Dear friends,
Last Saturday night, a rather large group of former Refuge Coffee employees/trainees gathered for a reunion dinner. We shared a sumptuous dinner made by Ahmad Alzoukani’s Mint Coffeehouse, played a rollicking Refuge Trivia game, caught up with one another, and danced to Syrian, Ethiopian, Eritrean, Salsa, and American music. And, for a brief five minutes, we got quiet and focused as we made introductions of our current team, and I made a little speech.
Here’s a loose transcript of what I said:
Last summer, a neighbor who came to Clarkston as a refugee said, “I come to Refuge because this is where I feel at home.”
I think it’s safe to say that our work creating refuge and offering welcome is really all about making a home. We’ve done it since day one when Caleb Goodrum set a high bar for our coffee that is continued today, when Jessica Darnell created a safe space with our first training and our celebrations that is also continued today, and when Leon Shombana showed us how to welcome the world with kindness and grace.
I have two requests for you tonight.
1. Remember.
We each have stories of how we took part in making Refuge a home and how it became home for us. When Bill died, my home—like my heart—felt empty and lonely and sad. One day I realized that I walked up to Refuge most days, not just for meetings or tasks, but sometimes for no reason at all, because it felt like home. You did that for me.
So, before the night is over, tell your stories to someone.
2. Don’t forget.
When we started Refuge in 2015 (yes, yes, I know; we got our 501(c)3 and bought our first truck in 2014), there were 63,000,000 displaced people in the world, and today there are 123,000,000 in a time when our country is accepting fewer refugees than since the Refugee Act was signed in 1980. If that isn’t a global failure of welcome, I don’t know what is.
But if you look at Refuge Coffee, we are more determined than ever. We will be a place of welcome for the most unwelcomed, we will create a refuge for those who have fled war, and we will open doors to those whose homes have been obliterated by violence.
We will continue to celebrate the indisputable fact that refugees and immigrants are valuable assets to our country.
We will tell a more accurate and beautiful refugee story.
We have not quit, and we never will (as this story illustrates!):
Caleb reminded me of our first June, in 2015, when we ended the month with just $6,000 in the bank. He assumed this thing we’d built was over. But it wasn’t. I still can’t remember exactly how that wrinkle smoothed out, but it did.
There are two miracles I have observed throughout the past ten years. The miracle of a coffee business that just keeps going and improving and succeeding because of the people who run it. And the miracle of your generosity as you give to ensure that we make coffee with purpose: Welcome!
You’ll hear from us about End of Year giving soon, but if you’re already in that headspace, we’d love for you to make a gift now. Thanks!!
Persevering with you,
Kitti
P.S. My version of “how it started” (first two photos) and “how it’s going” (third and fourth photos) below! (Missing lots of faces!)
