There is a lot going on at the Rosa Jackson Community Center. The center, located in East Macon at 1211 Maynard Street has been a beacon of light in the community for decades. The center received a much-needed makeover last year, which included new computer labs, a splash pad, a new gymnasium (in addition to the current one), a fitness center, new furniture in the game room, additional meeting rooms, and a new kitchen. These are just some of the additions and improvements made to the center.

Besides the renovations, what else is going on at Rosa Jackson Community Center? There is an afterschool program for elementary school aged students. While at the center, the students receive help with their homework; they receive an afternoon snack and dinner as well. There are about 20 students in the afterschool program.

There are multiple health and fitness programs offered at the Rosa Jackson Community Center. The center offers karate classes, which are held twice a week. To those looking for a way to get fit or to stay in shape, the center holds a low impact exercise class twice a day during the week, one in the afternoon, from noon to 1p.m. and the other in the evening, from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. There are also Zumba classes every Thursday evening from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.

The center recently started a chess club in January 2018. The club is open to players ages 10 and older. Players do not have to have any experience in the game.

Macon Community News - Rosa Jackson
A volunteer helps a student with homework. Photo by Rodricka Foreman.

What about all those meeting rooms that were added to the center? Well, the center allows different groups of people or organizations to utilize the rooms weekly. There are Narcotics Anonymous meetings held twice every week at the center. A local Girl Scout troop holds their bi-monthly meetings there on Fridays. Citizens sometimes rent the rooms on the weekends to host events such as baby showers or birthday parties. The Rosa Jackson Community Center fills a need in the community by providing this space.

Every month, Rosa Jackson Community Center has something new and exciting going on. In addition to the regular scheduled activities the center will be hosting the following events during the month of March:

On March 2, 2018, the center will host a birthday party for Dr. Suess. The birthday party celebrating Dr. Suess is an effort to encourage reading. Guest readers will be in attendance, and families are invited to come and enjoy readings of Dr. Suess’s most famous books as well as other fun activities.

On Saturday, March 3rd, the Urban Community Empowerment Organization will present the SEEDS Initiative. According to the flyer, the SEEDS Initiative is a “program whose mission is to shift the culture of our community in a positive direction, by offering social, educational, and economic development solutions that will transform lives! Our goal is to influence youth, individuals and families to improve their quality of life and move from AVERAGE to EXCELLENT!”

The event is open to the public and all ages are welcomed. During the event, there will be an academic bowl with youth from across the city competing to win the title of SEEDS Academic Champions. The list of speakers for the event include: Pastor Dominique Johnson, of Kingdom Life Church, who is also the president of the Urban CEO; Dr. Tonya Coons, educator and founder of The Vision Challenge; Arizona White, Broker for Gateway Realty Professionals, and founder of The Phoenix Project; and Joseph B. Washington, Founder/CEO of Average Breaker LLC. Free food will also be provided.

Every 4th Friday of the month, Rosa Jackson Community Center offers a program that has been known as Senior’s Funky Fridays. This month the theme is “The Pink Party;” the party is scheduled on Friday, March 23rd, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. (Next month there will be a senior prom, for senior citizens, and the prom will be Friday, April 27th, from 4-7 p.m.

The center will also host a Spring Break camp for students from March 26-30, 2018. More details on the camp will be available soon.

The Rosa Jackson Community Center is certainly busy: in addition to the events above, several different sports programs are offered at the center as well. The Recreation Basketball League just ended last week, with games being held at the center.

If you would like to host an event at the center, participate in an event at the center, or for general questions and information, contact the Regional Center Director Kendra A. Moore, MSW at KMoore@maconbibb.us or by phone at the center (478) 751-9169.

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