Vandals trash southwest Atlanta youth center and cause $50K in damages, founder says

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — A southwest Atlanta couple says vandals tore apart a building they were preparing to open as a youth arts and dance center, causing what they estimate to be about $50,000 in damage.

Tiara Bracey-Jones said she and her husband founded Agape Life Prevention Center and planned to open the building as a safe space for underserved youth to express themselves through after-school programs, including art and dance.

“It’s supposed to be an after-school art and dance program, a safe space for kids to come if you are autistic, ADHD, or just a regular person,” she said.

Bracey-Jones said they recently went to check on the property and found it partially destroyed.

“We came and checked on the house. When we came here our landlord was here and it was just completely vandalized,” Bracey-Jones said.

Bracey-Jones said the damage left the building unusable. She said thieves stripped out wiring and took the air conditioning system, leaving them unable to turn on lights or use plumbing.

“You can’t even operate in here. We can’t even cut any lights on in here, flush the toilet, do nothing. The wiring is all gone, the AC system is gone,” she said.

Bracey-Jones said the organization is now asking for community help to cover cleanup and repairs.

“All the money is going to go toward cleaning up,” she said.

Despite the setback, Bracey-Jones said she is not giving up and plans to move forward with the center once repairs are made. For now, the couple is renting other spaces to accommodate their programs.

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