A WELCOMING PARTY

 PROJECT NAME: Refuge Coffee at the Daily World Building
Our Plan: To Warmly Welcome

There are over 71 million refugees in the world today. Displaced, disadvantaged and demoralized, some of us watch, some of us turn our head, and some of us choose to act. Refuge Coffee Co., a community-based non-profit serving great coffee and humanity, is a business born of one woman’s desire to make a positive difference in the world, and in the lives of refugees.

Kitti Murray and husband Bill moved to Clarkston, GA, in 2014, hoping to add value to the community. Clarkston, often called “the most diverse square mile in America,” is a hub for resettlement, seeing 2500-3000 refugees arriving each year. Kitti witnessed the isolation felt by the newly resettled refugees. Their sense of loss, of being lost, of abandonment. She also noticed Clarkston lacked an antidote – a central place to meet, make new friends, feel and be welcomed.

In its most superficial sense, Clarkston lacked a coffee shop.

Inspired to act on behalf of the uprooted and marginalized, Kitti set out to change that. In 2015, Refuge Coffee opened in downtown Clarkston. A coffee shop in the physical sense, yes, and so much more. Great coffee is served, of course, with Refuge also delivering on-the-job training, leadership development and mentorship for refugees. In their first year, Refuge welcomed over 100,000 customers from 80 different countries.

The Welcoming Community meets The Beloved Community

Building upon their success, in January 2020, Refuge opens their doors – and arms – in the historic Daily World Building, its namesake occupant (1936 - 2008) the Atlanta Daily World newspaper, the oldest continuously operating daily in US history. Refuge brings their mission and mindset to a space that also once housed Virgil Coffee Company (1918), and later, in the 1940’s, Club Poinciana, a jazz club featuring legendary performers such as Billie Holiday, Louis Armstrong and Benny Goodman.

On Wednesday, November 20th, Gene Kansas | Commercial Real Estate, Constellations and PROPER hosted a “Welcoming Party” and fundraiser for Refuge.  Donations support job training and leadership development in the district. Dining on sweet and savory treats from several Clarkston-based refugee-led catering companies, plus drinks from Refuge’s signature red coffee cart, guests listened to Kitti share Refuge’s origin story, and the stories of some of the inspiring, resilient people she has met along the way.

GOOD PRESS: AJC - REFUGE COFFEE CO. OPENING NEW LOCATION IN SWEET AUBURN NEIGHBORHOOD

Leon Shombana, Refuge’s Customer Experience Coordinator, a refugee from the Democratic Republic of Congo, spoke about the significance of the word “Welcome”, his name tag noting “Clarkston” as home. District 5 City Councilmember Natalyn Archibong also gave remarks, expressing her encouragement of the mission, and promising support from the city.

Constellations Founder, Gene Kansas, offered welcoming words of gratitude to all in attendance, including co-hosts, PROPER, who set the tone by creating visual identity and atmosphere through their soulful and thoughtful design of posters, t-shirts, and collateral for the day and the cause. The universal message was one of community, of finding oneself safe on solid ground, surrounded by neighbors, everyone coming together over a cup of coffee, the great societal and cultural unifier. 

Refuge opening in Sweet Auburn is powerful. As birthplace of Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Civil Rights Movement, this is a community rich in social and civil justice history, a community of faith, commitment, and leadership, representing millions struggling for freedom and human rights. Refuge Coffee represents be a living, breathing, thriving example of Dr. King’s dream, and we are extremely proud to help welcome them to the neighborhood. Join us. Come drink coffee here.

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