Serving and empowering refugees through relational care, education, and development.
Thank you for joining our mission!
Relational Care
When refugees are first placed in Columbia, Missouri, they rarely have much more than the clothes on their backs. For years after their arrival, they are faced with hard decisions: how much food to buy vs. how much to send back to their family and friends who are still living in war-torn or persecuted countries. Through our Basic Need Programs, we help refugees access food, clothing, housing, social benefits, medical aid, and more. By getting to know each individual and family, we work within the context of trust to ensure needs are being met.
Education
For families settling in mid-Missouri, education at all levels is a top priority. Our Education Team is dedicated to ensuring that our refugee community receives quality education and educational support by helping them navigate the public and private school systems. In addition to enrolling children in school, finding scholarship opportunities and helping teachers connect with parents, the Education Department offers an array of supplemental programs. Weekly, we host Homework Helpers for K-8 students, providing social interaction and tutoring. High school students meet each week for Youth Impact where the greater focus is on building relationships with others who share aspects of their unique experiences and preparing for life after high school. We support adult learners by offering weekly English classes where they can improve their language and literacy skills, build community, and feel more comfortable interacting with their new neighbors and employers.
Development
Many refugees come from backgrounds that don’t necessarily translate over to the work that is available in Mid-Missouri. In order to help newcomers in our community thrive, we offer development programming. From learning marketable job skills, to digital fluency, to acquiring driver's licenses or citizenship, our Development department is passionate about getting people on the path of self-sustainability.
Our Global Artisans program allows many in the refugee community to learn useful professional skills such as sewing, soap making, baking, and other craft-based skills. Some even choose to pursue turning those new skills into economic opportunity!