[...] Tony Johns, director of community involvement at City of Refuge, Inc., discussed the importance of collaboration with other nonprofits and government agencies to the organization’s provision of regular holistic assistance to over 3,500 individuals living in poverty. City of Refuge’s position in “the Bluff,” one of the most crime-ridden areas of metro Atlanta, is a major factor in the organization’s success. By capitalizing on what Johns called “the commonality of compassion and awareness of need” among many groups’ efforts, City of Refuge is able to more effectively provide numerous integrated programs—from food, clothing, and shelter to job training, placement, housing, health care, and education. [...]