October 2025: Reflections from Angie
From a recent outing with the CRIS Older Refugee Program
To say that this is a week of mixed emotions is an understatement. This 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.
Without a doubt, this week serves as a reminder of many things for which we should be grateful. Our largest annual event, the CRIS 5K + Advocacy Fair, will take place this Saturday, October 4th, in downtown Columbus. We are on track to welcome our largest crowd in recent years, with nearly 500 participants set to take part in our 5K course, 1-mile walk, and Kids’ Fun Run. Fifty of those race participants have also been fundraising for the event and have collectively raised nearly $15,000 in donations from 280+ individual donors. More than dollar amounts, the level of involvement in our 12th annual 5K is a reminder of just how many people in Central Ohio share our desire for this to be a place of welcome and refuge.
Yet there is a jarring juxtaposition between the joy of this fast-approaching event and what is happening to some of our programs and what is happening at a national level and abroad.
At CRIS:
As mentioned in last month’s newsletter, our Match Grant (one of two CRIS employment programs) and Newcomer Support Services Programs have been shuttered, resulting in the layoff of several CRIS team members and the halt of crucial support services
At the national level:
Continued budget disagreements leave many crucial federally-funded programs in limbo and as of this writing the government has shut down.
The Refugee Act of 1980 requires the administration to engage in formal consultation with Congress and to set a new Presidential Determination (PD) on refugee admissions before the fiscal year ends on September 30. This did not happen.
At the global level:
At the UN General Assembly, U.S. officials announced a push to overhaul longstanding international refugee and asylum protections, proposing new principles that would restrict obligations to asylum seekers and make refugee status temporary rather than permanent
Such a momentous week requires us to hold space for both joy and sorrow, and we believe this is best done in community and in unity. Even if you are not interested in running/walking this Saturday, please consider joining us in Genoa Park this Saturday as an opportunity for community, unity, and solidarity.