Putting unity back in community. Those words echoed by the ever-resilient Volunteer Coordinator and Librarian Judy Henderson and the tireless volunteers at Rico Cultural Center could not be more appropriate as the center celebrated its one year anniversary Tuesday. And for such a small community the past year has overflowed with enough activities to make heads spin.
On their own for a year now, the all-volunteer staff at the former Rico Elementary School at 6505 Rico Road in Chattahoochee Hill Country had a year full of activities, classes and events not easily rivaled by much larger facilities with paid staff. One of the primary reasons for re-opening the old school was to establish a community library. That endeavor was no small success, with a current offering of more than 3,500 books and more waiting in the wings once space can be found to fill more shelves.
But the library operation is only a small part of the activities and events that fill the calendar. A sampling of the events associated with the center include Spring on the Green, Teen Coffee House, the monthly Parent’s Night Out, Meet the Author, Astronomy Night, Visit with Santa, Polar Express Night, a monthly Community Breakfast, craft festivals, blood drives and the July 4 celebration.
And then there are the classes, all kinds of classes. The center sponsors watercolor and stained glass classes, pottery and jewelry-making classes, drawing for beginners, youth and adult tutorials, adult back safety, card making and circle dancing, to name a few. And on stage just down the hall, Hill Country Montessori recently held their production of “Our Town.”
And then there are the clubs. Homemakers, Garden and Book clubs regularly meet at the center as do local Girl Scouts and Cub Scout troops.
With thousands of volunteer hours already spent putting unity back in the community, it is hard to imagine what the next year at Rico Cultural Center will bring.
Rico Cultural Center is open Mondays-Saturdays from noon until 6 p.m. Contact Rico Library for more information at (770) 463-6319.