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.

Jane volunteered with the Catholic Social Services (CSS) Migration and Refugee Resettlement Program in Columbus in the 1980s. One of her early projects was a monthly newsletter translated into Lao, Khmer, and Vietnamese—the three primary languages spoken by refugees arriving in Columbus at that time. Her volunteer role eventually became a staff position, where her responsibilities included teaching English night classes to newly arrived refugees.

In the early 1990s, CSS closed its refugee program due to funding shortages. Rather than walk away, Jane doubled down. She believed the work could continue—and that funding could be found. Her CCS colleague Khamsing Rajamountry shared her conviction and offered to partner with her. As a leader at the Lao temple on Bexvie Avenue, Khamsing knew of an available garage space there and provided it for them to set up an office space. There, he and Jane set up a few tables and desks and got to work—without a payroll. A volunteer attorney and an Ethiopian colleague from CSS soon joined them, and together they began offering legal services, ESL classes, resettlement support, employment and housing assistance, and senior services.

*From Right to Left: Jane, Khamsing and colleagues*

They secured early support from The Columbus Foundation, the City of Columbus, Franklin County, and the Harry C. Moores Foundation—all of whom continue to support CRIS to this day. Their first official payroll checks bearing the name “Community Refugee & Immigration Services” were cut in the fall of 1995.

Within three years, Jane and Khamsing had support from six funders and a staff of ten. Around that time, the Somali diaspora in Columbus began to grow, as families fled civil war in their homeland. Jane made it a priority to hire Somali staff, including Abdi-Hakim Mohamed—who remains on the CRIS team today. The team was made up almost entirely of immigrants and former refugees serving their communities and others. A CRIS brochure from that time reads: “The mission of CRIS is to provide culturally competent and linguistically appropriate services to those in all legal immigration statuses…the goal of all services is to help those we serve reach sustainable self-sufficiency and successful acculturation.”

As CRIS grew, so did its presence across Columbus. After years in the Lao Temple garage, the organization expanded to offices on the east, west, and north sides of the city—embedding itself near the communities it served. Jane also became a more visible advocate, attending city and county government meetings as a representative for immigrants and refugees.

In 2002, a cancer diagnosis prompted Jane to pause her work momentarily, but she came back energized to act as CRIS’ community liaison and grant writer for many years thereafter. Our long-time director, Angie Plummer, describes Jane as her cherished mentor, friend, and the “mother of CRIS”. In 2014, Jane faced another health challenge and was forced to step away from the organization she had poured herself into. She remained a friend to CRIS and our staff until her passing in 2019.

*Left to Right: long-time CRIS staff member Jenny Pyle, Executive Director Angie Plummer, Jane*

Even in her absence, Jane’s vision and values continue to shape CRIS today. The work we do—from providing linguistically and culturally appropriate services to collaborating with community partners and empowering those we serve—is rooted in the model Jane helped build. The CRIS of today still reflects the CRIS she imagined: led by community, driven by compassion, and committed to welcoming.

CRIS 30th Anniversary Stories | Jane McGrew

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