On Friday, December 13, the 2024 Leadership Macon Class celebrated the official opening of a sensory room at the Booker T. Washington Community Center. Each year, the Greater Macon Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Macon class picks a project they work on throughout the year that will benefit the community.  

“This class heard us and recognized the need in our community to have a safe space like this, and they responded in a most amazing way,” said Andrea Cooke, Macon Mental Health Matters Director. “This new sensory room will be available for both the agencies in the Center and our community to use as needed.” 

“I felt that it was important we start to deal with the issues that plague our community, which is conflict resolution,” said Jeremy Grissom with the Leadership Macon Class. “Being able to manage stress and dealing with difficult situations is tough. This space can help with some of that.”  

A sensory room creates a safe space in a building where children can go to self-regulate and decompress using calming, therapeutic features. The Leadership Macon class converted a room in the Center by painting the walls calming colors and adding special lighting, soft chairs, therapeutic toys, sound machines, and more.   

“The Booker T. Washington Center has become a place where our community comes together to support children and meet them where they are when it comes to their needs, and we wanted to provide the children and the personnel here with something special,” says Olivia Walter with the Leadership Macon Class. “We are creating a calming, safe space that will be of great benefit to all who come through these doors either for assistance or to provide support.” 

The sensory room was made possible thanks to community sponsors such as Georgia Power, Mid South Community Federal Credit Union, C-QUL, and Atrium Health Navicent. 

People can visit the sensory room at the Center Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.