A Southwest Atlanta nonprofit’s big plans for a full-scale afterschool program are on hold after vandals gutted the building they were counting on. Agape Life Prevention Center says the new site in the Perkinson neighborhood was trashed so badly that its opening has now been pushed back to 2027, with the interior left stripped of sinks, saddled with a destroyed electrical panel, leaking water and missing copper piping. Leaders say the damage will cost tens of thousands of dollars to fix and has knocked out plans for the upcoming school year.
Vandals Left Interior In Shambles, Operators Say
According to WSB‑TV, Kawon Jones and his wife, who run Agape Life Prevention Center, walked the station through the wreckage, pointing to busted sheetrock and sinks yanked out and piled on the floor. “We were flabbergasted. We were completely let down,” Jones told the station. WSB‑TV reports the electric panel was destroyed, water leaks had sprung up and copper piping had been stolen, with local estimates putting plumbing, HVAC and electrical repairs near $50,000.
Fundraiser Aims To Cover Repairs
The nonprofit has turned to the community with a fundraiser on GoFundMe, organized by Tiara Bracey and Kawon Jones. The campaign lays out the damage, asks for help to restore the space and calls for better security. On the page, replacing fixtures and repairing key systems are listed as top priorities. The effort shows a $25,000 goal and roughly $200 raised as of this posting. Organizers say community support could speed up the work and bring programs back sooner than that 2027 timeline.
What Agape Does And Why It Matters
According to the Agape Life Prevention Center website, the group runs dance, arts and social-emotional learning offerings for children across metro Atlanta. The organization describes its mission as healing through movement and mentorship and had already been providing afterschool dance and art classes before this planned expansion. Program leaders and volunteers say the delay leaves a real gap for families who rely on structured enrichment and safe, supervised afterschool options.
What’s Next For The Center
For now, the team is focused on clearing debris, getting contractor estimates and rallying community support while they work to cover repair costs. Jones told WSB‑TV that “being that this sense of damage that we have, we’re looking not this particular school year but 2027” for a full reopening. The nonprofit says it will share updates on the fundraiser page and through its community channels as progress is made.
