As the Executive Director, Garrett oversees the day-to-day operations and mission of City of Refuge. He has spent considerable time working with immigrants and refugees both in the U.S. and abroad. His hope is to develop a sense of belonging and community for every refugee who now calls Columbia home. You can reach Garrett at garrett@cityofrefugecolumbia.org.
As Director of Refuge Care, Barry works hands-on with every refugee who comes through City of Refuge. From the beginning, Barry and Lori have been helping refugees, even before City of Refuge officially began. Barry loves being able to work with folks from other countries and being able to affect their lives in a positive way.
As Refugee Care Coordinator, Lori works hands-on with every refugee who comes through City of Refuge. Lori was one of the original founders for City of Refuge and has been helping her refugee friends in Columbia for decades. The refugees are her family. They eat, celebrate, and live in community together.
As Event/Donation Coordinator, Kellye manages every in-kind gift and works with our Care Coordinators to get them to a family in need. She also plans and runs City of Refuge events, such as our garage sales. Her hope is to live her life making this community, this world, a little better off than before. The work of City of Refuge serves to offer love, respect, and guidance to those who are most in need of it.
Leah Glenn | Program CoordinatorAs Program Coordinator, Leah collaborates with our Refugee Care Coordinators to implement services and partner volunteers to help refugees recover and regain control of their lives in Missouri. Leah believes in the mission of City of Refuge and cares deeply about the work we are doing.
As Manager of Safi Sana, Lauren oversees daily operations, our cleaning crew, and most importantly, customer delight. She is dedicated to making sure the Safi Sana crew is the best cleaning team in Columbia with the biggest heart. Lauren works to employ refugees, immigrants, and Americans in order to support the mission and provide financial support to our City of Refuge programs. Her life’s work is to spread the message that every person on the planet is worthy of kindness, compassion, and respect from others.
As Office Coordinator, Andrea oversees various office tasks and helps coordinate and manage City of Refuge. Her hope is to serve refugees within our community by providing them with the resources and programs they need to recover and regain control of their lives.
Candace Hulsizer | School LiaisonAs she works with youth from Pre-K through college, Candace’s goal is to encourage students to reach their highest potential by taking advantage of the wonderful educational and extracurricular opportunities Columbia has to offer.
Samuel has a passion for helping the refugee community in Columbia. He has planned and led activities that develop refugee students’ physical, emotional and social growth over the past five years.
Pray Meh is from a Thailand Refugee Camp. She hopes to help the Karenni families and become a part of their resettlement process. In her new role, she will interpret for parents and tutor students.
Chloe has been volunteering with City of Refuge since the summer of 2018 and she is excited to be able to serve in this new capacity! She is a junior at Columbia College and is working toward a B.A. in Political Science. She hopes to make a career of working with non-profit organizations like City of Refuge.
Skyler Beeson | Financial EducatorAs the Financial Literacy & Employment Education AmeriCorp VISTA Member, Skyler serves to strengthen financial literacy and employment opportunities for refugees in our community. By creating curriculum and building partnerships, her aim is to offer hope and guidance as City of Refuge helps refugees regain control of their lives.
We would love for you to support the refugee families that have been placed in our community. We are always in need of volunteers, as well as material and financial donations. There are also occasional job openings and internship opportunities available.
If you have any questions about our organization or how to get involved, feel free to contact us today.