By AP/KWMU
Affton, MO – The St. Louis suburb of Affton is stepping up its outreach to its Bosnian population.
UM-St. Louis has gotten a grant from Washington that will help Affton link Bosnian residents more closely to the community.
Students and Affton residents will volunteer to help refugees and immigrants handle neighborhood problems and interact with officials.
The St. Louis area has an estimated 40,000 Bosnian residents. Many of them were refugees relocated to St. Louis City in the 1990s, escaping conflicts in the former Yugoslavia.
As more Bosnians have arrived over the years, many moved to south St. Louis County communities like Affton. As many as 5,000 Bosnians now live in the County.