By Michelle Graff - Marietta Daily Journal Staff Writer
Reprinted courtesy of The Marietta Daily Journal

AUSTELL - Four women from the Women's Service Circle of First Presbyterian Church in Marietta have adopted a
new baby, and it is about 11 feet long by 11 feet wide. Circle leader Anne Edwards, joined by members Nancy Jo Kirk,
K.K. Petit and Sean Nix, redecorated the media room at the Cobb/Douglas Community Service Board's Austell center
as part of a program by the center to revamp its interior decorating.

The Cobb/Douglas CSB provides mental health and rehabilitation services for over 12,000 consumers between Cobb and Douglas counties annually. About 80 consumers use the CSB's Austell center on a daily basis.

"We have been thinking about it for months," said CSB volunteer coordinator for adult day services Mary Robeck about the decision to redecorate the center. "Your environment affects your self-esteem. "We just thought it was important for our consumers." The Women's Service Circle is the first group to volunteer for the project. She said the CSB hopes to get enough groups to redo 15 rooms in the center. Only one other group, the St. James Episcopal Youth Group, has committed to a date for another room redecoration, she said. "We've had a lot of offers, but that's the only one we have a date for," she said.

Performed May 17, the Women's Circle redecoration included repainting the room yellow over the dull purple paint coating the walls, new curtains for the window, new throw pillows for the room's furniture and an area rug. The redecoration's total cost, which was allocated to the women's group through the church's general fund, was about $160. "It's amazing," Ms. Robeck said of the finished product. "It's bright. It's cheerful. It's inviting. It's cozy."

And while the women's work is the first step for the CSB in redecorating the center, it is not the last for the group made up of about 20 women who came together in September 2001. "We want to do something out in the community," Mrs. Kirk said. "We like to do one a month. We have not quite met that goal, but we're coming pretty close." She said the adopt-a-room project of the service board fits the goals of the women's circle perfectly, which tries to take on projects the group can accomplish in less than 24 hours.

While total redecoration time for the room took only four hours, circle member Mrs. Nix spent several hours on the project prior to the redecorating day from fabric purchased at a local fabric store. "Done-in-a-day projects is the idea," Mrs. Kirk said. "We were trying to pick something where you can participate in the community and just do it in a few hours." Past projects of the women's circle included organizing Thanksgiving baskets for the annual Thanksgiving Basket give-away at the Cobb Civic Center, organizing care packages for the church's college students and buying and sorting toys for less fortunate children at Christmas time for Cobb Family Resources.

Nancy Jo Kirk of Kennesaw puts the finishing touches on the media room at the Austell CSB Center.

Any civic group wishing to volunteer for Adopt-a-Room at the Austell CSB Center may contact Ms. Robeck at (770) 499-2422.