Appalachian Children’s Center opens new quiet room
At a certain depth, the ocean isn’t disturbed by storms, hurricanes and other chaos.
The Appalachian Children’s Center’s (ACC) newly-painted Quiet Room hopes to provide children a similar peace.
“It’s an area for kids to go and regulate their nervous system,” Family Advocate Jennifer Poole said of the ocean-themed room.
The room, painted by volunteers from King of Kings Lutheran Church, will serve as a place where abused children can find peace.
The ACC works with children who have been abused, neglected or maltreated. It also works with law enforcement to investigate child abuse.
“We want to make sure kids don’t slip through the cracks,” she said.
After a public open house Saturday, March 28, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., at 160 Sailors Drive, Ellijay, the room opened for use for the children at the clinic.
The room includes walls painted with colorful and serene art of dolphins, fish, ships, pelicans, lighthouses and other ocean scenes. There’s even a turtle lamp that projects rippling blue light.
“I think there’s a smallness to the space that helps kids to feel safe,” Poole said.
To complete the room, the church volunteers had to replace some walls, then paint the whole room into a beautiful ocean color scheme.
“It was literally just an unfinished space,” she said of the room before the church helped.
Often, it seems like child abuse is something that happens far away and just appears on the news, Poole said. But the truth is that it happens in our community.
“That stuff happens here too,” she said. “But if we ever go to our community and ask for something, they respond.
Sometimes, your attention, care or concern can be the reason why a child is willing to talk about abuse.
“It could be volunteering, it could be donating, it could be just telling someone,” Poole said.
No matter the situation, the road to healing from abuse starts with opening up to someone who can help.
On girl at the center made a “complete 180” because of her hard work in therapy, therapist and forensic interviewer Max Greyson said.
“She told me that she has finally found someone who hears her and believes her, and that I was the first adult in her life that she felt she could trust,” he said.
The kids who attend ACC share similar messages in anonymous notes they provide to each other about the center.
“You can come here and they can help you,” “Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game” and “I want others to know, don’t be afraid. You’re gonna get help,” their notes read.
If you need help, or have concerns about an abusive situation, you can call the center at 706-273-2225.
Anyone can help protect children from abuse by keeping an eye out for potential danger and showing love.
“Being a believing, supportive adult in the lives of people and children around you is probably the most actionable thing you can do,” Poole said.