A local charitable organization opened its doors Friday in an effort to introduce new employees to the community and reconnect with others.

&#8220We really had a wide variety of representatives and other people here today, and we received a great deal of positive feedback from all who attended,” said Annette L. Jones-Baskin, executive director of the Exchange Club of Vicksburg Child Abuse Prevention Center.

About 35 people attended the two-hour open house. The roster included representatives from Haven House Family Shelter, Warren County Children’s Shelter, Vicksburg Family Development, Warren-Yazoo Mental Health, Warren County Youth Court, Warren County Sheriff’s Department, social workers with the Vicksburg Warren School District, CAP Center board members and the general public.

Ann Nassour of Vicksburg attended the open house and said she was glad to see people taking an interest in the center.

&#8220This place does so many wonderful things, and so many people just don’t know about it,” she said.

Last year, the CAP Center aided about 2,200 people, and its volunteers logged nearly 670 hours, said Jones-Baskin.

Chad Sonnek, a board member of the agency since it was established 22 years ago, agreed with Nassour.

&#8220This center does truly great things for a lot of people, and I hope this open house can make the community more aware of that,” he said.

The CAP Center, a private, nonprofit agency, aims to prevent child abuse and neglect. Its doors first opened March 4, 1985, through the efforts of the Exchange Club of Vicksburg and the Warren County Council for Child Advocacy.

In January of this year, the center gained the highest accreditation possible through the National Exchange Club Foundation.

The CAP Center is sponsored by the Vicksburg Exchange Club and the National Foundation for the Prevention of Child Abuse. It provides a number of services, including community awareness and education activities, a 24-hour Crisis Hotline, a Parent Resource Library and limited emergency assistance.

Its seven components are the: