COLUMBIA - To most local Columbia residents, they are invisible. The arrival of new refugees in mid-Missouri are often unheeded, and their stories unheard.
âA lot of our clients are fleeing war ⦠militia conflict, a lot of gender-based violence and sexual violence,â said Grace Wildenhaus of Catholic Charities of Central and Northern Missouri, a nonprofit which receives some federal funding that also relies heavily on community support. âThereâs a lack of central control.â
Wildenhaus believes nothing is more important than getting the community involved with refugee services. As the only refugee resettlement agency in the region, it provides life-saving resources, both from donations and from federal assistance.