THE NEED:
City of Refuge is committed to offering transformation for people living in the Westside of Atlanta, where the ongoing effects of systemic inequality remain profound. In virtually every category (income, employment, housing, education, health, and crime), the 30314 zipcode ranks close to last. Over a third of the predominantly African-American population live in poverty. Only 26% have earned a bachelor's degree. Less than a third of 3rd-grade students are reading at grade level. On average, a violent crime occurs every 3.5 hours. A person born into poverty here has just a 4% chance of escaping it in their lifetime. That’s why our mission has been to deliver all the resources needed for individuals to turn their lives around, all in one place, over the past 25 years. To continue to break barriers and build momentum, it is critical to keep providing everything needed for people to flourish again. The needs are great but with the right tools we can break down the barriers that trap families in poverty.
THE CAMPAIGN:
Our Breaking Barriers. Building Momentum. campaign is seeking to secure $25 million in investments, which will enable us to bring more light, hope, and transformation over the next 25 years.
This ambitious campaign is designed to break down more barriers in Atlanta's Westside and provide opportunities for men, women, and children to escape poverty and thrive in the community.
TRANSFORMATION CENTER
City of Refuge owns an empty lot just a two-minute walk from campus. Our vision is to build a new Transformation Center, a 36,000-square-foot, three-story building dedicated to providing economic, health, and wellness services to help residents, including veterans and returning citizens, achieve their full potential. The Transformation Center will include a 24/7 medical and mental health clinic for survivors of trafficking and domestic violence, a new credit union, social entrepreneurship hub, and 20 units of affordable housing.
AFFORDABLE HOUSING
While City of Refuge has helped thousands transition to more stable living, leaving the safety of our campus is not always smooth. To address this need, we are building a townhome community just around the corner from campus. Additionally, we will build two additional transitional housing complexes for survivors of domestic violence, sexual exploitation, trafficking, and incarceration.
EDUCATION
In the 30314 community, the average student enters school 12-14 months behind their peers from higher-income brackets. City of Refuge provides accessible, tuition-free, enriching youth programs to set the stage for high-quality future learning and development. We are excited for our plans to expand our current middle and high school to serve more students and add all elementary grade levels to provide high-quality education so more kids can have brighter futures.
CITY OF REFUGE COMMUNITIES
While City of Refuge will always remain focused on overcoming the historical injustice in Atlanta's Westside, we have an incredible opportunity to help others put our proven and scalable model to work in their cities. Plans include the buildout of City of Refuge South, a sprawling rural campus in Thomaston, GA to establish therapeutic options for those in need, including equine therapy, ropes course, climbing wall, sports fields, and more. City of Refuge will also build an Impact Training Center in Fairburn, GA to provide a place of renewal, restoration, and retreat for those working in the nonprofit spaces. Funds will also go towards launching a new location in Nashville.
CAMPUS IMPROVEMENTS & CAPACITY BUILDING
To continue serving each person with compassion and excellence, we need to invest in our existing campus and programs at 1300 Joseph E Boone Blvd. Proposed improvements include building a Welcome Center, pavilion, new garden and outdoor area, improving IT infrastructure, upgrading 40 housing units in Eden Village, and adding new personnel.
City of Refuge is committed to offering transformation for people living in the Westside of Atlanta. Delivering all the resources needed for individuals to turn their lives around, all in one place has been an essential component of our impact over the past 25 years. To continue to break barriers and build momentum, it is critical to keep providing everything needed for people to flourish again.
This campaign will allow us to do just that. And since we have a proven and scalable model that leaders in other places want to replicate, it will also enable us to serve in a bigger and broader way. Together, with our investors and community partners, City of Refuge will continue our mission to bring light, hope, and transformation to thousands of individuals in need.
Contact Edward Phillips, VP of Development, with any questions at ephillips@cityofrefugeatl.org