INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF METROPOLITAN ST LOUIS

CASE MANAGEMENT & RESETTLEMENT - SEE SCHEDULE OCASE MANAGEMENT & RESETTLEMENT:REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT OCCURS OVER THE FIRST 90 AFTER A REFUGEE ARRIVES TO ST. LOUIS. REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT SERVICES INCLUDE AIRPORT PICK-UP; PROVISION OF HOUSING AND FURNISHINGS ON ARRIVAL, FOOD, CLOTHING, AND TRANSPORTATION. IN ADDITION TO THESE BASIC NEEDS, WE PROVIDE CASE MANAGEMENT, CULTURAL ORIENTATION, LINKAGES FOR INITIAL HEALTH SCREENINGS, BENEFITS ENROLLMENT, SCHOOL ENROLLMENT, CRISIS INTERVENTION, AND VARIOUS COMMUNITY REFERRALS. STAFF MEMBERS MEET REFUGEES AT THE AIRPORT, DELIVER THEM TO HOUSING RENTED FOR THEM, PROVIDE INITIAL HOME ORIENTATION, AND HELP THEM BEGIN THE PROCESS OF BUILDING A NEW LIFE IN ST. LOUIS. DEPENDING ON THE NEEDS OF EACH REFUGEE FAMILY, SERVICES CAN INCLUDE REFERRALS TO REGISTRATION FOR ENGLISH CLASSES FOR ADULTS AND PUBLIC SCHOOL FOR CHILDREN, EMPLOYMENT SERVICES, AND STATE AND FEDERAL BENEFITS APPLICATIONS. CLIENTS ARE ASSIGNED A CASE SPECIALIST OF SIMILAR LANGUAGE AND CULTURE WHEN AVAILABLE. IN 2023, A TOTAL OF 699 REFUGEES WERE SERVED, INCLUDING 226 AFGHANS, 190 CONGOLESE, AND 82 SYRIAN.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT - SEE SCHEDULE OCOMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT:COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT FOCUSES ON CREATING A MORE WELCOMING THROUGH; 1) CONNECTING ST. LOUISANS, THE EXPERIENCE OF NEW ARRIVALS, 2) IMPROVING THE CULTURAL COMPETENCY OF CUSTOMERS AND THE WIDER COMMUNITY, 3) LEAD ON ISSUES, WHICH IMPACT REFUGEES AND IMMIGRATION. ACCORDINGLY, WE OFFER HOLISTIC SERVICES, WHICH ARE FOCUSED ON SUPPORTING IMMIGRANTS AND EDUCATING NATIVE-BORN MEMBERS OF THE REGION. TO HELP BUILD A MORE INCLUSIVE COMMUNITY, THE INSTITUTE PRODUCES THE FESTIVAL OF NATIONS, OUR REGION'S LARGEST MULTICULTURAL FESTIVAL THAT ANNUALLY CONNECTS MORE THAN 150,000 VISITORS FROM ACROSS THE REGION WITH THE CULTURAL TRADITIONS OF NEWCOMERS AND LONG-TIMERS. THE FESTIVAL FOCUSES ON COMMON CULTURAL ATTRACTIONS, FOOD, MUSIC, AND DANCE AND IS, THEREFORE, A HIGHLY ENTERTAINING OPPORTUNITY FOR ST. LOUISANS TO LEARN ABOUT AND BUILD GREATER APPRECIATION FOR OUR COMMUNITY'S GROWING DIVERSITY. THE FESTIVAL IS ALSO A VALUABLE VENUE FOR OTHER LOCAL NON-PROFITS TO CONNECT WITH THESE NEWCOMERS, WHO ARE DIFFICULT TO REACH THROUGH TRADITIONAL MEDIA. AS PART OF OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES, WE OFFER TOURS TO GROUPS AND VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES THAT HELPS CONNECT THE WIDER COMMUNITY TO OUR WORK.IN 2023 WE HOSTED AN ANNUAL FUNDRAISING GALA, UBUNTU, WITH OVER 250 ATTENDEES WITH A GOAL TO RAISE FUNDS AND ENGAGE THE AUDIENCE WITH THE LONG-TERM VISION OF THE ORGANIZATION. THIS EVENT RAISED OVER $75,000. WE ALSO ORGANIZED 12 COMMUNITY MONTHLY UPDATES AIMED AT PROVIDING COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS WITH AN UNDERSTANDING OF OUR WORK AND OFFERING THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET INVOLVED.WE ALSO MAINTAINED A STRONG SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE, INSPIRING THE COMMUNITY TO SUPPORT OUR WORK. ALL THROUGH THE YEAR, SEVERAL MEDIA STORIES REPORTED ON THE ACTIVITIES OF THE INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE ESPECIALLY RELATED TO UKRAINIAN ARRIVALS, THE AFGHAN COMMUNITY SUPPORT PROGRAM, AND THE LAUNCH OF THE ANNA E. CROSSLIN CENTER FOR MULTICULTURAL EXCELLENCE. WE ALSO PROVIDED SIGNIFICANT LANGUAGE SERVICES TO SUPPORT SERVICE DELIVERY TO OUR CLIENTS BUT ALSO TO A WIDE RANGE OF CUSTOMERS ACROSS THE REGION.