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.

Sweet Auburn Celebrates Refuge Coffee Co.

A coffee cart with a blackboard menu listing various coffee drinks, a tip jar, and cups stacked on top of a red espresso machine. Behind the cart, two baristas are preparing coffee. The setting is an indoor café with brick walls, a large window, and wooden floors.

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.

A woman with short white hair speaking into a microphone in a room with brick walls and large windows.

Refuge Coffee Founder, Kitti Murray

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.

Two women sitting on a couch having a conversation in a warmly lit room with large windows, exposed brick walls, and other people in the background.

Atlanta City Council Member Natalyn Archibong and Refuge Coffee Co. Founder, Kitti Murray, at the Refuge Coffee Co. Welcoming Party

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

Person holding a cup of coffee with latte art, sitting at a wooden table.

A man and a woman hugging in an indoor setting with brick walls and a window in the background. The man is holding a microphone and is partially visible. The woman has short blonde hair and is wearing a beige sweater and earrings.

People socializing at a cafe or bakery with exposed brick walls and large windows, some holding cups, in a lively and warm atmosphere.

A row of promotional cards on a wooden display stand advertising various coffee-related events and promotions at a cafe.

Man in gray blazer speaking into a microphone inside a room with exposed brick wall and large windows.

A person pouring milk into a cup of coffee with latte art on top.

People ordering and being served coffee at a cafe counter with a brick wall and large window in the background.

A poster for a welcoming party featuring a hot air balloon shaped like a coffee mug with small figures climbing the strings, set against a background with small stars.

People gathered in a room with large hanging lamps, enjoying a buffet-style meal with various dishes, flowers, and bread on display.

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.

Donate Here.