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Our Mission

To help refugees and immigrants reach safety and stability, sustain self-sufficiency, and achieve successful integration into the Central Ohio community.

Who We Are

CRIS is an independent non-profit organization that serves the refugee and immigrant populations in Central Ohio. Among other things, CRIS is a refugee resettlement agency. As an affiliate of Church World Service, we have a cooperative agreement with the Department of State to directly receive and place refugees in our community.

The CRIS staff is as diverse as the populations we serve, consisting of over 100 people from around the world who speak more than two dozen languages. CRIS has many funding partners who play an integral role in the work we do and an equally diverse Board of Trustees serves to support and guide this work.

Angela Plummer | Executive Director

Angie Plummer is a 1989 graduate of the University of Dayton and a 1992 graduate of The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law. Her involvement with CRIS began as a volunteer attorney in 1998. In 2003, she became CRIS’ Executive Director and has served in this capacity since that time. Over the course of her tenure, she has participated in the resettlement of more than 10,000 refugees to Columbus, Ohio, and the successful resolution of many family reunification and asylum cases.

  • Staff

    Read staff stories and connect directly with our team.

    Get to Know Us

  • Partners

    We couldn’t do the work we do without our partners.

    Learn More

  • Board of Trustees

    Meet the community leaders that keep CRIS going.

    Learn More

What We Do

CRIS offers a wide array of programs and services that aim to facilitate sustained self-sufficiency and successful integration for those we serve, including but not limited to English classes, employment training and placement, health and wellness groups, youth mentorship, family support, advocacy for victims of crime, and legal services.

Who We Serve

The CRIS mission is to serve refugees and immigrants in Central Ohio; those we serve come from many backgrounds. CRIS does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, gender, disability, sexual orientation, or age in our delivery of services and employment practices.

Each of our programs and services has unique eligibility requirements, outlined in their program descriptions. Read information on populations in Central Ohio here.

Our History

  • 1987

    CRIS began as the outreach service of the Buddhamamaka Society, Inc., a mutual assistance association founded in 1987 by refugees from Laos.

  • 1995

    The Society established CRIS in response to the unexpected closings of two local refugee resettlement offices. The Society provided space for CRIS in the garage located next to the Lao Temple on Columbus’ east side. Initial funding for services was provided by a grant from the Columbus Foundation and a contract with the Franklin County Department of Human Services.

  • 1999

    CRIS was selected by the City of Columbus and United Way to open its second office in order to return services to immigrants in the Hilltop area on Columbus’ west side. In the same year, CRIS became an independent 501(c)(3) organization, while retaining a close relationship with the Buddhamamaka Society.

  • 2001

    CRIS became the Church World Service (CWS) Ohio affiliate to provide refugee resettlement services (reception and placement of refugees admitted to the United States from overseas). An additional office was opened on the north side of Columbus in proximity to the growing refugee population in the area.

  • 2004

    The agency was approved for Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) Recognition, a designation authorizing CRIS to represent clients before the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS, formerly the INS) and the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR).

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