Written by: Patricia Fortenberry Maddox On March 19, 2024, in the early morning hours, Patricia departed this earth as she was calledhome to be with her Lord and Savior. Born on July 7, 1938, in Osyka, Mississippi, “Miss Pat”, as so many know her, was born in ahumble home; her mother always described the hole […]

We are grateful to have the greatest partners in this work of sowing abundant life in flourishing communities. Georgia Power is one of our faithful partners who more than live up to their internal motto, “A Citizen Wherever We Serve.” We are always amazed by the way their employees go above and beyond when it […]

Going Deeper: Tiffany Invites Kendra to Join WPO, leading to great collaboration Finding friends in a supportive community can make all the difference. Collaborations and partnerships are essential for building abundant life in flourishing communities. We are grateful to have fantastic partners! One of our newest partners has been the Women Presidents Organization (WPO), and […]

We believe that friendships between refugees, immigrants, and those who have lived in the US their entire lives are essential to creating abundant life in flourishing communities. It is through deep, authentic friendships we get to understand what a thriving, diverse community looks like.  Today, we celebrate a team member who exemplifies this goal and […]

Change is underway at the Friends of Refugees Board. We are taking a moment to thank our outgoing board chair, Helen Shuford, for her years of dedicated service. Our community has thrived under her leadership, and we are grateful to bid her farewell with full hearts, prepared for the next season. Helen’s transition means we […]

Happy graduation to all of our New American friends from the Refugee Family Literacy! We’re beyond elated to share about their incredible achievements as they pursue literacy to help their families grow and flourish. We couldn’t be more thrilled for them as they take this important step forward as graduates. We are also so honored […]

Summer is a time when we go “all-in” to invest in youth and families for 7 packed and joyful weeks! It’s also a time when we get to try new things together—new rhythms, new relationships, and even new programming ideas that will encourage refugee flourishing in deeper, timely ways. Last summer, we tried something new—we offered an […]

Growing Leaders are taking the reins and crafting the garden curriculum for Summer Youth Experience! “They grew up in the community, so I tell them to do the programming YOU would have wanted as a kid growing up here. Two Growing leaders are designing the curriculum, and they will be heavily involved in seeing it […]

By Rajesh Gupta, Senior Garden Manager May is always a bittersweet month at Jolly Avenue Garden, as we welcome new additions to the Growing Leaders program, but also say good-bye to graduating members of the team.  This year, Boi Sang will move onto the next phase of his life as he embarks on new challenges […]

A child who recently arrived from Afghanistan painted two flags during an art session: an Afghan flag and a US flag. When he shared his painting with the group, he expressed both deep sadness about losing his home and excitement about creating a new one here in the US. “I belong in both places now,” […]