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Natalie Teabo, World relief Olympia site manager, shares how her team builds and embraces resiliency.
As the World Relief Thurston County Site Manager for a small team of six, I know that running a small office in a small city comes with unique challenges. Our office is young, having recently celebrated its third birthday, and our team members often wear multiple hats. One of our first months after opening, a colleague and I, neither of us part of the housing team, found ourselves carrying a heavy couch up three flights of stairs together. That moment captures what it means to work in a small office — sometimes you simply pivot and do what needs to be done. Despite the challenges, there are also meaningful strengths that come with being small. Our team strives to take a holistic approach to serving our participants. While we offer fewer services than larger World Relief offices, our smaller size allows us to know the names and stories of people who walk through our doors. That relational closeness has shaped how we respond to challenges — because they have become more personal.
New Orders, More Resilience
In 2025, when the refugee resettlement program was paused by an executive order, the one program operating from our office shut down, and our team had to face a significant loss. We took time to grieve the work we could no longer do. Yet, resilience is not the absence of grief; it is the ability to move forward with purpose after acknowledging what has been lost. We named our pain, dusted ourselves off, and got to work. Instead of remaining stuck in disappointment, our team accepted the new reality and began asking what was still possible. We were, for the first time, able to dream.
Going Deeper and Wider
That season pushed us to think creatively. Rather than focusing on programs, we shifted our energy toward building deeper relationships with our participants. We decided to visit each family we resettled individually. That time became one of my favorite experiences in this role. It reminded us that resilience means adapting our methods while staying rooted in our mission. When circumstances change, the commitment to care for people does not. In many ways, resilience for our team meant choosing hope and connection in the face of disruption. Being a smaller office allowed us to respond quickly, lean into relationships, and rediscover the heart of our work. What initially felt like a setback ultimately became an opportunity to serve people more personally and intentionally.
Your generosity helps refugees and other immigrants in Western Washington build resiliency and become rooted in our community. Will you walk alongside them?
Mirroring Strength
Our team has learned powerful lessons through this hardship. In many ways, the very thing that kept us going was the resilience we witnessed in our participants. Leaning into their stories and listening, up close and personal, to their journeys reminded us of what resilience really looks like. This opportunity would not have happened if we were not faced with the new executive order. We watched participants face adversity and continue to move forward; we witnessed resilience shining in their very eyes. And it became the very encouragement our team needed to keep moving forward.
Who in your community—family, school, workplace, neighborhood, etc. — has shown great resilience? Which of their characteristics would you hope to mirror in your own life?
We learn and grow best together, and we are grateful for and encouraged by the example of our tiny Olympia team!
Natalie Teabo is the Site Manager of World Relief Western Washington — Thurston County where she leads efforts to help immigrants and refugees build strong roots in the community. She believes that meaningful change happens through genuine relationships both with the families she serves and the team she leads. As a servant leader, Natalie is committed to creating spaces where everyone feels valued, heard, and empowered to thrive.