The Unexpected Gift of Volunteering

Meet Heather Thies! Heather is one of our amazing volunteers and below, she shares a story about volunteering with Welcome Neighbor STL and the kids she works with:

"Little did I know, while tailgating at our son’s first college family weekend last year, that a conversation with Ann Wittman would lead me to become part of something so meaningful through Welcome Neighbor STL.

What began as simply volunteering to drive 16 year old Mustafa and 13 year old Madina to their weekly tutoring sessions quickly turned into a much deeper connection. From that very first car ride, filled with laughter, curiosity, and easy conversation, I felt an immediate sense of joy return to a space that had grown a little quiet with my youngest away at college.

Not long after, I found myself stepping into a WNSTL tutoring role as well, working each week with two high school freshman boys, Andish and Abdullah. Together, we build English, writing, and math skills, but just as often we are talking about music, sports, cars, future goals, and the differences and similarities between our cultures.

Whether it is our Wednesday night routines or special moments like attending a St. Louis City soccer match together, these experiences have become something I genuinely look forward to.

These teens have faced challenges that most of us cannot fully imagine, yet they show up each week with resilience, humor, and determination. What they likely do not realize is how much they have given me in return, filling a space in my heart in a way I never expected."

When you give to Welcome Neighbor STL, you help create these moments—the kind that change lives.