What region or area do you provide services in?

Community Refugee and Immigration Services provides help to individuals in Central Ohio.

How and when did the organization get started?

Community Refugee and Immigration Services (CRIS) first began as an outreach service of the Buddhamamaka Society, Inc., an association founded in 1987. This association created CRIS in 1995 after two local refugee resettlement offices were unexpectedly closed. In 1999, the City of Columbus and United Way selected CRIS to open a second office.

Since then, CRIS has continued to grow and expand in different ways to provide as many services as possible to the refugee and immigrant communities in Central Ohio.

How many employees do you have?

Community Refugee and Immigration Services has around 50 employees.

How many volunteers does your organization have?  

We have many volunteers who help with a range of responsibilities including language training, legal help, counseling, and a wide range of general tasks.