March - Welcoming Refugees at CRIS

CRIS welcomes refugees into the Columbus community every month.  With each new refugee that arrives we aim to engage members of the community so that every single refugee has a good head start to becoming an integrated member of the community.  

To do this, CRIS partners with Welcome Teams - volunteer groups that have chosen to serve as an extra point of support and connection to the Columbus community for a newly arriving refugee family.

Welcome Teams may assist in setting up a new home, transportation, discussing cultural and language differences, providing financial assistance, and generally spending time with families and learning from each other.

One recent Welcome Team from LIFE Vineyard Church was put together by the late Rev. Simon Fosythe to welcome the Masaba family in September of 2018. These 12 church members have celebrated holidays, gone on excursions around the city, practiced English, and formed solid relationships with the Masabas that will last beyond their 6-month formal commitment. Rev. Forsythe unexpectedly passed away in November, but this Welcome Team continues to provide support for the Masaba family, spreading the pastor’s messages of inclusion and kindness.

One member of the Welcome Team, Casey McKinley, speaks fondly of his time with this Welcome Team, commenting “it has been incredibly enjoyable to spend time with the Masaba family and introduce them to new experiences, such as cheeseburgers and snow sledding … It has been a two-way street, as we have learned about their culture, talents and interests, and why they were seeking a new life outside of Africa.”

If you are interested in forming a Welcome Team, please apply here, or email treeve@cris-ohio.org with any questions. As Casey says, “to be on a Welcome Team takes no special talents or abilities, just being friendly, helpful, and understanding.”