Staff Spotlight | Cat Gossman
Cat Gossman is the Program Manager for CRIS’ Refugee Health & Wellness Program.
“I was born and raised in Columbus. I went to small, private schools for most of my education where you could count the number of people from diverse backgrounds on one hand. My faith has heavily shaped every aspect of my life since I was 18 years old.
In my early adult years, I was all over the place. I held various jobs, mostly in food and customer service. I was in and out of college, wanting a degree but having no clear direction for my life. That all changed one random afternoon while registering for classes. I overheard a conversation in Arabic and, on a whim, decided to sign up for Arabic 101. I quickly fell in love with the language and began to focus on Near East studies. Not too long after, I changed my major to Islamic Studies and completed my Bachelor’s degree.
My first experience with CRIS was as a volunteer. In August of 2008, I began volunteering as an in-home conversation partner for a family who had recently arrived from Iraq. I instantly bonded with this family; their kindness and hospitality were like nothing I'd ever seen. Humbled by how little Arabic I actually knew, we found creative ways to communicate. I’d visit them each week to help with small tasks like sorting through their mail, submitting maintenance requests for their home, and assisting the children with their homework. It was clear that these simple efforts had a profound impact on their lives and well-being. Over time–through what can only be described as divine intervention–I realized that this work was a true calling and decided to pursue it with full force. I returned to school for a Master’s in Social Work, which included a one-year internship with CRIS’ Refugee Resettlement Program. After earning my MSW, I was hired by World Relief, a national resettlement agency, as a Refugee Resettlement Case Manager when they opened a new office in Columbus.
I leaned heavily on my relationships with CRIS staff to help build the program, maintaining strong connections with the agency throughout my time there. Unfortunately, after the first Trump administration issued the travel ban preventing individuals from Muslim-majority countries from entering the US, World Relief’s national office decided to close our local branch due to the expected decrease in refugee arrivals. This was a devastating experience for myself, my colleagues, and the communities we served. Shortly after finding out that World Relief Columbus would close its doors, a colleague at CRIS reached out about an opening for the Refugee Health & Wellness Program Manager position. That was March of 2017 and I've been here ever since.
Witnessing and experiencing the changes at CRIS since then has been both exciting and challenging. I feel incredibly grateful to be a part of welcoming so many newcomers over the years, and I’m proud to work alongside such a dedicated team. When I first joined CRIS, our Refugee Health & Wellness Program had just one full-time and one part-time caseworker. Now, our team is around 15 strong. One of the aspects I’ve always loved about this work is the direct connection with the clients we serve—spending time with them and hearing their stories. But in recent months, I’ve had to step back from working with clients directly to focus more on supporting the teams I manage and developing programs, services, and resources that will better serve our newcomers in the long run. This includes the development of the CRIS Wellness Clinic, opening in January of 2025, which I am absolutely thrilled to have the opportunity to start!
For me, working at CRIS is incredibly rewarding. I love getting to be a part of welcoming the stranger, making a human connection with populations who have been politicized and dehumanized, and playing a helpful and supportive role during a very difficult time in others' lives. From programs and services that support our communities to the cultural practices and traditions of our newest neighbors, there are never-ending opportunities to learn new things in this work. Most of all, the people that we work alongside and the people we are serving are all truly amazing!”