GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — In the rear of a church building in Gwinnett County, you'll find a group of bakers from all over the world making everything from Asian-infused cookies to rye bread.
Just Bakery of Atlanta truly encompasses its motto: eat well, do good, change lives.
The non-profit bakery employees refugees from around the globe providing them with paid job training, professional certification, and a living wage. The bakery opened in October of 2017 and operates out of the church school kitchen at Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church.
The business began with just two staff members and continues to expand with employees from the Congo, Bhutan, and Nepal. Many of the refugees that Just Bakery employs are individuals fleeing to the United States because of violence in their home countries.
Just Bakery Executive Director, Leah Lonsbury, says she founded the organization to provide additional opportunities and financial stability for refugees working to recreate their home in the Atlanta area.
“I was working on the south side of resettlement for a family from Afghanistan, and I was sitting in the lobby of the International Rescue Committee waiting for my meeting," Lonsbury said. "I watched the jobs scroll across the board there. It's like you can come work in Gainesville at the chicken factory for 12 hours a day in unsavory conditions and get paid a minimum wage, or you can work 10 hours a week at another minimum wage job. So I just got to thinking that there have to be other ways and other options for the folks resettled."
Just Bakery currently sells its products at local farmer markets and community events. They also provide local deliveries and special orders via their website.
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