City of Refuge
Located in one of the most difficult zip codes in all of Georgia, City of Refuge provides a host of vital services to downtown Atlanta including medical care, sex trafficking rescue, and abuse counseling. City of Refuge partners with Human Coalition on its Continuum of Care program, providing on-going support for families facing an unplanned pregnancy.
With almost two decades of experience and 20,000 lives transformed, City of Refuge is a leader in the business of social transformation. They are located in the middle of one of Atlanta’s most impoverished and crime-ridden neighborhoods where nearly 40% of the residents live below the Federal Poverty Level. In spite of the stereotypes, they believe the people of the 30314 neighborhood desire and deserve to live full, healthy lives. They also believe our neighbors should have the same dignity, pride, and opportunities as everyone else. To achieve this goal, suitable housing, excellent schools, a safe community, and the opportunity to earn livable wages are necessary. At the same time, they believe those in our neighborhood should not be forced out by greedy opportunistic developers, who only look to develop high-end commercial and residential properties. Their mission and goal at City of Refuge is to transform 30314 by empowering and equipping the residents with the tools to succeed.
In July of 1997, CEO Bruce Deel was asked to travel to Atlanta to assist with the closing of a church. After a few weeks into the process, he realized something miraculous was happening. Instead of the congregation dwindling, it was growing with people desperately in need of spiritual nurturing as well as basic life necessities. Eventually, Bruce Deel, his wife, and five daughters relocated to Atlanta, and re-incorporated the former “Mission Possible” into City of Refuge.
By 2003, City of Refuge had experienced immense growth and needed a formal transformation headquarters. After months of searching, the City of Refuge was miraculously donated a sprawling 200,000+ sq. ft. warehouse in the heart of the troubled 30314 neighborhood. Today, this state-of-the-art hub serves as the center of “Where Good Works.” In addition to offering spiritual guidance to those in need, City of Refuge offers housing, health care, vocational programs, educational programs, and even more.
