I started at City of Refuge in August 2021. Just days later, Kabul fell to the Taliban. The phone rang nonstop. Emails poured in. Everyone wanted to know: Will refugees come to Missouri? What will City of Refuge do? How can we help? At that moment, we didn’t have all the answers. We weren’t sure
The role of a care coordinator cannot be quickly defined, though the heart is simple. It is a heart of friendship filled with care, service, love, and compassion for the refugees who are learning how to start and yet still continue their lives while being in America. The practicalities are endless. Though I am sure
“It was the happiest day of my life.” I had asked a young gentleman how he felt when he got the call from UNHCR that his application had been approved. Now he could join the rest of his family in America after living his entire life in a refugee camp. They had fled their home
Being a volunteer coordinator is equal parts people management, strategic planning, and heart. It’s a role that blends logistics with empathy, and no two days look exactly alike. Still, there’s a rhythm and a dance between supporting volunteers and organizing efforts while making sure the mission stays front and center. Every day involves checking emails,
We started 2025 with the lofty goal of starting nothing new. “Deep, not wide,” I told the staff. We had, after all, started many new ventures over the last few years… the new building had afforded us the opportunity to launch City Boutique, City Preschool, and finally City Cuisine. In addition to them, we had
Solidarity. Dictionary.com tells us it’s a “union or fellowship arising from common responsibilities and interests, as between members of a group or between classes, peoples, etc…” Today is World Refugee Day: an international day designated by the United Nations to honor refugees around the globe. And this year, the focus is “Solidarity with Refugees”. UNHCR
As we recognize World Refugee Day, I want to open my heart and share my journey not only as a staff member at City of Refuge, but as someone who once stood in the shoes of those we serve every day. I came to this country as a refugee, carrying more questions than answers. I
Did anyone else wake up this morning with the stunning realization that it’s almost June?? If you’re anything like me, the year has flown by in a blur. That’s certainly the case at City Preschool where it’s so easy to see the growth in three- four- and five-year-olds. They are taller, more articulate, and some
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… And probably one of our most exciting announcements has been in the works for quite a while
In October 2024, Sarah Justice joined our team as our first ever Basic Needs Program Manager. For our entire history, City of Refuge has been meeting basic needs through a variety of ways and we are so excited that Sarah has been able to come in and focus specifically on growing these efforts. Read directly
