Kid’s Kottage Ribbon Cutting

Kid’s Kottage held their ribbon cutting ceremony Thursday, Nov. 10th with a large crowd attending. The Kottage will be used by the Gilmer County Department of Family and Children’s Services (DFACs) for the Independent Living Program. The facility will provide a home style environment for supervised visits for children with their non-custodial parents. Judges Bradley, Mercier, and Weaver were on hand to help celebrate the dedication for the Kid’s Kottage; which is the first of its kind in the state and maybe in the country. After the Gilmer County Chamber’s ceremonial ribbon cutting Pastor Dave said a prayer of dedication; followed by Judge Weaver’s gracious words expressing the amazing work by so many that had gone into the project.

Weaver thanked Tom Porter and spoke of the dedication plaques on the walls stating, “everyone from lawyers wives to drug court participants” has played a part in seeing the completion of this wonderful facility. She also praised our House Speaker’s efforts in making this day possible as she introduced David Ralston.

Ralston addressed the large crowd gathered at the Kottage and happily presented an additional $2,500 donation to Tom Porter. Ralston, instrumental in passing the 2008 bill that made Kid’s Kottage possible noted that no other community has had this sort of project.
He told us one of the greatest benefits in his position is “getting to see Georgia” telling us he had just experienced a wonderful visit to Patterson, a small community in SE Georgia. However he went on to say he has never seen any community with the kind of spirit and care of Gilmer County’s. Ralston complimented all involved saying, “a job well done” in creating a place to help families through very difficult times.