Center Point staff, officials and supporters are hoping to raise $1.2 million as they kicked off their annual capital campaign Thursday morning at their newest location in Flowery Branch.
"The main reason for this fundraiser is to finish our south Hall location, our second location for Center Point, and this is the education factor. We have counseling intact in the part that's already finished and the secondary part, which is phase two, brings in the education so we can serve the high schoolers around here with the classes," said Linda Ingle, Director of Development.
"We want to make a general purpose area but part of that general purpose area would be used to teach the high schools around here - Flowery Branch, Johnson, these kinds of places. So students can come here, learn about the academic study of religion," said David Callaway, Director of Education. Callaway also said the facility could be made available for community use when it's complete.
The counseling facility is already built out, which has two therapists in house, including a tri-lingual play therapist. The education and counseling portions run alongside a mentorship program, directed by Marie Davis.
"I hope that, very shortly, we'll be able to do more trainings here and make it more accessible for people to come to the training," said Davis. "People are busy. They have to fill out an application and get a reference, and if we have more space for them to be trained, it would just make it a lot easier."
Department of Juvenile Justice Commissioner Avery Niles was the keynote speaker for the breakfast. He spoke about how Center Point impacted his life as a teenager, and answered questions about youth in Hall County and his experiences with them.
"The more we, as a society, can reach out to our children, our youth, the better off the conditions are in which I have to work, the better it is in which the community has to grow," Niles said. "'Each one, reach one, teach one, keep one,' and I advise that throughout my whole staff."
The organization ended with a video detailing the capital campaign and the unveiling of a donation meter - which needed to be updated after Doug Magnus and his family decided at the event to donate $100,000 to the campaign.
