May 6, 2025
While it can feel like there’s plenty of bad news to share and dwell on (our future funding outlook still hasn’t changed), we have also had some incredibly exciting things happen that are worth celebrating! Check it out…
- In April, we had 300 WEEKLY volunteers (not including any of our incredible volunteer groups). That number feels insane to me, but it also feels especially fitting. Because people in this city show up over and over again – reminding me that we aren’t in this alone. There are literally hundreds of folks making our work possible each and every day. THANK YOU!!! (Also a mega shout-out to Lauren Walter who joined us in December and has quickly helped us scale up in plugging volunteers into the right places!)
- City Preschool has officially been approved for State Subsidy! This program helps families with the cost of childcare and many of our families will be able to benefit from this. Our plan is to be able to offer this community-wide in the fall!
And probably one of our most exciting announcements has been in the works for quite a while – almost a year and a half. When we assess many of the common barriers a refugee faces, we generally have a pretty short list that we are constantly trying to help overcome:
- English (which is why we are continually figuring out how to grow and expand our in-seat classes and bring applied English into our various programs)
- Transportation (which is why we have a driving simulator)
- Childcare (which is why we launched a preschool)
But one need we hear about, over and over again, is help with immigration paperwork. For years we’ve been limited in our assistance with this. Some variation of, “Sorry, we can’t help with that… you’ll have to go to….” has been our canned response.
BUT TODAY, friends… TODAY we get to share that beginning in June we will be able to say something different. City of Refuge has officially been approved as a Department of Justice accredited organization with our very own Accredited Representative! (A representative is “accredited” when the DOJ authorizes a specially qualified non-lawyer to represent individuals in immigration legal matters). You can read the FAQ here.
Sandy Echols has spent the last year and a half studying, shadowing, and working toward this accreditation and we are so thrilled for the ways her investment and passion is going to serve our community in ways we have not been able to previously. We’re so grateful for her willingness to step into this, and also a HUGE thank you to local immigration attorneys, Miha Britt & Stephen Blower, who have invested hours and hours into Sandy’s training. Stay tuned… more to come on this as we finalize a few details before our official launch.
We’re continuing to build something really beautiful right here in the middle of Columbia. Together. You. We. Us.
It’s actually pretty amazing when you think about it. Amazing what happens when many come together, when many don’t just express a desire to “love your neighbor”, but when they actually do something about it.
Thank you.
Debbie Beal
P.S. Quick funding update – we’re close to 18% of our $50,000/month goal in monthly gifts with over 120 new/increased recurring givers! Continue to help us share about this particular need – literally every dollar counts.
We Want to Hear From You!
At City of Refuge, your voice matters — and that includes how we connect with you online. We’re inviting our supporters to take a short Social Media Survey to help us better understand how you engage with our content and how we can improve.
Whether you follow us for updates, inspiration, or ways to get involved, we’d love your thoughts on:
– What kind of content you’d like to see more of
– How our posts inspire you to take action
– Which platform you use most to connect with us
– What we could do better to engage our amazing community
It only takes 2–3 minutes, and your input goes a long way in helping us grow!
Thank you for being part of our journey.
In April, our 2025 Poem-A-Thon raised $6,558! Thank you to the 26 poets and their sponsors that helped us raise our largest amount yet! The money raised will help City of Refuge continue our mission of serving and empowering refugees through relational care, education, and development.
City of Refuge Travel Mugs are HERE! You can purchase your mug at City Boutique in person or online. Bring your coffee to work in style AND support a great cause.
The Miir Flip Traveler features:
– double-wall vacuum insulation
– leak-proof lid
– fits in car cup holders
