Friends of Refugees

We had the opportunity to participate in this year’s Night of Ideas, organized by Villa Albertine in partnership with the Carter Center. This event allows participants to dive into civic engagement in Atlanta and find new ways to be involved. The Night of Ideas aims to foster dialogue across disciplines, connect ideas with the arts, and open space for new voices. Thank you, @@villa.albertine and @franceatlanta , for inviting Friends of Refugees to be a part of this incredible event!

Registration is live for this year’s Refugee Recipe Celebration! As a thank you to our wonderful partners, we invite you all to join us on June 13th to celebrate the culture and cuisine of our New American community – while also enjoying the beautiful @atlbotanical ! Guests will have the opportunity to watch four chef demonstrations (and taste samples!), hear musical performances from Clarkston High School, and experience the Niki in the Garden summer exhibit. Reserve your tickets today!

Last week, we celebrated our families in our family literacy programs with an Animal Day at the Jolly Avenue Garden! 🐤🐇Over 100 community members showed up to play yard games, pet cute animals, and enjoy time together. Thank you to our friends at @paceacademy for helping run this sweet celebration!

Yesterday was an unforgettable day of celebration and transition at Friends. We gathered with grateful hearts to welcome our new board members, honor those who have faithfully served and are now rolling off, and mark an exciting new chapter with the arrival of our new Executive Director, Kevin Kipfer. At the same time, we shared a heartfelt farewell to our outgoing Executive Director Kendra Jeffreys, whose leadership has truly left a lasting impact. It was a day full of reflection, appreciation, and hope for what’s ahead. We welcome our new board members, Teri Bouchard and John Pitt! And a huge thanks to our board members, Helen Ayoub Shuford, Alison LaForge and April Shaffer for faithfully serving our New American community. Board meetings aren’t typically known for being fun or inspiring—but at Friends, they are truly a meaningful time filled with laughter, gratitude, and joy. This important work could not be done without the support and commitment from our board members!!

@startmeatl graduation is always a joyful time! There were 18 entrepreneurs in our Clarkston cohort this year, with 69 total graduating ventures from the Start:ME program. For Friends of Refugees, partnering with Start:ME over the last 14 years has been an incredible benefit for the community. Not only have we seen a high number of New American entrepreneurs go through the program, but the small businesses that have been launched in the Clarkston area provide opportunity and economic mobility for the community as a whole. If you want to support any of these new small businesses or other entrepreneurs that have come through this incredible program, check out the link in our stories!

Our former Executive Director, Kendra Jeffreys, is officially passing the torch to our new Executive Director, Kevin Kipfer. We are delighted to welcome Kevin in June and look forward to his leadership. In the meantime, here are a few fun facts to help you get to know him better! Kevin and his wife, Erika have three daughters and have lived in Clarkson for many years. He coached the girls’ basketball and volleyball teams. His favorite meals include anything on the grill and any type of international cuisine. Some tibs from Frey at Addis Cafe or a gyro wrap from Manna at Merhaba Shawarma are his go-to local spots in Clarkston. Kevin grew up in a farming community in Indiana, where many of his early jobs involved working alongside neighbors on their farms. From hoeing beans to baling hay and hauling manure, he gained plenty of hands-on experience along the way. Kevin also brings a highly accomplished professional background, including two years as a middle school math teacher with Teach For America. He taught in West Atlanta at what is now John Lewis Invictus Academy and describes that time as one of the most challenging and rewarding seasons of his life. Thank you, Kevin, for sharing a bit more about your story with us. We look forward to your leadership and perhaps even seeing some of those farming skills in action at Jolly Avenue Garden!

Following a targeted search and thoughtful interview process, the Board of Directors is pleased to announce that Kevin Kipfer will assume the role of Executive Director, effective June 1, 2026! Kevin brings more than 25 years of experience driving growth and leading transformational change across corporate, nonprofit, and community settings. Kevin has lived in Clarkston with his family for the past 12 years and is widely known in the community for his strong local connections and relationships. He has also served faithfully on our Board of Directors for several years. He has long been committed to our mission of helping our refugee friends build abundant lives in America. We are confident that he will bring his distinctive leadership style, strategic vision, and experience to lead Friends of Refugees into its next chapter. Please join us in extending a warm welcome to Kevin as he takes the helm at Friends of Refugees. And... please join us in wishing Kevin a happy birthday today! 🎊

Earlier this month, our Mommy & Me program hosted their annual Dad Day! Each children’s classroom invited dads to play with their child, participate in circle time, and hear from our Family Support team about what their child is learning. Dads of the oldest children also got to learn about Georgia Pre-K enrollment. 26 fathers were able to attend this year – and everyone had a great time together! #familyempowerment #refugeeswelcome

At our Jolly Avenue Garden, spring registration is well underway! Over the last two months, all but 6 plots have been rented for the next growing season. This garden enriches the lives of refugee families by providing a safe space to grow nutritious food and build genuine community. For New American families living in apartments without access to growing space, the garden plots at Jolly Avenue become more than places to grow vegetables—they’re spaces to nurture connection to others in the community and for refugee gardeners to use their skills to grow fresh food for their families and neighbors. Here, refugee gardeners cultivate produce from their home, pass on valuable agricultural knowledge to the next generation, and have access to abundant green space where both healthy food and community thrive. Thank you to our many partners that help us maintain this beautiful gardening community! 🌱 📷PC: @bobbi.jo.brooks.photo

This year, we’ve started highlighting one outstanding volunteer each month on our volunteer newsletter. Here are our incredible Volunteers of the Month from the first quarter! 🩵January: Martin Masilia, Operations Volunteer In just six hours each week, Martin’s skill, reliability, and servant heart support every program at Friends of Refugees. His work behind the scenes keeps our facilities running smoothly, creates margin for our staff, and saves valuable resources. Martin truly embodies what it means to live out our mission through service. 💜February: Jo Kroger, @embracerefugeebirth Volunteer We are so glad Jo decided to go ahead and volunteer with Embrace because she has been an amazing support to many of our moms. Jo is a retired nurse, and that has come in handy, especially when pairing with some of our higher-risk clients. Her commitment to the moms she pairs with has been steadfast, and we are so inspired by her energy and flexibility, which are both needed in this type of work. 💚March: Tom Callaway, RFL/Mommy & Me Volunteer On any given Thursday, you can find children huddled around Tom while he reads them a book, pretending to be a dinosaur with a dinosaur claw on his hand roaring with the children or returning from the playground carrying a child. He is a perfect fit for the children's literacy program because he makes learning fun. He assists the teachers in creating a language rich, emotionally supportive classroom environment. Thank you Martin, Jo, and Tom for your steady dedication and loving service in our community!

We are so proud of our very own @muzhda_oriakhil who has been chosen as this year’s recipient of The Carolyn Wetzel Continuum Award from Healthy Mothers, Healthy Baby Coalition of Georgia (@hmhbgeorgia )! The Carolyn Wetzel Continuum Award recognizes a volunteer or health professional who contributes to the health and well-being of Georgia’s families by being a positive change agent in the public arena of advocacy and policy. Muzhda is our beloved Senior Community Engagement Manager here at Friends of Refugees. She is a phenomenal interpreter, connector, leader, and friend.🧡 We cannot think of anyone more deserving of this recognition! Muzhda will be honored at this year’s Inspiring Mothers Celebration on April 26th. You’re invited to celebrate her and the work of Healthy Mothers, Healthy Baby – get your tickets at the link in our stories! #InspiringMothers2026 #HMHBGA #WetzelAward

Thank you to the 60+ friends who joined us last night for an evening of laughter! Our second annual Comedy for a Cause was such a delight. In addition to good brews from @threetaverns , we also enjoyed delicious food [email protected] 💕 Thank you again to our incredible host, @nathanowenscomedy , and our fantastic lineup of comics! @shrekjohn @therealtiffanyba @yosheeso #ComedyForACause #RefugeesWelcome