Today we’d like to introduce you to Kitti Murray.
Kitti, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My husband, Bill, and I moved to Clarkston from midtown Atlanta in 2012. We knew a little about this small majority-refugee community, but we found it to be the most intense and inviting neighborhood in our experience, and it taught us to dream big and love even bigger. One expression of that love has been Refuge Coffee Co., a non-profit I founded in 2015 as a way to join hands with neighbors near and far to create opportunity and true refuge through coffee and community service.
Refuge Coffee started as an answer to several what-if questions. And we definitely weren’t the only ones asking…: What if we could gather people from all over the globe to simple “be,” to be safe, welcomed, seen, and appreciated? What if the least welcomed among us and those who have never questioned their right to be here could drink coffee together with no other agenda than to be together? What if refugees–people who have fled violence, persecution, and war–could enjoy employment that not only provided for them financially, but that gave them training and a way to contribute to the well being of our communities. This foundation of welcome is what Refuge was built on.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It’s been 10 years! We are celebrating in May, and although this has been a beautiful ride, no one would say it has been easy. We are a nonprofit, so there’s the continual pressure to fundraiser, which is really a great way to build relationships with amazingly generous people. There’s the move from a small business to a “bigger” (but still basically small!) business. We now have three brick-and-mortar shops, one co-work coffee bar, and a growing mobile coffee service business. All that growth has meant working hard to stay on mission and consider the needs and lovely ideas of a larger group of people. Again, the relationships forged in this growth have been worth every minute of difficulty.
There was COVID, a rough season of financial crisis, and now a new, intense wave of anti-refugee rhetoric and policies. Last year (2024), our very unexciting mantra was “We are staying on mission by building stability in a culture of learning.” We took the time to slow our growth and focus on getting stronger in the basics. Every single person on our team embraced this mantra, and it allowed us to take a breath and remember what we’re about: offering the gifts of welcome, refuge, and respite.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am and have been a writer all of my life. I’m not sure this sets me apart from anyone, but it does give me a way to process, to tell stories, and to engage with others. To start a nonprofit is to tell a story, and it’s been a privilege to tell ours. It’s what I do know how to do. Bookkeeping, leadership, etc. – not so much! I’ve learned that my best offering to Refuge is to love people well and to tell a more accurate, more beautiful refugee story.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
I’ve lived here ever since I came to college in 1974, which the exception of just a few years. I love the kindness of strangers, the hustle, the trees, and the history of civil “good trouble.”
Sometimes I really hate the traffic. But other than that, and the angry ambition it reflects, that’s about it! Oh, and I don’t love our mass transit system. It needs to reflect our commitment to all people.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.refugecoffeeco.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/refugecoffeeco/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/refugecoffeeco
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/refuge-coffee-midtown-atlanta
- Other: https://www.refugecoffeeco.com/celebrating-10-years-of-refuge/
