ATLANTA — In 1992, Mary Parker moved to Atlanta, where she started ALL N ONE and became the first-ever Black woman-owned full-service security firm. Now, 30 years later, Parker has returned to Atlanta to give back to small business owners.
Junction 2800, formally known as the Campbellton Road Community Center is a multipurpose community center complete with programming for small businesses, juvenile justice and education.
Junction 2800 is one of the five programs announced by Mayor Andre Dickens that will serve as small business resources through the city's economic arm satellite office.
The center is part of Parker's efforts to offer communities in southwest Atlanta entrepreneurial and education resources that allow residents to succeed.
Parker said she saw a need in the area.
"I could have chosen anywhere in the world to do this, but I chose Campbellton Road. I chose Southwest Atlanta because I saw where Atlanta was being omitted or forsaken," she said.
The center also serves as the new home to Parker's foundation, the Mary Parker Foundation. An organization dedicated to investing in underserved communities.
"That's what we're doing at Junction 2800, we are creating a hub, a hub for opportunities for southwest Atlanta but also for other surrounding communities to stop and gain access to the resources that we're bringing to that particular community," said Parker.
The center was purchased months prior to the pandemic shutdown. It offered virtual programs and is now open to the public for in-person events.
To learn more about Junction 2800 click here.