In 2021, Universal Veneer (UV) in Newark, Ohio, reached out to CRIS’ Employment Services program to meet workforce needs. That year, with support from the CRIS Employment Program staff, UV hired 15 refugees for full-time employment.

Since then, an impactful partnership has developed between CRIS and UV. Five of their original CRIS hires still work there and many other refugees have found work there, too.

We recently sat down with Universal Veneer's HR Manager Brian Leman to hear his experience in partnering with CRIS and hiring those we serve. His story shows how--with CRIS--employment can be more than a job and how employers can be powerful partners in welcome.

As we turn the calendar to a new year, I’ll be honest: recent weeks — and months — have made it hard to offer a simple “Happy New Year” message without it feeling half-hearted.

The world around us feels unsettled. Many of us are entering this new year carrying concern not only for the families we serve, but for the systems meant to support them — and for one another.

And yet, here we are…

One year ago, a local family spent their holiday season preparing a home for newcomers they had never met. Today, those once-strangers are close friends—sharing meals, celebrating milestones, and even sitting together at the same Thanksgiving table. Their story is a reminder that, even in a year marked by sweeping national shifts that have made refugee welcome harder than ever, the spirit of community endures.

November has arrived, which, for many, marks the beginning of the holiday season. We set our sights on and begin our preparations for gatherings with family and friends, often centered around special meals together. I remember fondly the first Thanksgiving former refugee and CRIS staff member Sowdo Hussein spent with me and my family when she taught my kids how to whistle.

But for the CRIS team and many of those we serve, this particular November 1st marks something very different: a loss of critical food support for some of the most vulnerable neighbors in our community. Neighbors like Maryam and her children.

To say that the beginning of October 2025 is full of mixed emotions is an understatement. The week is significant for CRIS for many reasons–some that are joy-filled, others that are shadowed with loss, grief, and a depth of uncertainty like we’ve never experienced before.

As the federal fiscal year comes to a close this month and a new one begins October 1st, this September brings more painful reminders of the stark reality the CRIS family is facing.

Originally from Nicaragua, Belen (pseudonym) was forced to flee her homeland because of political persecution. She now calls Columbus home.

No account of CRIS’s thirty-year history would be complete—or perhaps even possible—without Jane McGrew. Though she never sought the spotlight, CRIS’ story, in many ways, begins with her.

One extra special moment at the CRIS Gathering for Good was the sharing of stories from three individuals resettled by CRIS.

The CRIS Housing team helps educate refugee families on housing-related issues to empower them toward greater safety and stability in their new homes.

Introducing the CRIS Wellness Clinic

A Journey Toward Hope: The Long Road to Family Reunification

Reflections from CRIS’ Executive Director, Angie Plummer

Catch a glimpse of the people, food, sponsors, and cause of the 2024 CRIS 5K + Advocacy Fair!

A doctor and psychologist with three young children find safety and security in Central Ohio after being forced to flee their home in Haiti.

An Afghan family torn apart by tragedy is re-united after 1.5 years apart.

CRIS’ employment program innovates fresh pathways for refugees and immigrants to find jobs in Central Ohio.