Stand with an immigrant or refugee family!
Unleash the power of your community and stand with a newly arrived family at risk.
Turn your compassion into action.
Welcome a Haitian family in New England
Immigrants built Boston. And now shelters are scheduled to close starting June 30th. When that happens, Haitian families already vulnerable will be pushed onto the street and into crisis.
WelcomeNST has identified, interviewed and vetted families at immediate risk and we need good neighbors like you to stand up, lock arms with your neighbors and form Neighborhood Support Teams (NST) that will welcome these families into your communities. NSTs help vulnerable families secure housing, navigate schools, find work, and become part of your community.
Welcome an Afghan family anywhere in the U.S.
Our Afghan allies are still able to legally come to the U.S. with “Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs).” These families have been displaced and in danger since the Afghan evacuation in 2021. They are only approved to travel to America once they have a team to welcome them, so we are forming NSTs across the country to help!
As tensions escalate, this movement enables you to put the superpower of your community to work, welcoming someone from the outside to the inside. Your community was made for such a time as this.
​
Who are these families?
​
WelcomeNST works with trusted grassroots partners to screen and refer families who:
​
-
Are in the U.S. lawfully
-
Are vulnerable and at risk
-
Are working hard toward self-sufficiency ​
​Meet Jean-Marc and his family
Jean-Marc* and his family fled Haiti out of fear for their lives and, after a harrowing journey, arrived in the U.S. last year. They have been moving between temporary shelters and currently live in a shelter in Massachusetts which will close on June 30, leaving them without a home.
Jean-Marc works full-time as a forklift driver and has done his best to find housing, but recently lost his job when they moved him to a new shelter as he had no transportation. Fluent in Spanish, Haitian Creole, French, and intermediate English, he’s determined to build a better future for his wife and daughter.
​
*Names have been changed to protect privacy.
Join the Movement!
Here's how it works:
​
-
Raise your hand to learn more about forming an NST
-
Speak to a WelcomeNST team member who can walk you through the process and answer all your questions
-
Recruit your neighbors
-
Meet your WelcomeNST mentor who will coach you along the way
-
Get matched with a family and welcome them into your community 
What’s a Neighborhood Support Team (NST)?
​
A Neighborhood Support Team (NST) is a small group of 3 to 30 volunteers who come together to support a refugee or immigrant family as they rebuild their lives in a new community. NSTs provide practical help and personal connection, assisting with housing, benefits, documentation, school enrollment, transportation, job search and training, and more.
No special skills are needed, just a few neighbors and a shared commitment to welcome the stranger.
NST Requirements​
-
Engage at least three neighbors
-
Raise funds ($2,500 per person welcomed) ​
-
Help secure housing ​
-
Walk alongside a family for 6-12 months, offering hands-on support and friendship ​
​
Don't worry! WelcomeNST will match you with an expert mentor who will coach you and your NST along the way.
​​
