Small Business, Big Heart

Story By: Ella Adler, Sacred Spaces Editor
Photos By: Jonah Hokit

Her face lights up with a bright smile as she waves to a friendly face across the coffee shop.

“How do you know him?” I ask her after a brief conversation about the Twilight series.

“He is a customer at the Refillray!” she answers.

Kate Bennett is the owner of New Way Refillary in Grand Junction, Colorado. Bennett was born in Marhanets’, Ukraine. Her passion for knowledge has been rampant since she was a kid, according to her mom. She can be found reading, and never says no to a game night with friends. She considers herself to be. spiritual person, believing that we are all connected & there is something greater. Over the years, Bennett’s dreams & goals have changed, but they all have one thing in common: they stem from her love for helping people.

As a little girl, she always knew she wanted to be a part of a humanitarian movement. In her teenage years, this yearning to help others manifested itself into aspirations of being a therapist. In university, Bennett studied Hospitality Management.

To succeed in hospitality, Bennett decided that she needed to have exceptional English. this goal, driven by her desire to serve, led her to an online language website. Through the website, Bennett & her now husband were matched up to be language partners. Online, Bennett helped her husband learn Ukraninan & her husband helped her learn English.

She moved from Ukraine to the U.S. six years ago to be with her husband. When she moved to the U.S., she & her husband lived in Utah. While her husband was at work, Bennett didn’t want to just sit at home so she started a job search.

In her search, she found an opening at an elementary school. The job title was ‘Literacy Interventionist.’ Benett applied & soon after got the job.

“I don’t know how they hired me. I didn’t have any English speaking references, I didn’t have anything related to education,” Bennett says. “I could speak for my heart & my love for kids. I was just like, hey, I really want to do something.”

After working in Utah, her husband’s job sent them to Grand Junction. The couple was hesitant about the relocation, but slowly, Bennett started to find her place in the community.

Bennett continued to work in elementary schools after their relocation. As COVID-19 started to shut down schools, she left her position & began to spend much more time at home.

One day, she was scrolling through Facebook and saw an ad for a refillary in California. A refillary is a store or a business that allows customers to bring in empty containers and refill them with toiletries & cleaning supplies (i.e. laundry detergent, dish soap, face wash). According to New Way Refillary’s website, the goal of a refillary is to provide sustainable options & decrease single-use packaging.

“Moving from Ukraine to the United States, I has a big cultural shock of how much is purchased here, how much is thrown away, & how much exists here, & not in Ukraine.” The idea of a minimal waste refillary inspired Bennett, in a way, the practices of a refillary would allow her to keep Ukraine with her.

Bennett pondered this notion. Quickly, she came to a decision: “This needs to be in Grand Junction.”

“Why do we buy a bottle every time if we can just refill it?”

Kate Bennett

For months, Bennett laid out her ideas. Her parents had owned their own businesses throughout her childhood, so she knew the basics of running a profitable business. She asked questions about Grand Junction to see if a refillary was truly a good idea.

“I did my research, it was a new business model, & there was nothing wrong with it. It’s a great business,” Says Bennett.

Less than two years ago, Bennett’s passion project turned into a successful business. Bennett expressed her gratitude for the people of Grand Junction and their willingness to support her & her business.

During my time with Bennett at a coffee shop, she waved & talked to numerous people. Bennett’s sustainable shop supports not only environmental wellbeing, but has brought together a community.

Bennett can recall many vulnerable & honest conversations with customers; they share stories & struggles & oftentimes, lasting friendships result from these conversations. New Way has allowed Bennett to continue in her humanitarian goals.

“I met Kate as a customer after she opened the brick-&-mortar location f New Way,” Kayla Golub said. Golub is a customer & friend of Bennett’s. Golub has always been impressed with Bennett’s passion for sustainability, but this is not the only thing that stands out about Bennett. “When I met Kate…we had a great conversation about life & each other’s background & from there ended up building a great friendship.”

Recently, Bennett has taken a remote role at New Way. Her heart is for people, & her family is the reason. The ongoing war in Ukraine has impacted Bennett & her extended family. In order to help her family, Bennett & her husband moved to Seattle.

“Bigger cities have more resources for immigrants & refugees,” Bennett explained. She hoped that moving to a larger city would give her family a better opportunity to find shelter in the U.S. but efforts to help her family have not been as easy as she had hoped. The move to Seattle prompted Bennett to step away from her hands-on approach to New Way.

Bennett recently found a community member to help with the on-site operations of her business so that she can focus on her family. She feels as though a community member is the best person to take over. “Members of this community supported me when I had no one. They made this business successful and have become my true friends.”