Programs & Partners
Through supportive services fueled by innovation and collaboration with our on-site partners, City of Refuge seeks to lead individuals and families on an uninterrupted journey to self-sufficiency. We do that by focusing on four key impact areas outlined below: Health & Wellness, Housing, Job Training, and Youth Development.
Faith is central to our mission. We offer all residents opportunities to experience a relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
Health & Wellness
COR Kitchen prepares and serves three healthy, freshly made meals each day for residents, employees, and guests. From early morning breakfasts to evening dinners, the kitchen plays a vital role in fostering community, hospitality, and well-being across our campus.
Mercy Care Clinic is our on-site partner that provides medical, dental, vision, and mental health services, including individual therapy, peer support recovery sessions, psychiatric care, medication management, and individual substance abuse counseling.
Noble Clay is an on-site partner that offers world-class fitness coaching for residents and the community, creating an inclusive environment where everyone has the opportunity to build strength, improve health, and reach their personal goals.
Go Church fosters a welcoming community for residents, providing opportunities for worship, fellowship, discipleship, and spiritual growth. Through weekly services, worship nights, and meaningful relationships, residents are encouraged to deepen their faith, build lasting connections, and experience the hope and support of a caring community.
Reentry, using the TYRO program, serves men and women who are reentering their communities from incarceration, helping them to develop in leadership, relationship building, character building, communication, parenting, life-skills, continuing education, and career planning.
Health & Wellness Coming Soon:
Fresh Food Market - The Transformation Center will feature a market or grocery store on the center’s first floor to address ongoing health disparities in what can be considered a food desert.
Bank - The Transformation Center will feature an on-site bank that serves as a hub for financial services, providing greater financial security for households. It will help people establish and build a solid credit history, provide opportunities to secure loans and grow savings at no cost, and offer significant flexibility for loan repayments. It will also provide micro-financing options for start-ups that graduate from the Entrepreneurship Hub.
Job Training
The Workforce Innovation Hub prepares unemployed and underemployed individuals to find meaningful employment and build skills through a multitude of courses.
Existing vocational training programs include Cybersecurity, Automotive Technology, Welding, Forklift Training, Culinary Arts, Solar-Panel Installation, and Hospitality.
Monthly job fairs provide a wide range of employment opportunities, allowing individuals to connect with hiring managers and HR representatives, and even participate in on-site interviews with various employers.
To learn more about our job training programs and job fairs, click here.
Job Training Coming Soon:
Entrepreneurship Hub - In a neighborhood where only 7.3% of the population is self-employed, the Entrepreneurship Hub will combat opportunity injustice by matching aspiring entrepreneurs in the community with key resources to begin the process of starting their own businesses. It will include a classroom, offices, and a lab for idea-sharing and presentations, with an objective of training 100 potential entrepreneurs per year to create jobs and increase economic prosperity on Atlanta’s Westside.
Housing
Eden Village seeks to provide low-barrier assessment bridge housing, including case management and a variety of supportive services, with 40 units of housing for single mothers with children and single women who are experiencing homelessness. Residents are able to receive individual and group therapy sessions to build a solid foundation for growth.
House of Cherith provides safe housing and supportive services where women can recover from the trauma of sexual exploitation. House of Cherith provides residents with individual and group therapy sessions. Group therapy sessions include, but are not limited to, anger management, trigger identification, relapse prevention, conflict resolution, coping skills, grief/loss support, and many more.
Learn more about House of Cherith here.
The 345 is our transitional housing for men at high risk of homelessness, including veterans, young men (18-24), and reentering citizens. Residents are provided with an individualized case plan. The goal of our men’s housing program is to assist them in achieving a livable wage, sustainable housing/transportation, $1,000 savings, a bank account, and other strong foundations.
Affordable Housing - City of Refuge provides affordable housing for individuals in the Westside community of Atlanta in an effort to safeguard legacy residents from displacement and provide a smooth transition for individuals leaving the safety of our campus.
The Burbank Homes are six affordable single-family homes for individuals and families in need.
The Welcome Home Houses were built in partnership with Peachtree Road United Methodist as three supportive, transitional houses for women.
The Transformation Center is a three-story facility offering 25 affordable housing units and supportive services with the goal of improving access to resources for individuals and families in need.
Affordable Housing Coming Soon:
Townhome Community - We are building a 10-unit townhome community just around the corner from campus.
Youth Development
City Kids Preschool is our year-round, full-day preschool for ages 6 weeks to 5 years.
City Kids is our kindergarten to 6th grade after-school and summer camp programming designed to improve academics, health, and social/emotional behaviors while encouraging fun.
City Youth serves 7th to 12th grade through after-school and summer camp programs, providing pathways for students to reach their full potential in every dimension of life. Programming includes acedemic support, field trips, and health & wellness activities.
City School Atlanta is an on-site accredited Christian school that provides tuition-free private school education for more than 100 students in Kindergarten - 12th grade from the surrounding community.
Learn more about City School Atlanta here.
The J17 Scholarship Fund is an Educational Expense Assistance Fund designed to provide financial assistance to minority students choosing to attend college, university, or technical school upon graduation from high school.