When Debra Marcus ’77 and Marti Swords-Horrell ’77 were students at Colgate, they knew each other mostly by name. Years later, despite careers in different fields — law and reproductive health administration for Marcus and the United Methodist ministry for Swords-Horrell — they reconnected in Oneonta, N.Y., around a shared commitment to supporting refugees. Their collaboration helped create the Otsego Refugee Resettlement Coalition, a volunteer-led effort that has since supported families from around the world as they rebuild their lives in central New York.
Colgate Magazine talked to Marcus and Swords-Horrell to learn more.
How did the Otsego Refugee Resettlement Coalition come about?
Marcus: It started in 2016 when a small group of people from Temple Beth El and First United Methodist Church began talking about whether Oneonta could welcome refugees the way the city of Utica, N.Y., had. When the first Trump administration sharply reduced refugee admissions, we had to pause the effort. Then, in 2021, with a change in federal policy, Marti and I decided it was time to try again.
Swords-Horrell: By then I was pastor at First United Methodist Church. Deb comes from a law and medical administration background, but we reconnected around the belief that this work had to involve the entire county — schools, employers, health care providers, and volunteers — not just faith communities.
What does refugee resettlement look like in practice in a small, rural county?
Marcus: It’s extremely hands-on. We’re not just connecting people to services, we’re helping them navigate daily life; securing housing, enrolling children in school, finding jobs, arranging transportation, and enrolling adults in ESL classes. We’ve learned that refugees often arrive with significant unmet medical and dental health care needs, which was something we underestimated at first.
Swords-Horrell: In rural places like Otsego County, you don’t have layers of agencies to rely on, so relationships really matter. Volunteers become translators, drivers, advocates — almost like extended family.
Who are the people the coalition has helped?
Marcus: Since 2021 we’ve welcomed seven refugee families, including adults and children from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Venezuela, and Afghanistan. Some arrived through the Welcome Corps, a federal program that allowed private groups of citizens to sponsor and support refugees as they resettle in American communities; that program has since been suspended by the Trump administration. More recently we’ve supported families holding Special Immigrant Visas from Afghanistan — people who assisted U.S. forces and arrived here with very little notice.
Swords-Horrell: Many people are surprised by how diverse refugees’ backgrounds
are. Some were professionals — teachers, engineers, financial officers — who were forced to stop working, especially women. Others had limited formal education, but they’re good workers, and they have so much to offer.
How has the community in Otsego County responded?
Marcus: The response has been overwhelmingly positive. The school district has been extraordinary, providing ESL support and welcoming students, some
of whom have never been in a classroom before. Employers regularly reach out looking to hire. Faith communities, local businesses, and individuals have donated time, money, and housing.
Swords-Horrell: And importantly, this hasn’t been partisan. People are realizing that refugee resettlement is a benefit to the entire community. Refugees strengthen the workforce, stabilize school enrollment, and enrich the diversity of the area.
Why does this work feel especially urgent now?
Marcus: I have lived my life with the maxim “think globally, act locally.” Globally, displacement is increasing at the same time legal pathways into the U.S. are narrowing. That makes community-based efforts even more important.
Swords-Horrell: When national problems feel overwhelming, [it helps to] start with your own community. You may not be able to fix everything, but you can help one family, one refugee. And for me, from a faith perspective, welcoming the stranger is central.