Bruce & Rhonda Deel

Bruce & Rhonda Deel are the founders and CEO of City of Refuge, a transformative humanitarian organization based in one of Atlanta's most disadvantaged neighborhoods. Over the past two decades, under Deel's leadership, City of Refuge has helped more than 50,000 people escape cycles of homelessness, joblessness, addiction, and other crises by offering holistic support and solutions all in one place.​

City of Refuge provides a wide array of services, including transitional housing, on-site medical and mental health care, childcare, legal advocacy, and vocational programs in fields like automotive repair, culinary arts, and coding.​

The organization also runs specialized programs for survivors of sex trafficking and domestic violence, offering a safe haven, recovery support, and direct intervention, in partnership with Men Opposing Sex Trafficking (MOST), another initiative founded by the Deels.​

City of Refuge is housed in a 200,000+ square-foot facility, enabling a true “one-stop shop” model so individuals can address multiple needs without traveling elsewhere.​

The Deel’s approach is rooted in “radical trust,” believing that treating every individual with dignity and addressing all their needs at once yields transformative results.​

The focus extends beyond emergency aid to long-term solutions—providing education, job training, financial literacy, and community development—empowering participants to rebuild their lives and families.​
The organization's successes have inspired stories and books, such as Bruce Deel’s "Trust First," with proceeds supporting City of Refuge’s ongoing humanitarian work.​

Overall, Deel’s leadership at City of Refuge exemplifies a comprehensive, compassionate model for tackling urban poverty, homelessness, and social injustice at scale.