April 17, 2025
What would compel you to join forces with 1,000 other community members to start giving $50/month to City of Refuge?
We are looking to you. We are 166 days away from a significant reduction in federal financial support, and we are looking to you.
Because, friends, you are the neighbors that drive by our refugee friends every day. The neighbors who walk by them in the grocery store. The neighbors who extend a welcoming embrace when the reality of a new culture, language, and entire society can sometimes feel hostile. You are the ones with the capacity to smile, engage with, and care for another. You are the city of refuge for those who have been forced to flee.
You are human. And so are they.
At City of Refuge, we get the privilege of serving and empowering… but we also get the privilege of connecting people to people.
“Since its foundation, the United States has offered freedom and opportunity to refugees fleeing the world’s most dangerous and desperate situations.” – History of Refugee Resettlement
It’s hard for us to even imagine the circumstances that our new neighbors fled. Every story is unique, but they are all marked by trauma and loss. But they are also now marked by hope. Because coming here, to Columbia, Missouri… marks a point along their journey where they are being given another chance. A chance to be free, to be safe, to pave the way for new opportunities for their children.
In fact, it’s the very reason many of us sit here today. Someone in our family tree had to leave. They fled, so we didn’t have to. It’s easy to disconnect from the reality that our ancestors faced. Easy to feel entitled simply because of where we were born (which we had absolutely no control over).
What if, instead of entitlement, we were people of compassion. A beacon of hope for those who have fled. The very embodiment of what’s inscribed on the Statue of Liberty.
We get the chance — right here, right now — to make it count. To extend an even better welcome than our ancestors were given.
We’re striving for that every day at City of Refuge. Striving to equip, empower, and support our friends as they navigate next steps in an uncertain climate.
What would compel you to join the mission?
Sign up now to be one of our monthly partners. We need you.
