Booker T. Washington Community Center celebrates 45th anniversary, plans for sensory room

The Booker T. Washington Community Center is celebrating 45 years of serving the Historic Pleasant Hill Neighborhood and Macon-Bibb County. On Friday, November 8, the Center held an Open House and unveiling of a plan for a sensory room.

This year's Leadership Macon Class presented to the Macon Mental Health Matters Alliance the plan to create a new sensory room. Each year, the Leadership Macon class picks a project they work on throughout the year that will benefit the community.

"This class heard us and recognized the need in our community to have a safe space like this, and they responded in a most amazing way," said Andrea Cooke, Macon Mental Health Matters Director. "This new sensory room will be available for both agencies in the Center to use as needed and our community."

A sensory room creates a safe space in a building where children can go to self-regulate and decompress using calming, therapeutic features. The Leadership Macon class is converting a room in the Center by painting the walls calming colors and adding special lighting, soft chairs, therapeutic toys, sound machines, and more. Members of the class will be available during the open house to describe the benefits of the room and how the public can help make it a success.

"The Booker T. Washington Center has become a place where our community comes together to support children and meet them where they are when it comes to their needs, and we wanted to provide the children and the personnel here with something special," said Olivia Walter with the Leadership Macon Class. "We are creating a calming, safe space that will be of great benefit to all who come through these doors either for assistance or to provide support."

After the Booker T. Washington Community Center celebrated its 45thanniversary with a Partner Appreciation Open House. The event was hosted by Macon Mental Health Matters and Southern Center for Choice Theory and was sponsored by Francis and Wade and the Urban Development Authority. Light refreshments will be served. 

"This is a chance to celebrate a building that more than just four walls and a pool. We get to celebrate an empowering space that has served the needs of our community for 45 years," said Cooke. "We want to look back and celebrate those who came before us, thank those who work here now for people, and make sure the entire community knows of the services we're providing.

People were able to learn about the many services provided, including mental health support, music and the arts, wealth development, housing services, diapers, books, and more. The Pace Center for Girls, Eric Foundation, Wealth ASAP, OWL, C-Qul, Southern Center for Choice Theory, and Macon Mental Health Matters were all part of the Open House.

"The services people need to lead healthy and successful lives should be easily accessible, and that's what we're trying to provide here at the Booker T Washington Center," added Cooke. "We work with so many great partners here that share that vision, and they deserve our praise and support."