Adapt & Overcome

You never really know. 

You can plan, you can dream, you can strategize, communicate, and pray… but you never really know how anything will turn out. The sun rises, the sun sets… and everything that happens in-between holds some element of mystery. 

A day at City of Refuge is no different. We plan, we prepare, we communicate, we can have the best intentions – but we hold it all loosely. We never know who will walk through the door and what assistance will be required. We never know if a volunteer or staff member will have to call in sick. 

We never really know. 

A few years back, one of our interns coined a phrase that you may hear repeated throughout our building from time to time: Adapt and Overcome. It’s felt especially fitting over the years. We are constantly pivoting to adjust to the new challenges in front of us. 

Many of you may be wondering how we’re doing fiscally, after our big scare several months back. I’m grateful, albeit hesitant, to share that our funding outlook for the next 12 months appears more steady. While we know things can change at a moment’s notice… today the outlook for the immediate future is good. However, a year disappears quickly (did September even happen?). So, we are planning, dreaming, strategizing, communicating, praying… and holding it all loosely. 

We have less than a year to find 826 more individuals who can commit to a $50/month contribution. Thank you, thank you, thank you to the 174 of you who have either started giving or increased your monthly contributions. Because of you, we are over 23% of the way to our goal! The gifts, even now, help us grow deeper roots so that we can continue to serve and empower the refugee community through a myriad of ways. 

We also have lofty plans to **hopefully** increase revenue through City Boutique and City Cuisine to diversify our funding streams. Come shop, eat, or plan to have City Cuisine cater your next business lunch! 

We are anticipating the need to hold additional, bigger fundraisers. Be on the lookout for how you can help us spread the word about these events and maybe even attend them! 

We know we will have to plan and then pivot. It’s part of life. But we’re already looking to 2026 with big hopes that we can continue the work that we have started – that the growth can be sustained, that the needs will be met, and that City of Refuge will be here for a long, long time to come. Some days that feels like a tall order, but other days it feels particularly plausible. 

Adapt and Overcome. 

We see it modeled every day in the lives of our refugee neighbors, people who were once displaced, now making Columbia their home. We have no choice but to do the same. We will press on, press in, and do everything we can to stay put, continuing with the breadth of services and programs we’ve grown to provide. 

Thanks for being part of the journey with us – there’s no one else we’d rather have at our side! 

Debbie Beal
Executive Director

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