Monarch Immigrant Services

12/23/2025

Looking for a way to give back this holiday? Blood donations help EVERYONE across the spectrum of race, national origin, language ability, education level, etc. This one is organized by our friends at the US Afghan Chamber and the International Institute St. Louis in partnership with the American Red Cross. Details below!

Join us this Friday for a community-led blood drive hosted by members of the St. Louis Afghan Community, organized with the American Red Cross and supported by the International Institute of St. Louis. It’s a meaningful way to give back during the festive season; appointments are required. Visit RedCrossBlood.org and enter the sponsor code International Institute or call 1-800-REDCROSS to schedule.

3401 Arsenal Street, St. Louis, MO 63118
Friday, December 26
12–5 p.m.

12/19/2025

Agency values: Integrity, Responsiveness, Collaboration, Inclusiveness, and Joy. All in on the last one today at our holiday lunch at Afghan Kabob House. Good food, good people, good times.

12/02/2025

This , stand with Monarch as we keep showing up.

We know finances are tight for many right now — and nonprofits across the country are feeling it. Most organizations, including Monarch, are facing greater need with fewer resources. We encourage you to support any nonprofit whose mission matters to you. And if you’re able, we hope you’ll consider Monarch as well.

Every year, Monarch Immigrant Services provides professional, trauma-informed mental-health care; immigration legal services; case management and care coordination; interpretation and language support; and senior services to more than 3,000 immigrants and refugees in the St. Louis region.

Today, newcomers are confronting challenges that change quickly and grow more complicated by the day. Policies are tightening, safety nets are thinning, and nothing is getting any easier. But Monarch keeps showing up — meeting families at their most vulnerable moments and helping them navigate the systems that shape their lives.

Your Giving Tuesday gift, in any amount, fuels this persistence. It helps us keep showing up, keep adapting, and keep making sure newcomers aren’t left to face these challenges alone.

11/28/2025

We are sharing the following press release on behalf of friend, colleague, and Afghan Chamber President, Haroon Safi:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
US Afghan Chamber of Commerce
St. Louis, MO — November 27, 2025
Statement on the Tragic Shooting in Washington, D.C. and Continued Support for Evacuated Afghan Allies

The US Afghan Chamber of Commerce is deeply saddened and distressed by the tragic shooting that occurred in Washington, D.C. Our thoughts are with the Guardsmen, their families, and all those affected. No one, least of all men and women actively serving their country, should fear being attacked in our nation’s capital. We unequivocally condemn this action and political violence in general.

As we collectively mourn this heartbreaking event, we encourage fellow Americans to not let the heinous act of one individual reflect on the characters of all Afghan-Americans, especially the thousands of Afghan allies who were evacuated to safety during the US withdrawal from Afghanistan. These individuals—interpreters, logistics personnel, soldiers, and their families—stood beside U.S. and coalition personnel for years, often at great personal risk. Their safety and successful resettlement in the United States remain a moral responsibility and a reflection of our national values.

In moments of national tragedy, it becomes even more important that we do not lose sight of those who have trusted us with their futures. Many Afghan evacuees continue to navigate the challenges of resettlement: securing stable housing, accessing education and healthcare, learning new systems, and rebuilding their lives from scratch. They need our support now more than ever.
We urge policymakers, community leaders, partner organizations, and the public to continue investing in resettlement services, legal pathways, mental health support, and community integration programs. Compassion and vigilance can coexist—and in challenging times, both are essential.

Our organization remains committed to working with local and national partners to ensure that Afghan allies receive the dignity, security, and opportunities they deserve. These allies stood and fought alongside U.S. forces to protect the freedoms we all enjoy. We must continue, through the horror of this violent attack by a disturbed individual, to honor the sacrifice of the larger Allied community by recommitting ourselves to a society where everyone who fought for this republic can thrive and contribute to making it stronger.

11/26/2025

It's Ron's last day! Ron (center, back row) is retiring after driving our senior groups for the past three years. Ron provided door-to-door transportation to St. Louis International Senior Center, helped seniors on and off the bus, and made sure everyone got where they were going in one piece. Ron won't have to deal with navigating narrow South City streets in our bus anymore, but he also won't get his steady supply of unsolicited "tips" - instant coffee packets, trail mix, hard candies - from his riders. Enjoy the down time, sir!

11/19/2025

ZZ’s job title at Monarch Immigrant Services is Case Manager/SASIC Program Ambassador. The first part is obvious, almost comically unglamorous, and constitutes like 95% of the workload. It’s the day-to-day grind of helping Afghan refugee families navigate the complex and sometimes hostile prospect of starting over from nothing in a foreign country.

ZZ is a solid Case Manager.

She is an amazing Program Ambassador.

She has an ability to use her personal story – being kidnapped and abused by the Taliban, escaping then serving alongside NATO Coalition forces as an interpreter - unflinchingly to connect with audiences in a visceral way that elevates her advocacy for Afghan refugees and specifically for women’s rights. She came back from Jefferson City earlier this year and casually mentioned that she received standing ovations from both houses of the state legislature. We laughed, but then she pulled out her phone and showed us the videos. She’s also the subject of a documentary that we may or may not be allowed to talk about yet, so we’ll just drop that here and move on.

Anyway, she’s a rare talent. Which is why we were thrilled to be able to send her to the United Nations Association of the United States of America Leadership Summit last weekend. Thank you to Carlos Suarez for the invitation and for securing the event for St. Louis!

11/19/2025

Are you a mental health professional working primarily with immigrant and refugee populations in the St. Louis area? It's a weird time and communication is more important than ever. Join our quarterly peer-led roundtable and stay informed!

11/07/2025

Congressman Bell stopped by St. Louis International Senior Center this morning to chop it up with his MO-1 constituents in the Vietnamese Senior Group. He got an earful about the government shutdown (dutifully interpreted by the wonderful Kris Lê) and narrowly escaped being force-fed fish soup by an army of Vietnamese grandmothers. St. Louis Area Agency on Aging

11/03/2025

St. Louis Afghan Eagles taking home the hardware at the Tamil Sangam of Missouri Charity Volleyball Tournament this weekend. With Manager and De-escalator-in-Chief Haroon Safi!

10/24/2025

We hit our target number and have opened up and additional two tables for next Saturday's Trivia Night. Don't sleep!!!! Last two tables available HERE: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/monarch-immigrant-services-trivia-night--2025?fbclid=IwY2xjawNo3btleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFnY0FRclBKZGc5WWxsNG1iAR61RGZg3KpIGLfx5Zzu9TSO0aA6snSHdUbldZLLc8u3wS-zYhWdJmyIXootag_aem_8AdqmaZ5hd4GWF4bQzGxdg

10/14/2025

Three weeks! November 1. Gather your nerds! Or go stag and hang out with other trivia types. Either way, reserve your table/seat quickly, because the clock is ticking and space is limited. Let's gooooo! https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/monarch-immigrant-services-trivia-night--2025

10/10/2025

Look at this guy! It's your new President of the US Afghan Chamber of Commerce, Mister Haroon Safi!

Haroon does not sleep a lot. He's been working directly with evacuated Afghan service personnel since they arrived in St. Louis four years ago. He had arrived with a Special Immigrant Visa for assisting US forces in Afghanistan only 7 years earlier and was working a full-time job, but would spend the rest of his waking hours volunteering in the hotels, working with a cobbled-together coalition of assisters, interpreting, troubleshooting, and connecting.

He's still doing all of that, now at the head of a team of Afghan case managers under a federal program at Monarch, and he hasn't slowed down. He's still out here connecting community members with resources, managing crises, creating opportunities, squashing beef, and being "the guy" for many service providers (not just us!). He's even started taking the "Uncle Haroon" show on the road, working with evacuees in Columbia, Springfield, and Kansas City. And he'll now lead the Afghan Chamber, voted in by his peers, to work on building out economic opportunity for the larger community. And he's going to do it all with a smile and an alarming lack of sleep. Guy's truly a gem. He deserves this honor and any/all others that should come his way.