Support the Colson Civic Center!

The Colson Civic Center has provided food, clothing, and fun to Letcher County since 2021. They host Halloween parties, fall hay rides, Easter egg hunts, and Christmas celebrations with Santa. At Christmas, kiddos in Letcher County can get a present from the Colson Civic Center, and anyone who needs it can get a winter coat and other gear.

When Eastern Kentucky was flooded in 2022, the center was underwater. They have been tirelessly working to recover since then, despite being flooded two more times since 2022. After 3 floods, the Colson Civic Center needs your support more than ever.

Clean4Change has been leading flood relief mutual aid trips to Letcher County since 2024, and have decided to take a focus on the Colson Civic Center. By supporting community hubs, we invest in every person in Letcher County and surrounding areas.

The Colson Civic Center was started by Shirley, who was a teacher at Beckham Bates Elementary School, now the Colson Civic Center. Beckham Bates shut its doors in 2012, and there was a sense in Letcher County that the property needed to stay alive in some way, as you can hear in this Mountain Eagle article. Shirley bought Beckham Bates Elementary with the idea of doing just that: creating a space where Beckham Bates Elementary can be remembered by all in the community, and where they can build new memories full of fun and happiness.

Now, they serve as a distribution center for food, water, winter gear, and other necessary items for any community members in need. They have distributed over 3500 winter coats, given 2500 presents to kids at Christmas, and touched countless lives. They host holiday programming like an annual corn maze and hay ride, providing free entry to children and only $5 entry for adults.

The center is also home to a thrift store, full of items donated by community members and sold to benefit the center. They offer necessities for free to those who can't make a donation. The Colson Civic Center also partners with organizations focused on ending hunger to host food pantries at the center. They have hosted 6 food pantries so far, feeding over 3000 families. Lastly, they host “special days” for children with autism, offering a sensory-safe space for children to come and enjoy the day. Supervised by volunteers trained to work with children with autism, the kids have free reign over the center to play in the bounce house, on their swing set, play basketball, or play inside.

In the future, they plan to create a pollinator garden, a library room, an exercise room with equipment, and plan to continue their current programs. They have a vision of a thriving Letcher County budding with opportunity that has a space for every person to feel welcome: The Colson Civic Center.

To make this dream a reality, we need your help. Flooding has destroyed this property and they need to replace their roof, septic system, boiler system, windows, doors, among other maintenance. Right now, they struggle to keep their doors open. Please consider donating to the Colson Civic Center, and investing in the success of Eastern Kentucky.