We Broke Ground!
Pictured (Left to Right): Ty Knight, Project Director - Ashley Taylor, Program Coordinator - Jasmine Shepherd, Program Coordinator - Dr. Channell Barbour - Justin Bass, Board Member - Gerald Wallace, President & Founder - Jodi Hopkins, Board Secretary - Ella Altidor, Impact Analyst - Dr. Christy Shepard, Board Member - Jenny Goldstock Wright, Philanthropic Advisor - Kay Jennings, Board Member
On October 13, 2025, the ALICE Community Center officially broke ground on Phase One of its campus, featuring a Head Start, a Tech Center, and an Outdoor Pavilion.
The ceremony brought together community leaders, partners, and residents to celebrate the beginning of construction for a space designed to serve and create opportunities for residents of Childersburg and its surrounding areas.
The new community center facilities will serve as a welcoming hub for residents of Childersburg and its neighboring areas. The first phase of the community center campus features TCR’s new Head Start facility to provide students ages six weeks to five years old with a safe classroom environment. After years of operating out of mobile units, the Head Start will serve as a permanent brick-and-mortar classroom for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers, providing critical services in early learning and development as well as family well-being. The site will also contain a Tech Center that offers community members with access to innovative technology, educational programs, youth development initiatives, and workforce development training. The center will serve as a gathering place where community members can connect, develop skills, and strengthen local partnerships.
The event featured remarks from community partners, including Gerald Wallace, President & Founder of ALICE; Kay Jennings, Executive Director of TCR Child Care and ALICE Board Member; Jodi Hopkins, Board Member; John Mark Freeman, President and CEO of the Greater Coosa Valley Chamber of Commerce; and Danard Batts, Rural Marketing Manager from T-Mobile, whom awarded ALICE a T-Mobile Hometown Grant in support of this project.
ALICE also acknowledged its incredible project partners such as Design Initiative, the architecture and design team, and Hoar Construction, the project’s general contractor.
“Today marks a dream, a vision. We're not just breaking ground - we are building hope, opportunity, and a stronger future for Childersburg.” said Gerald Wallace.
Founded on the belief that every community thrives when its people are given the tools and support to succeed, ALICE Community Center is committed to being a place where hope, opportunity, and growth come together.
