Clarkston Community Center Foundation Inc

I came to CCC as a volunteer for Hands on Atlanta Day. After taking a tour of the facility, I found that a lot of the programs offered by the center were things I shared an interest in; such after school programs, senior refugee programs and artist programs. I volunteered to help with programs and joined the board.
Since becoming a part of the Clarkston Community Center family, I have had the opportunity to meet and work with people from different cultures and we have bonded together to form a community working for common goals.
I really love the Clarkston Community Center and plan on being of service as much as I can to help it grow.

Lesley Dixon
Clarkston Community Center BOD

The CCC had become my place of "community. " They foster education and culture for all people and have created a space for creativity, and thinking outside the box. They are bridging faiths and cultures through their inclusive approach, and expand people's thinking around art and music. The CCC embraces people of all places in our world. Thank you CCC for supporting the arts!

The CCC is a wonderful venue for all kinds of activities. It is always hopping with unique and fun events like contra dancing, Fall Festivals, Thanksgiving Potlucks not to mention offering great programs like the food bank, gardens and art classes.

I am the art coordinator for Clarkston Community Center--three years and counting. I contact artists and schedule fine art shows at the Center--six per year. In doing so, we are bringing outstanding fine art in a variety of mediums and styles to an underserved community. In this role, I have come to know the Center well and its extraordinary impact and value to this amazingly diverse community--considered one of the most ethnically diverse towns in the United States. The scope of CCC's services, from its Food Security Program, After School, GED, ESL and Senior Refugee programs to its sports and arts programs, festivals and performing arts programs brings the community together in a way that no other organization does or could do. I love hearing the comments on the art we hang from the various people of all ages--everyone is an art critic! Clarkston Community Center enriches--and sometimes saves--the lives of all those who come here. -- Judith Schonbak

Never have I experienced a community center that so completely embodies that name. The CCC has truly become the center of our community and a beloved and invaluable member of the community as well.
I have worked with a lot of non-profits, both in community service and in the arts, and rarely have I seen one that does so much, so right.
The CCC is a cornerstone of our community, and also has thriving relationships with our other cornerstones, making the overall community much stronger. I love having the CCC as my neighbor, as part of my community -- and, speaking as someone who's also made a career in community service and non-profit work, they are a great inspiration to me in my own work as well.

The core work of the Clarkston Community Center is community building and individual empowerment which it does through an emphasis on life skills education, arts and culture, sustenance and community resources. The voice of the community is the driving force behind all that we do. Every time you walk in the Center you are met with a buzz of positive creative energy.

I have had the opportunity to see what the Clarkston Community Center is doing to serve the Clarkston Community and the skill and dedication of its staff and volunteers as they serve. It is humbling to see the commitment of people to each other and to their mutual welfare displayed in and around the activities of the Center.

I have worked with many non-profits that serve low-income communities. I can honestly say that Clarkston Community Center is genuinely an organization guided by the community it serves. With incredible diversity and a community struggling with poverty, CCC answers the call by providing innovative programming to support young people in their education; adults in their workforce skills, and elderly with care and nurturing.

It's an amazing place and I'm proud to work with them!

Tonja Holder
Durga Consulting

I'm both a volunteer and and a client served, taking Tai Chi class, attending the Bluegrass Festival and especially the Farmer's Market. The Farmer's Market is my favorite since it has grown to include art from the locals. They've worked so hard to add vendors and provide a mix of everything that's relevant to the visitors.
I love seeing the kids at the after-school program studying, the soccer field and basketball court filled with kids & teens.

The Center has provided crucial support for community building in the Clarkston area for several years. More recently, the Center has begun expanding the number and variety of services it offers to local residents. As a result, the Center now plays a central role in improving the lives of many in the Clarkston community.

I serve with a non-profit organization geared toward empowering, educating and supporting refugee women as they navigate pregnancy and childbirth in the US. The Clarkston Community Center has been a tremendous gift to us and the women we serve. The CCC provides a wonderful space for us to host classes serving refugee women. They are friendly, reliable and go out of their way for us. They are truly committed to the Clarkston community and reflect its diversity. I highly recommend becoming involved with the many activities and resources provided through the CCC!!

Outstanding service to the community! CCC support a diverse population serving over 100 countries who've come to the US as refugees. The new leadership (over the past 3 years) has a proven track record of partnering with other agencies to ensure excellent ent services for all. in the community.

"A gathering place for art, education, recreation, and community building", and that's exactly what the Clarkston Community Center is. I'm one of the leaders from the Clarkston Youth Initiative and it's a joy to know that, it was at the CCC where our group was born and has grown up from the past few years. Being apart of the CCC's family for the past 3 years has meant a lot to me, and will continue my participation as long as I can. I highly recommend that people come and contribute to the different programs and amazing opportunities we offer here at the Clarkston Community Center. Being involved is the way to go!

I have to say Clarkston Community Center unites the city and welcomes everyone with warm open arms. The residents of Clarkston are lucky to have CCC in their midst.

Clarkston Community Center makes room for everyone to participate, explore and build bridges. It truly is a community center. I have volunteered with the Center at various times. More recently, I am working with Clarkston Youth Initiative and the area youth on college preparation. The youth are the most wonderful kids I have had the pleasure to know. Staff and management are very supportive in providing us space, networking and more.

This summer we conducted a SAT boot-camp. The kids took a full SAT test at the beginning of the boot-camp and at the end. Every student increased their score by atleast 300 points!

This valuable community gathering place makes Clarkston a better place to live by welcoming so many educational and artistic programs to its beautiful old building.
In reaching out to diverse ethnic communities , the center builds bridges between old residents and new, and improves the lives of all with its farmers market, sports programs, classes, and special events.

I work with a school preparing refugee teens to transition to public schools and colleges. The Clarkston Community Center has been a precious and invaluable community resource for helping these teens from war-torn regions. Their staff has been invariably helpful in dealing with issues, providing space when needed, providing important services to a population in need of help as it works to integrate itself into American society.

The CCC provides a wide ranging series of programs that directly affect all of us who live in The greater Clarkston area in a positive way. it is the cultural and social hub of the area in addition to providing much needed services to the community.

CCC is a unique place for cultures to intersect. As I walk down the hall to a synagogue choir rehearsal I pass a large room and hear powerful African drumming . I see people coming in from the ecologically advanced designed community garden and see children playing and older adults in conversation. It is a true blessing to the community. The summer market is also a collection of multicultural experiences and goods.

I dance nearly every Friday night with the Chattahoochee Country Dancers, and am astounded by the fabulous work being done at the Clarkston Community Center. From the Local Farmers Market, to Art Exibits, Yoga, Zumba, ESL classes, this place is always hopping with activity. And it's all centered around bringing people together, building community, and fostering friendships among the most diverse demographic spectrum imaginable. I'm so thankful for the CCC and all the blessings it brings to us.

I have served on the CCC Board for about seven years and have found the growth in programs, volunteers and collaboration to be very encouraging. The Clarkston area is a very diverse area with many immigrants. Through the efforts of the CCC, the city and small but growing business community we are making real progress in reaching the good people of the area and Central DeKalb. We and our partners offer ESL, Student Success after school programs, a community garden, a periodic Farmers Market, Friday night dances through the Chattahoochee Contra Dancers, programs for seniors, Tai Chi, Yoga, soccer and basketball; and event rentals including the beautiful Angora Hall. Local entertainers and artists use the CCC on a regular basis. Consider getting involved!

I love the CCC! I have volunteered there only once; mostly I just enjoy going there and experiencing the life of the community. My husband, daughter and I have all made music with the folks at "Goatville Jam", a wonderful group of pickers, strummers and singers. While we're there playing old-time American country music, we see African dancers practicing in one part of the CCC and immigrants studying for the citizenship test in another. We've enjoyed the photography exhibits and the monthly farmers' market as well. This is a real COMMUNITY center with something for everyone!

Once a neighbor asked me what the Clarkston Community Center had to offer. I took a deep breath and starting listing the benefits: Classes such as Tai Chi, Yoga, Zumba, & Contra Dancing….art, music, festivals, farmers market, vegetable gardens, summer camp, bicycle repair shop…volunteer opportunities such as after school programs, ESL (English as a Second Language) classes…beautiful rooms to rent (very reasonable price) for receptions, dinners, community meetings….. information center with flyers…and so much more. Our Clarkson Community Center not only provides a place to participate and network with our diverse community, but also a place to contribute and share.

It is my honor to be on board and serve the community in fact I know Clarkston Community Center helped a lot of people and the change people’s life. when you change people’s life you give them hope and when they have hope they will be creative (The Journey of a Thousand Miles Begins with One Step)

The Clarkston Community Center has been home to a musical community which I host, called Goatville Jam, for more than 6 years. This monthly country music jam has benefitted greatly from the CCC's cooperative staff, its upkeep of its facilities, and its belief in cultural diversity. My wife and I served on the CCC board several years ago. It was at the encouragement of then-executive director John O'Kelley that I brought the jam to Clarkston from midtown Atlanta. Several regulars at the jam have branched into songwriting, using the jam to try out their latest creations and gather critiques. A typical jam will include instrumentalists on fiddle, guitar, steel guitar, drum kit, cahon, mandolin, bass and accordion backing up a half-dozen vocalists. Over the years we have collected lyrics and chords to more than 250 classic country songs, and video clips from some of our jams are in the YouTube collection. CCC is a valuable asset run by good people. We collect $5 a head for musicians and audience members alike as a thank-you to the CCC for its loyalty to Goatville Jam.