It was a jarring question to hear, asked by one of our refugee friends to a community partner organization. We have to do better. We have to change the rhetoric. We have to change the culture. Unfortunately, it’s not the work that only a few can do… it requires all of us. It requires all
One of my favorite parts of working at City of Refuge is the incredible team we have. Each of them brings their unique personality, experience, and passion into the work we do every day. Every person is here for a different reason, motivated by their core values. I’d venture to say that it’s not “just
Love… It looks like a lot of things. Big things, little things. Noticed and unnoticed. It looks like patience and kindness. Sometimes, it looks like silence – after all, it’s better to say nothing than something when the words threatening to come out are laced with hate and malice. Sometimes love is easy. But, often, it
We have some updates for you. With the new executive order “Realigning the United States Refugee Admissions Program“, certain funding streams were cut off to resettlement agencies nationwide during the 90 day review. This means that many new arrivals (some just here a few days), no longer have access to the federal funds that were
Six weeks ago I shared the story of how my connection to City of Refuge led to the miraculous occasion that I was able to help sponsor and welcome Mugisha, a Congolese refugee living with limited possibilities in Kenya. Since then I’ve heard from countless folks who were moved by the story asking me how
Today marks one year as the Executive Assistant at City of Refuge, and what a year it has been! As this milestone approached, I couldn’t help but reflect on and process the past year, filled with “favorite moments and memories.” I feel so incredibly grateful for the experiences on this list and for being part
It was a crisp autumn day when I first stepped into Daniel Boone Regional Library as a 19-year-old, three days after arriving in America. The grandeur of the place overwhelmed me not just because of its towering bookshelves or the quiet hum of knowledge, but because it was the first library I had ever entered.
This is a long story… over three years long. But I want to share it all with you because it has been a life-changing experience for me, and for the people I’ve been connected to through City of Refuge. This winter marks a year for me as the coordinator of our Buddy Program. Every time
The Language of Friendship December is a month of reflection, and this week, I took a moment to pause my work and look around the artisan center. There is creative chaos all around me. An unfinished project still sits next to a sewing machine because the Afghan woman stopped to help a girl from Myanmar
I’m not sure if you know this, but if you don’t… City of Refuge is a local non-profit that works with people from all over the world. People from all over the world that now live in mid-Missouri. 40 countries. At least 23 different languages. And it is beautiful. And while the future feels foggy
