December 15, 2023
Our community, working together, truly makes Columbia a city of refuge. We see our organization as a catalyst for connecting people to people, a place where relationships can form, a place where friendships can flourish.
Read below to see the impact our volunteers have in our refugee friends’ lives.
Mariea is one of our fabulous artisan volunteers; she retired and was looking for a way to invest in others while sharing her love of yarn. She had an occasional class at the City of Refuge, but the class only generated marginal interest from the refugee women. Mariea came to Stefanie, our Artisan Coordinator, for a solution. Not long after Mariea and Stefanie chatted, a Burmese college student came into the City of Refuge to ask about the Holiday Market. After talking to her, Stefanie realized that she had a strong interest in learning how to crochet. She was able to pair Mariea with this young lady.
Now a group of young ladies meets with Mariea at the library after school one day a week. Mariea teaches them how to create fun projects, like crocheted phone holders, and they ask her advice about everything from boyfriends to childbirth. Mariea has become an adopted grandmother of sorts to the young ladies, and she is having the time of her life.
Thank you Mariea!
City Preschool is opening SOON! We are now accepting applicants – both students with AND without a refugee background. Know someone who might be interested in a cross-cultural preschool experience? We’d love to talk to them. Our kiddos must be between 3 and 5 and potty-trained. Click below to apply!
