In what has been called “the most diverse square mile in the world,” coffee is working wonders[protected-iframe id=”48026829a54a23a42a25a72be905aaa5-95521100-92965054″ info=”https://player.vimeo.com/video/144565617″ width=”500″ height=”281″ frameborder=”0″ webkitallowfullscreen=”” mozallowfullscreen=”” allowfullscreen=””]
In a little town called Clarkston, Georgia, located on the edge of Atlanta, sits a coffee truck called Refuge. The people who run it are dedicated to serving more than good coffee to their neighbors; they want to help create a vibrant town and a unique destination place of connected neighborhoods and thriving businesses. The plan may be ambitious, but Refuge believes in the resilience and strength of the people it serves — refugees from around the world.
Up to 2,000 refugees are settled by the UN in Clarkston each year, earning it the title, “the most diverse square mile in the world.” More than 60 countries are currently represented there, with many different languages spoken.
Refuge Coffee Co., a non-profit, is serving this global community not only with coffee and a common space for people to connect, but also with job training and creation. The staff wants refugees and immigrants to thrive and build vibrant new lives in Clarkston and beyond:
Our goal is to join in the task of empowering our refugee friends to use their many gifts to help us create refuge. One day soon, we hope to see Clarkston emerge as a destination, a richly-textured “village” where people who live in greater Atlanta and beyond come to experience a dining, entertainment, and shopping experience created by a robust collaboration between immigrant and American business owners.—From Refuge Coffee’s website.
