On July 7 the community turned out for our first “Bash in a Bag” community dinner. Unable to plan for our typical “Bash at the Boatyard” over the winter months thanks to the pandemic, we wanted to find an excuse to gather as soon as it was possible. With a great deal of help along with some terrific sponsors, the “Bash in a Bag” came to fruition. Modeled after our popular off-season Community Cafe luncheons, the evening proved to be a hit. Although we’re excited to return to the Boatyard for our regular summer celebration next year, the “Bash in a Bag” provided a great chance for our community to connect.

Did you know Tai Chi classes are offered every Monday morning at 8:00am? Anyone, regardless of their level of experience (or lack thereof) is invited to come take part and give it a try. Class is held on a donation basis, so you can contribute any amount you are comfortable with.

For those of you considering giving Tai Chi a try, instructor Andrea Lepcio has come up with a “Top 10 List” highlighting just some of the benefits…

On Thursday, July 1, Artemis Gallery will be holding an opening reception featuring artists Rob Finn, Tamara Gonda, Josh Hurst, Bill Mayher, and Diana Roper McDowell. What makes this opening so special is that Artemis Gallery will be generously donating a portion of sales to The Neighborhood House in honor of Cody van Heerden.

The pandemic didn’t allow us the ability to plan our typical festive summer fundraiser, the “Bash at the Boatyard,” but now that we’re getting back into the swing of things we didn’t want to miss the opportunity for our community to gather. It’s been a while since we could meet in person and not via Zoom or from behind a mask, and we want to celebrate that!

We are so excited to not only have our gym space running at full speed once again! In addition we are thrilled to offer an the community an expanded roster of fitness classes including Tai Chi, Yoga for Skillful Living, Mat Pilates, and Asanafit.

It’s going to be a tremendous summer as we get back into the swing of things! The calendar is filling up with events and activities for all ages, but for kids in particular there are a lot of fun days in store! If you have any questions or would like more details about the programs listed below or anything else, please reach out to us at 276-5039, via email, or feel free to stop by our main office— we’re happy to help!

Instructor Richard Parker will be offering “Yoga for Skillful Living” every Wednesday and Sunday from 8:00 to 9:00 am beginning on Sunday, May 2.

Are you Tai Chi curious? Come learn about this slow moving enjoyable practice. We’ll move through some simple forms as an introduction. Andrea will share the history of Tai Chi and her experiences learning the forms. She’ll discuss research supporting the health benefits of Tai Chi including building strength and improving balance. If this workshop sparks your interest, we’ll be offering a Tai Chi class this summer.

As the tenth season of the Community Cafe comes to a close, we are thrilled to report that not only did the program survive under the difficult circumstances of a pandemic, but it has thrived! “Attendance” continued to grow and serving up 150 takeout style lunches was typical throughout the season. Best of all, we got see many of the folks from around MDI who have been Cafe “regulars” for years and the takeout model helped us welcome many new faces as well.

If you have yet to get the opportunity to join us for lunch this year, you’re in luck! Carryout luncheons are scheduled for Thursday, April 15, as well as Thursday, May 6 (a makeup from January), and for good measure we added one “grand finale” luncheon on Thursday, May 20.

With a year’s worth of experience with this whole pandemic thing under our belts and a bit of hope on the horizon, we’re looking forward to an amazing summer. There’s plenty to celebrate, and we hope you get the chance to join us!

nstructor Ashley Graves had such a positive turnout for her first series of youth dance workshops that she will be adding classes to the schedule for the spring. New classes have been added on Saturday mornings from Marach 14 until April 17.