institute of St. Louis will open the Anna E. Crosslin Center for Multicultural Excellence in January. The center will provide cultural workshops, training, programming and events to residents and business owners.

The Biden administration’s Uniting for Ukraine program allows people from the war-torn country to temporarily stay in the U.S., and hundreds are coming to St. Louis. But Ukrainians don’t qualify for the benefits that other refugees receive, leaving local agencies and American sponsors scrambling to help them.