Unobtrusive, the Peggy Crosby Center plays a vital role in the health and vitality of the Highlands community.

Heading up Fifth Street toward Highlands School you pass The Peggy Crosby Center. Resting atop a wooded knoll overlooking Highlands Park condos, this, unassuming red brick building may seem somewhat mundane, but it's a gem for the entire community. 

Many of Highlands' most influential non-profit entities including The Highlands Literacy Council, The Center for Life Enrichment, Gilliam's Promise; and The Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust call the Peggy Crosby Center home. PCC is a real blessing to these organizations because it offers them quality office space at affordable rents - a real challenge in towns large and small.

Just think how much the community would be diminished if area children and adults did not have The Literacy Council to help them improve their reading or get their GED. Area young people benefit from the drug-­free activities and education from student-led Gilliam's Promise.

Thank goodness there's the Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust protecting our land and natural resources and providing ongoing educational programs through eco tours and speaker events.

So many people attend the classes and lectures offered through the Center for Life Enrichment. Not only do employees of local businesses benefit, we all learn here. Some specialized businesses also call the Crosby Center home. These entities offer services to our community like geriatric care, catering, financial services, and an entrepreneurial consulting service helping emerging businesses. Without the center, these businesses probably would have to relocate outside of our area. 

Since its inception in 1993 when the Highlands Hospital vacated this building, the PCC Board has worked tirelessly to collect funds to maintain and improve the property. Careful not to interfere with the fund-raising efforts of their tenants, the center conducts a single targeted mail campaign in the fourth quarter each year. It is the generous donations from this campaign and a few hard-won grants from generous benefactors that underwrite the Center's improvement budget.

Please remember the Center in your annual giving. Last year's updates brought a soft palette on the walls offering a perfect backdrop for eye-catching art. New carpeting diffuses the noise as eager students rush to their classes. With expanded internet and updated restrooms everyone is happier. Many of the enhancements are not visible -improved insulation, energy-­efficient windows, an upgraded fire suppression system, and improved lighting to name a few. During 2015 improvements are moving outdoors and will include painting, parking areas, sidewalks, and landscaping.