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START club members sell cookies to students in the multipurpose room. The members prepared by putting up flyers to advertise the bake sale and baking the cookies with Chef Dalton. “All the money that we get will be donated to these refugee families that can’t afford groceries,” Eva Korotkova (10) said.
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START club members sell cookies to students in the multipurpose room. The members prepared by putting up flyers to advertise the bake sale and baking the cookies with Chef Dalton. “All the money that we get will be donated to these refugee families that can’t afford groceries,” Eva Korotkova (10) said.
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START club members sell cookies to students in the multipurpose room. The members prepared by putting up flyers to advertise the bake sale and baking the cookies with Chef Dalton. “All the money that we get will be donated to these refugee families that can’t afford groceries,” Eva Korotkova (10) said.
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START club members sell cookies to students in the multipurpose room. The members prepared by putting up flyers to advertise the bake sale and baking the cookies with Chef Dalton. “All the money that we get will be donated to these refugee families that can’t afford groceries,” Eva Korotkova (10) said.
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START club members sell cookies to students in the multipurpose room. The members prepared by putting up flyers to advertise the bake sale and baking the cookies with Chef Dalton. “All the money that we get will be donated to these refugee families that can’t afford groceries,” Eva Korotkova (10) said.
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START club members sell cookies to students in the multipurpose room. The members prepared by putting up flyers to advertise the bake sale and baking the cookies with Chef Dalton. “All the money that we get will be donated to these refugee families that can’t afford groceries,” Eva Korotkova (10) said.
St. Louis Teens Aiding Refugees Today held a bake sale Nov. 21 during all lunches. The bake sale raised money to collect
gift cards for refugees in the St. Louis area. The club partnered with Welcome Neighbor, a St. Louis organization, to set up the fundraiser.
“The [START] officers decided that we should do a bake sale because we got an email from Welcome Neighbor saying that [they] need all the gift cards [for refugees],” club president Eva Korotkova (10) said.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits were cut during the government shutdown in October. Since the shutdown, many Americans have not received the benefits. START’s bake sale supported refugees in the St. Louis area.
“There’s nothing we can do about the SNAP benefits being cut,” Korotkova said. “All we can do is help. We understand that a lot of refugees rely on SNAP, so we’re getting them Aldi gift cards.”
Conflict has ensued between the 1st Circuit Court of Appeals and the Trump administration. The court has urged the United States Department of Agriculture to fund SNAP benefits, but the administration has argued against this ruling. Although
progress is slow on a countrywide scale, START is working to make changes on a community level.
“It’s important to show compassion for refugees because they just left their home, possibly everyone they’ve known due to war or other complications,” Korotkova said. “They need to understand that they have people that care for them. They need a head start.”
![Team representatives Hotaru Murashita (11) and Regina Copeland (10) play rock paper scissors for the winning prize. The club hopes to continue to implement new meetings every year. “About a month ago, we pitched [the idea], and Madame Milford helped us obtain the croissants and jams,” Secretary Arlo Ziolkowski (11) said.](https://laduetoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/FHS-April-8-1200x900.jpg)
![Performers dress in cultural outfits. Performances range from 1 to 3 per month depending on the opportunities and invitations. “[The performances] were super fun and a really great environment for everyone to show off their skills and the work we put into learning the dances,” Eshaa Deore (11) said. (Photo courtesy of Eshaa Deore)](https://laduetoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_6478-1126x1200.jpg)
