A new nonprofit is trying to give the Lesbian-Gay-Bisexual-Transexual community a place to call home in Athens. The founder, Ricky Roberts, is trying to pull people in Athens together to launch the Common Ground Community Center, and she is looking for people to help her make this happen.

Roberts has been in Athens since 2008 and has been highly involved in the LGBT community since. Now she’s hoping Common Ground, can give LGBT members a central place of their own.

“Well, currently, there’s nothing in the community for the LGBT community. There’s no bar for people to hang out. Although there are several locations in the community where we are welcomed and accepted, and people are very nice, there’s no space for us to call our own,” Roberts told Newsource.

The state recently approved Common Ground’s status as a nonprofit. The group of around thirty now has a P.O. Box and a bank account. They just need their own space to hold events.

“I’ve always wanted a space where the LGBT community and straight allies could call our own,” she said. “Every time we have an event or we wanna do something in the community we have to go and ask someone else.”

Roberts will be holding a meeting at the Coffee Shop of Athens at 6 p.m. tonight to find people who can help make her dream a reality. You can grab some coffee and learn how to get involved with Common Ground.

“We really need like experienced board members,” Roberts explained. “People who have the skills and the talent who can take this from being a lovely idea and turn it into an actual space.”

The group doesn’t have an exact location in mind for the center yet but wants it to be near a bus stop in a central location.

Common Ground will be funded mostly by donations and fundraisers.

By Holly Sweat