OUR BEGINNINGS
Our history began in 1911 when a young Deaconess from Alabama was appointed by the Women's Missionary Episcopal Church, South to begin a social settlement for black people in Augusta, Georgia. Augusta was selected because the Methodist Church had established Paine College to which the Missionary Council was already contributing funds. Early programs and services included kindergarten, Girl's and Boy's Clubs, Mother's Club, Sunday School, first public gymnasium for Blacks in Augusta, first supervised playground for Black children, Augusta's first Vacation Bible School, sewing clinic for girls, well-baby Clinic, first black Boy Scout Troop in the United States (the famous Troop 42), first black Girl Scouts Troop in Augusta and Golden Age Club for the elderly. Local historians have commented that prior to integration, Bethlehem Community Center was the only location in the city that served the needs of the entire black community. After 1954 and throughout the 1980s, other programs were established to include weaving classes, sewing classes, athletic programs, Brownies, camping, game rooms, piano lessons, library study, Annual Goodwill Christmas Program, Head Start, Summer Feed-A-Kid, Child Development Center, Young Gents Club, after school tutoring, and infant and toddler programs.
TODAY The New Bethlehem Community Center is walking in the footsteps of the original center and helping those in need. As the community has changed, so has the Center. The Center now offers educational and basic needs assistance to a community that is still imprisoned by income restraints and transportation needs. The Center has come a long way and continues to assess human needs and offer programs relevant to the community. Housing and education continue to be main issues and it is the hope of the Center's staff that with your help we can empower the residents of this community to improve the conditions in which they live.
The Cross and Flame is a registered trademark and the use is supervised by the General Council on Finance and Administration of The United Methodist Church. Permission to use the Cross and Flame must be obtained from the General Council on Finance and Administration of The United Methodist Church. New Bethlehem Community Center is a national mission institution of the United Methodist Church. |