Settlemir named new program director at The Refuge of MS

Nathan Settlemir brings a personal connection as the new program director for The Refuge of MS, a special needs day center here.

Originally from Carthage and now living in Sebastopol with his wife Erin and their two sons, Kyler and Kade, Settlemir brings the personal connection through his son Kade, who has Dandy-Walker Syndrome, a condition requiring him to use a wheelchair.

Before joining The Refuge of MS, Settlemir held roles in youth ministry and various supervisor positions in sales and marketing. He also currently serves as a pulpit supply minister and is close to assuming an interim church position.

“When I first arrived, I immediately felt the presence of the Lord,” he said. “Everyone is just very open and loving here. Everyone is interacting with friends, participating, engaged, and being made to feel important.”

Settlermir said his vision for growth includes organizing additional fundraisers, engaging potential sponsors and donors, and ultimately securing a permanent location for The Refuge of MS. 

“I want to grow the program and reach out to locations and places in order to recruit more friends and show everyone what we have to offer,” he said. “We are all about providing a safe sanctuary and a loving family.”

Settlemir wants to raise community involvement by introducing participants to a variety of experiences and individuals within the community to help enhance their social interactions.

“We are accomplishing goals here and providing life skills,” he said. “It’s minor things that you see such as individuals learning to do the dishes or taking their trash to the garbage can. Those minor improvements on a day-to-day basis lead to even greater improvements.”

Settlemir said one aspect that has stood out to him since assuming the role of program director is the Refuge's strong emphasis on prayer throughout the day, including blessing meals and ending each day with prayer.

“I believe God led me to this position,” he said. “I feel like the Lord has had His hand on all of it, and this is truly what I’m supposed to be doing.”

Brooke Crenshaw, executive director, said that many male participants in the program have connected with Settlemir since his arrival.

“They love arm wrestling with him or talking about his beard,” she said. “The males have really connected, because of like similarities or interests. That was something we considered is how can we meet these male’s needs. We kind of felt like that dynamic was missing.”

Since opening in September 2023, the Refuge of MS has grown in ways such as establishing clear boundaries for participants and empowering staff to run the program in a more comfortable and positive manner.

“Now that I hand the baton over to Nathan, I feel very grateful that my staff and Nathan can keep this program going,” Crenshaw said. “I can still act as executive director and act in different duties, but at the end of the day I know that what we’ve built is strong and will continue growing.”

Operating Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., the Refuge follows a structured schedule that includes artistic activities like painting pottery, a new gardening and table project, and life skills training.

A new garden and table project involves participants planting a garden and transforming the produce into table food during the summer months, offering them a great hands-on learning experience.

“It helps them continue growing and learning about things in our environment and see that their work is being desired and wanted,” Crenshaw said. “In return, it brings them feelings of excitement and gratitude and they want to keep making more items.”

Looking ahead, Crenshaw along with the help of Settlemir, hopes to expand the program's reach by offering it in more areas across the state and to also increase participation here with a goal of accommodating up to 30 participants. 

“We are called the Refuge of MS because we don’t want to be just limited to Philadelphia,” she said. “The ultimate goal is to serve K-12, preschool age, to even having a group home. This is just the beginning, we are just going to stay vigilant until the Lord tells us his plans or directs us in a different path.”

For both Crenshaw and Settlemir, success hinges on increased community engagement, higher attendance, and sustainable financial support, while the perks of the job include seeing the positive impact that the program has had on each participant and their families.

The Refuge of MS offers a sponsorship program for individuals who feel led to help financially support participants. They are also offering a summer residency initiative for new qualified participants transitioning out of high school or who have completed ninth grade and above. 

The Refuge invited individuals, families, and teachers to their Transition Day event that was held last Thursday, to help give more insights on the program. 

Ongoing fundraising initiatives like the “5K Run” during Ham Jam and “Refuge Roundup” also aim to enhance public awareness and support for the program.

The Refuge of MS is located at 11421 Hwy 15 North. Call (601) 389-8059 or visit https://www.facebook.com/therefugems or refugeofms.org.