Renting Our Space…
and A Future Plan for an Oakhurst Center for Community
Oakhurst Baptist Church is exploring the idea of leasing church space to an independent charitable organization (501c3) to develop a center for engaging the community. We are excited about this potential endeavor to collaborate, while being impactful, with our neighbors.
Our Vision
The purpose of the Oakhurst Center for Community (OCfC) will be to create a space that promotes personal, family, and community health, social justice, and interconnectivity. We envision a hub for like-minded people and organizations whose values, passions, and purposes align with each other. The Center creates building uses centered on food, art, drama, counseling and support services, youth, offices of progressive organizations, and adult enrichment programming that inherently create connections across social, economic, racial, and age barriers.
The Center creates a microcosm of what a polarized world needs to heal: Connecting people who do not look like each other and who have had significantly different life experiences. It brings diverse people together to explore new opportunities, collaborate, and even share a meal together.
New Building Uses
The building would be designed to offer the following components:
- Much-needed after-school tutoring, drama, art, and other activities for children and youth across a socio-economic spectrum;
- The creation of a commercial kitchen to house Just Bakery Atlanta, a nonprofit very important to the OBC community, and a smaller second kitchen for other refugee-serving organizations, community partners, and the church;
- A suite for youth and family counseling services;
- Co-working offices and spaces for nonprofit organizations, and
- A café and gathering spaces for diverse communities.
Potential Partners and Tenants
The array of programming and services will be offered by building tenants and partners with the general focus areas of:
- Social justice and racial equality
- Creative arts, including food
- Community and youth activities
- Environment/sustainability
The idea is that the whole is indeed greater than the sum of the parts, where there is a symbiotic and organic relationship with all who work – and play – in the building. Making the most powerful impact is multifaceted and collaborative, and the center will magnify the efforts of many by bringing them all together.
For more information, or to rent our space, please contact:
Laura Johnson
