March 18, 2025
Our promise to keep you informed amidst the ever-changing landscape of the refugee resettlement world has me in your inbox more frequently this season. Thank you for reading, for caring, for investing. Thank you to the many of you who have given financially, submitted volunteer applications, and are sharing social media posts/newsletters and advocating for our refugee friends.
The scope of our work at City of Refuge continues to adapt to the rising needs of refugees in our community. With significant changes in our local resettlement agencies’ capacity to continue their refugee programs, City of Refuge has been asked to pick up the torch and carry on the work to administer the services that refugees living in mid-Missouri are obligated to receive. This means we are now actively learning these new programs, adhering to new monitoring requirements, hiring additional staff, and expanding the resources we can provide.
Meanwhile, I received communication over the weekend that one of our largest federal grants can no longer be allocated to non-profit organizations (you can read the policy letter here). The good news is that we have a little bit of time – we aren’t losing the funding today. The bad news is that the deficit amounts to that $50,000/month I forewarned you about.
SO, here we are – coming back to you with quite a bit more urgency and more solid information. In a city the size of Columbia, I think it’s very doable to find 1,000 folks who could commit to $50/month. Maybe some of you can do more, and some of you can do less. Either way, we are grateful for any and all contributions you can commit to. We’re grateful for your willingness to share this opportunity with friends/family who also may be able to contribute. The sustainability and future of City of Refuge entirely depends on our community’s ability to help make this happen.
To sum it up in three short bullets:
- We are actively (and rapidly!) expanding our programs/services out of necessity
- Our largest federal grants now have an official end date: September 30, 2025
- We need you!
We are on a wild ride, friends.
How we respond in this moment will be critical to the future of welcoming refugees and providing care/programs in Columbia for generations to come.
You can set up a recurring monthly donation through our Online Portal, or you can opt to send a check (mail to: 10 N. Garth Ave., Columbia, MO 65203). You can also make your Qualified Charitable Distributions to City of Refuge. So many ways to give!
Thank you so much
Debbie Beal, Executive Director
