A P E R S O N A L S T O R Y Ethiopian & Eritrean Organizations, Associations and Resources global Atlanta Snapshots Below is a listing of selected organizations who work with the Ethiopian & Eritrean communities. A LOOK AT ETHNIC COMMUNITIES IN THE ATLANTA REGION Additional resources are available at www.atlantaregional.com. Yonas Abraha was born in Ethiopia GENERAL INFORMATION Refugee Family Services Shewit Eritrean Restaurant BUSINESS at a time that Eritrea was not yet an 5561-H Memorial Drive 926 Montreal Road Enat Ethiopia Café and Mart E t h i o p i a n s & E r i t r e a n s independent country. He considers Bethel Towers Apartments Stone Mountain, GA 30083 Clarkston, GA 30021 1999 Cheshire Bridge Road himself an Eritrean, though, and a 210 Auburn Ave., NE Contact: Allen Shaklan, Exec. Director 404-294-8899 Atlanta, GA 30324 victim of Ethiopia’s conflicts. His Atlanta, GA 30303-2610 404-299-6217 (phone) 404-299-6218 (fax) Email: [email protected] 404-685-9291 Global Atlanta Snapshots, a component of the Atlanta Regional Commission’s Global Atlanta Works program, help foster understanding Note: Provider of affordable housing Email: ashaklan@ www.enatethiopiacafe.com father was killed when Yonas was a among the rich ethnic and cultural diversity across the Atlanta region. Members of Atlanta’s ethnic communities are recent arrivals or to many Ethiopian, Eritrean and refugeefamilyservices.org ASSOCIATIONS baby and one of his older brothers other residents www.refugeefamilyservices.org Eritrean American Athletic Association Moya ‘Ethiopian’ Restaurant long-time residents and may have cultures and customs different from others in the region. But what they share with others who call the died while serving with the Eritrean Contact: Desale Yacob, president 1371 Clairmont Road REFUGEE AND IMMIGRANT region home is that they all contribute to its success. Global Atlanta Snapshots introduce ethnic communities by exploring their forces in 1977. Refugee Resettlement and Immigration Email: [email protected] Decatur, GA 30033 IN ADDITION SERVING ORGANIZATIONS Services of Atlanta (RRISA) www.eaaarunners.org 404-633-6692 backgrounds, customs and cultures, documenting their roles in the regional economy and highlighting available resources. Abraha came to Atlanta as a refugee Catholic Social Services 4151 Memorial Drive, Suite 205D www.ethiopianmoya.com 680 West Peachtree St. Eritrean Community Association in 1991 when he was 15 years old. TO SUPPORTING Decatur, GA 30032 Atlanta, GA 30308 404-622-2235 1935 Cameo Court\ Queen of Sheba Ethiopian Restaurant He fled Ethiopia with another older SEVERAL FAMILY 404-881-6571 www.rrisa.org Tucker, GA 30084 1594 Woodcliff Drive, NE close ties to Egypt and Greece. Aksum’s first emperor was Menelik, brother, during the civil war being www.cssatlanta.com Contact: Tekleyohannes ‘Tekley’ Atlanta, GA 3032 MEMBERS IN Email: [email protected] according to legend, the son of the Queen of Sheba and King waged for Eritrea’s independence. Note: Contact main office for Ghebreyohannes 404-321-1493 Solomon. Eritrea maintained a high degree of autonomy during They came to Atlanta from a refugee ERITREA, ABRAHA services and outreach center locations) Bridging the Gap Project, Inc. 770-938-7289 Email: [email protected] 77 Forsyth Street SW, Suite 100 www.qsheba.com the Aksum dynasty. camp in Kenya. When Yonas arrived International Rescue Committee RELIGIOUS RAISES MONEY FOR Atlanta, GA 30303 he spoke no English and was nearly 4151 Memorial Drive, Suite 201-C Bethel Eritrean Alliance Church United News Stand 404-581-0044 Today’s Ethiopia is the product of many distinct cultural influences OTHERS, INCLUDING Decatur, GA 30032 (Shares sanctuary with the Lilburn (United Way Building) illiterate. His brother remained in www.btgonline.org over the centuries. Christianity came to the Aksum Empire in the 4th Georgia and lives in Clarkston. One of his sisters, who came AN ORPHANAGE www.theirc.org/atlanta Alliance Church) 100 Edgewood Ave., NE century C.E. (Common Era) and evolved into the Ethiopian Orthodox Abraha can best 404-292-7731 5915 Lawrenceville Highway Atlanta, GA 30303 to Atlanta in 1986, returned to Eritrea two years ago after World Relief Atlanta Church, similar in its theology to the Egyptian Coptic Church. be described as a IN ERITREA. 655 Village Square Drive Lilburn, GA 30047 getting married. He supports this sister as well as another Jewish Family & Career Services RELIGIOUS young entrepreneur. Stone Mountain, GA 30083 Contact: Goitom Mezghedo sister who has never left Eritrea, and his mother who is 4549 Chamblee-Dunwoody Road Clarkston International Bible Church The next major influence came in the 16th century when Eritrea He is the owner Contact: Kim Kimbrell, Community (pronounced Mez.ga.bo) Atlanta, GA 30338 3895 Church St. came under Turkish rule, becoming a part of the Ottoman Empire currently battling serious illness. (The medical system in Relations/Volunteer Coordinator 678-760-3225; 770-381-9645 fax and manager of the Auburn Food Mart on Auburn Avenue. 770-677-9300 Clarkston GA 30021 Eritrea is inadequate and his mother has come to the U.S. 404-294-4352 x231 Email: [email protected] and its Islamic culture. This land along the Red Sea, with excellent He also owns a Shell gas station and convenience store on Email: [email protected] Contact: Rev. Phil Kitchin, pastor for treatment in the past.) Email: [email protected] Note: Services held from 4 p.m. access to other parts of Africa, Asia and the Middle East, was Moreland Avenue and another newly opened store, Atlanta www.jfcs-atlanta.org 404-296-6483 [email protected] to 6 p.m. every Sunday disputed territory, fought over by Turkey, Egypt, Ethiopia, Italy and Food Mart, in the West End. He also owns three houses. www.cibc-sbc.org Saada Yusuf, the owner of United News Stand When Abraha entered Cross Keys High School in Atlanta, he Lutheran Services of Georgia Portugal. In the 1890s, Italy finally won out and established colonial Abraha partners with three cousins to operate the businesses ERITREAN RESOURCES ETHIOPIAN RESOURCES Note: Rehobeth Ethiopian Evangelical on Courtland Street in Downtown Atlanta. was taken in by a woman he refers to as his adoptive mother. 1330 West Peachtree St., Suite 300 Church meets in the same building; rule over Eritrea. and they live together in a small apartment above the Auburn Rachel Campbell, he says, took an interest in him and allowed Atlanta, GA 30309 BUSINESS ASSOCIATIONS Same phone number him to move in with her and her family. Campbell and her Food Mart. 404-875-0201 Auburn Food Mart Who are the Ethiopians & Eritreans? Ethiopia is unique among African countries, the ancient Ethiopian Ethiopian Community www.lsga.org 310 Auburn Ave. Ethiopian Bible Fellowship monarchy having maintained its freedom from colonial rule except family had a major influence on his going to school and In addition to supporting several family members in Eritrea, Association in Atlanta, Inc. Ethiopia, known to the world in earlier times as Abyssinia, traces Atlanta, GA 30303 3700 Market St, Suite D for the period of Italian occupation during 1936-1941. Emperor Haile pursuing higher education. They also made it comfortable for Abraha raises money for others, including an orphanage in 964 N. Indian Creek Drive, Suite A.1 Clarkston, GA 30021 its history to one of the world’s earliest civilizations. Its neighbor, 404-221-9009 Selassie, who had ruled since 1930, was ultimately deposed in 1974 him to maintain his culture, his language, and not forsake his Eritrea. With additional money he has raised, along with the Clarkston, GA 30021 Contact: Tegga Lendado Eritrea, is one of the world’s newest nations, having achieved its Contact: Fasil Cherenet by a military junta, the Derg, which established a socialist state. Torn identity. Throughout his college years, he continued to be help of an American friend and the Eritrean government, he Shell Gas Station Email: [email protected] independence in 1993 after a long and difficult war with Ethiopia. 3100 Moreland Ave. Email: [email protected] by warfare, wide-scale drought and massive refugee problems, the influenced by Rachel as well as by his college professors. has spent the last two years completing the construction of a Both countries are located in northeast Africa, in a geographic Conley, GA 30288 regime was finally toppled in 1991 by a coalition of rebel forces. A library in Asmara. The idea for the Asmara Public Library was region known as the Horn of Africa. This area juts eastward between Abraha has done well academically and professionally. After 404-366-1003 constitution was adopted in 1994, and Ethiopia’s first multiparty a result of his desire to help the youth in Eritrea. He has the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean. Other countries of this region earning three degrees from the University of West Georgia in elections were held in 1995. The long border war with Eritrea, noted traveled to Eritrea twice a year in the last two years with Contact: include Somalia, Djibouti, Sudan and Kenya. Carrollton, he owns a business and is a consultant in city Order printed copies from the ARC Information Center at 404-463-3102 below, ended with a peace treaty in December 2000. thousands of books. The collection contains about 15,000 E-mail: [email protected] or download free from the ARC website at www.atlantaregional.com planning. During his college years he interned in several The peoples of these culturally-diverse countries are challenged to books valued at about $250,000. Atlanta Regional Commission • 40 Courtland St., NE, Atlanta, Georgia 30303 • 404.463.3100 • www.atlantaregional.com Ethiopia’s population is approaching 75 million, although there is organizations including the Carter Center and the Atlanta find permanent solutions and relief from human suffering due in Charles Krautler, Executive Director Darlene Daly, Project Coordinator some flux in this number as Sudanese, Somali and Eritrean refugees Regional Commission.