Missouri Office of Refugee Administration

10/16/2026

Last night, Welcome Neighbor STL hosted an incredible gala where MO State Refugee Coordinator Paul Costigan was presented with their Legacy Award. Every one in attendance left inspired to continue supporting refugees and welcoming all neighbors in our community.

Congrats to Paul, all of the honorees, and Welcome Neighbor STL!

10/12/2026

💜 Karen Aroesty, CEO of Safe Connections, speaks to KSDK News in recognition of October being Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

💜 We are proud to cohost the upcoming webinar "Safe at Home: Understanding & Supporting Immigrant Survivors of Domestic Violence" with Safe Connections and Legal Services of Eastern Missouri on Monday, October 26.

Together, we will learn how DV may show up in immigrant and refugee communities, what barriers they may face in seeking support and safety, and how to address abuse while remaining respectful of diverse culture practices and traditions.

💜 Register Here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_697ZjLJ-TBm8HK2bAANPnw #/registration
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5EQIXanIcQc

Safe Connections St. Louis is a free service seeking to connect dom...

10/08/2026

📣 Please join us in congratulating our MO State Refugee Coordinator, Paul Costigan, on his well-deserved Legacy Award which will be presented to him by Welcome Neighbor STL at their upcoming Big Supper Club event!

Paul embodies MO-ORA's mission to create a Missouri that values and champions refugees, and we are grateful for his leadership, dedication, and heart.

We are also thrilled to congratulate fellow honorees:
Susan Werremeyer, Impact Award
Tracy Gruener, Good Neighbor Award
Isabella Duncan, Rising Changemaker Award
Craftsman Cares, Community Partnership Award

Be sure to visit https://www.welcomeneighborstl.org/ to learn more about the great things happening at Welcome Neighbor STL!

10/05/2026

New Blog Post Just for Educators (...OK, Not JUST for Educators)

In MO-ORA's latest blog post, we explore how holiday-themed discussions and activities create opportunities to create classrooms that are both welcoming and educational; helping students learn about American culture while ensuring that all backgrounds, beliefs, and customs are respected.

https://moora.org/blog/navigatingholidays

10/01/2026

Safe at Home: Understanding & Supporting Immigrant Survivors of Domestic Violence
Monday, October 26 | 12-1pm CST
Zoom | Register Online

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month and MO-ORA is grateful to team up with Legal Services of Eastern Missouri and Safe Connections to host this important webinar offering an in-depth look at the ways abuse may show up in immigrant communities, present ways to address domestic violence while remaining respectful of cultural practices and values, and connect to the responsibility we have to ensure that single cases of abuse are not seen as representative of immigrant communities as a whole.

Our guest facilitators are Eldisa Ramic of Legal Services of Eastern Missouri, who brings both professional expertise and lived experience coming to the United State as a refugee, and Emily Stoinski of Safe Connections and former chair of the Domestic Violence Fatality Review Panel for the City of St. Louis.

REGISTER: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_697ZjLJ-TBm8HK2bAANPnw #/registration

All are welcome to attend - please share with your communities

09/30/2026

Della Lamb Community Services
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09/25/2026

Throughout September, Della Lamb Community Services Executive Director Ryan Hudnall walked more than 400 miles from Kansas City to St. Louis to hear immigrant stories, raise awareness for refugees, and find out what the word "welcome" truly means. We were honored to join Ryan, Gilberto Pinela of the City of St. Louis Government Office of New Americans, community partners, and caring supporters on the final two mile walk to the Gateway Arch this morning.

So we ask, what does "welcome" mean to you?!

09/17/2026

Today is Constitution & Citizenship Day—we join communities across the country to celebrate those who have become U.S. citizens, those still on their path, and the journeys that brought them here.

The Constitution belongs to everyone in the United States, regardless of where they were born, and we are thankful to the immigrants and refugees that strengthen democracy through civic, workforce, and community participation.

https://www.uscis.gov/citizenship/resources-for-educational-programs/constitution-day-and-citizenship-day

09/15/2026

If you're in the St. Louis area, or have connections to medical supplies in St. Louis, take a look at this post and see if you can help.

01/08/2026

Every refugee story begins with the act of welcoming.

Paul Costigan, the Missouri State Refugee Coordinator, shares how supporting refugees makes our communities grow stronger.