City of Refuge: Service Project

When Zac and his wife moved to the west side of Atlanta, they knew immediately that they wanted to get involved in serving locally.

“Just like we go to church regularly, I believe we should serve regularly,” said Zac. “We all have different gifts, but we’re called to reach out and help somewhere.”

For Zac, that place ended up being City of Refuge—a nonprofit in one of Atlanta’s most historic and struggling Westside neighborhoods, where nearly 40 percent of the residents live below the poverty line.

As a personal trainer, Zac is passionate about holistic health, so the nonprofit’s holistic approach to serving the Westside immediately resonated with him. Starting with establishing stability through their housing, food, and healthcare programs, City of Refuge works toward helping individuals thrive with opportunities for education, job training, and financial literacy.

After visiting their website, Zac simply signed up for a tour.

“It was an easy first step,” said Zac. “They make it really easy to see the options and learn where you can serve.” 

Zac quickly found his passion in the after-school program, volunteering with kids and students. And while there’s always a learning curve to something new, Zac realized that the biggest impact he could have was just continuing to show up.

“I knew at the beginning I was slowing things down just a little bit as I learned,” he remembered. “But I knew if I kept coming back, I could contribute and create a net good for City of Refuge.”

"Zac is always quick to serve and offer any assistance necessary,” said Joseph Smith, who oversees the after-school program for City of Refuge. “He is always engaged with the kids, and they really enjoy the energy he brings. He works so well with them, leading different activities, exercises, and games."

Now Zac serves most Wednesdays with the youth program and enjoys building relationships with the students. “We don’t do it for the reward, but it’s very rewarding,” said Zac. “Just seeing the smiles of kids as they remember you and run to you when you arrive. I feel like I’m impacting something positively—making a small ripple that will hopefully last.”

That’s what Be Rich is all about—a small ripple that collectively unleashes a wave of generosity as we Give, Serve, Love our community together!