January 16, 2025
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 of an organization that is changing lives.
Favorite moments include….
Being here on the very first day City Preschool welcomed students through their doors and watching a dilapidated parking lot transform into a vibrant, safe, and engaging playground for students to enjoy.
Seeing a coworker bring three high school seniors to Cinderella’s Closet to pick out dresses and accessories for prom for no charge. The smiles and confidence were priceless!
Formatting and sending the daily emails for the Poem-a-thon. The 22 poets who participated raised over $4,500 for City of Refuge- go them!
Interacting with and befriending the wonderful volunteers who help City of Refuge thrive. Whether they volunteer weekly or showed up in the freezing cold at 7:00 AM to help turn our parking lot into a Holiday Market, I’m always amazed at how generous and invested people are.
Spending afternoons in the breezeway with coworkers, friends, and family while taste-testing for City Cuisine.
Planning and establishing the first-ever Summer Market in celebration of World Refugee Day.
Hearing Claire play the piano in the Community Center on Friday mornings.
Planning and overseeing Back to School Bash—my first interaction with City of Refuge, not knowing I’d be employed here just four months later. Crazy!
Planning staff retreats, celebrating my coworkers, and getting to know the amazing people I work with. We are such a fun bunch, and I really enjoy laughing with everyone.
Spending time with the kids who attend Adult English Classes with their parents. This week, we turned an Amazon box into an airplane with crayons and stickers. The kids have the best personalities and bring me so much JOY!
Taking brain breaks to shop at City Boutique! I love hunting for treasures in that place, and it’s always fun to see what sells. Gift cards are now available, by the way! 🙂
Watching the resources and ability to care for and support refugees continue to grow. You can read more about it here.
Coming to work on my birthday, where everyone made me feel so loved and celebrated—it was one of the best birthdays I can remember. Additionally, my coworkers threw me a surprise shower the Tuesday before I got married!
Planning, preparing, and putting on the first Sip n’ Shop! We weren’t sure how it would be received or if people would even show up, but we were thrilled with how it turned out. We can’t wait to host more this coming year!
Attending Night of Gratitude. It was so meaningful to have a dedicated time to celebrate the volunteers and donors. The outdoor patio looked beautiful, and City Cuisine provided some delicious catering!
Celebrating the victories of the refugees we support. Whether it’s someone earning their driver’s license, signing to play soccer in college, graduating from the Excel Center, improving their English skills, or relatives arriving in America through AmeriCorps—these victories are often life-changing and incredibly powerful to be a part of!
Helping to develop the City Boutique soap, candle, and gift basket line.
COUNTLESS organizing projects, including intense decluttering and making our spaces more beautiful and efficient.
Holiday Market. After frigid temperatures, we had the most beautiful, sunny day, and the event flowed beautifully. There was a diverse mix of vendors and entertainment, delicious food—it was such a great way to close out the 2024 City of Refuge year.
Looking forward to what 2025 (and year two) will bring!
Abigail Sneller
Executive Assistant
Welcome Lauren, our new Administrative Assistant! She is helping manage volunteer communications, processing new volunteer applications, supporting volunteer coordination and working closely with the Operations team to onboard, support, and integrate volunteers into our programs.
We are so thankful to have her as part of the City of Refuge team!
Join us for our first ever (virtual) Quarterly Catch Up! This is something brand new we are starting in the 2025 year. This month you can hear from staff members about their roles within City of Refuge and the goals shaping our 2025. Use the link below to join the meeting on January 29th at 12:00PM.
