Unleashing the
power of community
to offer refuge to refugees
and immigrants.
5,000+
COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS
38
STATES
1,000+
NEW ARRIVALS
19
COUNTRIES OF ORIGIN
The Origin Story of WelcomeNST
Who We Are
The Nation’s Largest Community-led Welcome Movement
WelcomeNST was founded in response to the Afghan evacuation, unleashing the power of community by forming Neighborhood Support Teams (NSTs) to welcome newly arrived Afghan families into their neighborhoods and walking alongside them as they restarted their lives in the U.S. Since then, we have engaged 5,000 neighbors from 38 states to welcome over 1,000 new arrivals from 19 countries.
What We Do
Helping Communities
Turn Compassion into Action
We continue to live our mission today by forming NSTs to bring their solidarity and support to refugee and immigrant families, in the U.S. legally, yet at risk.
What NSTs Do
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The Heart of the Welcome
NSTs help families continue to thrive at this challenging time by being their friends. Support is customized by family but may include accompanying them to appointments, helping to ensure that they have the food they need, and working with them to overcome barriers to self-reliance.
Heather
NST Leader
"Seeing our community through their eyes makes you realize just how much we have to be grateful for. While we’re helping a family adjust, they’re helping us too—bringing our team closer together and reminding us what community really means. The friendships formed through this experience have been incredibly meaningful.
Cliff
NST Leader
The impact of leading an NST has been enormous. It’s been tremendously rewarding to see the family’s progress and success in receiving their first paycheck, going to school, learning English, and more. It’s been invaluable for our kids, too. To anyone considering welcoming a family, I encourage you to take the leap. It is worthwhile. You will be a blessing in someone’s life—and they in yours!
Kathy
NST Leader
It's been beautiful to watch our community come together and welcome a new family. We didn’t really know each other just a short six weeks ago, and now we feel so connected. Nothing has changed my life or my family's life more than this experience. My heart is exponentially larger. I have more friends. I have more family. There's just so much good that comes out of this work.