SAXTONS RIVER — The founding board of directors for the Saxtons River Community Building has been seeking public input and will soon incorporate as a nonprofit.
On Oct. 15, 37 people attended a meeting at Christ's Church to help shape the vision and direction of the Saxtons River Community Building. It was facilitated by Susan McMahon of the Windham Regional Commission. McMahon also led two Community Revitalization sessions in Saxtons River in 2014.
Saxtons River resident Susan Still explained at the meeting that the Micah Circle, the governing board of Christ's Church, had approached her earlier this year to discuss the prospect of forming a nonprofit organization that would take over ownership of the church building and turn it into a community center. Still is an organization development consultant with a focus on nonprofits.
“I was honored to be entrusted by the church board with starting this transformation process,” Still said.
The membership of Christ's Church has dwindled over the years, which prompted the Micah Circle to begin exploring additional ways that the building could serve the community.
In May, they invited Still to attend one of their meetings, where the board members shared their vision for a community center.
Over the summer, Micah Circle member Donna Anderson worked with Still to research needs and resources in the region, meeting with Main Street Arts, Southeastern Vermont Community Action (SEVCA), Senior Solutions, Windham Regional Commission, United Way of Windham County, the Bellows Falls Senior Center, and all the Windham County Cares groups.
They proposed calling the new entity the Saxtons River Community Building, reflecting the common space of the facility and the intention to strengthen social ties.
At the Oct. 15 meeting, attendees met in small groups to brainstorm ideas for six areas of potential programming: learning, wellness, senior services, food, social activities, and spirituality. Each small group selected its favorite suggestions, and then the whole group voted on its top choices.
Popular ideas included a village newsletter, movie nights, climate change resilience workshops, continuing to host life events such as weddings and funerals, continuing to offer community meals and, in general, nurturing business and community.
Jane Cook, a member of the Micah Circle, described how discouraging the low attendance had been over the last few years.
“But now, the Micah Circle is really enthusiastic and wants to be a part of this new group,” Cook said. “The meeting (on Oct. 15) validated that the community does care about the building."
Sarah Campbell, innkeeper and owner of the Saxtons River Inn, spoke about the similarities between the Saxtons River Community Building's efforts and the events she experienced growing up in the village.
“I think people are looking for that same feeling of community that existed then,” Campbell said. “There were two vibrant, functioning churches, there were 20 different clubs, and there was a Young Adults Club that got together once a month. We had old movies in the church basement on Saturday afternoons.”
“I'm eager to see the building continue to be in use,” she said.
The formation of a community center is one of several new community efforts currently underway in the village. This spring, Saxtons River resident Berta Martin began working on an effort to launch a Saxtons River Cares organization to serve the village's seniors.
The working group to form Saxtons River Cares met throughout this summer, conducting a community-wide needs assessment and networking with other Cares groups. They identified a variety of unmet needs for seniors in the village, including transportation, housing, food, medical care, and social connection.
In September, Martin asked attendees at a Saxtons River Cares meeting whether they would like to merge their efforts with those of the Saxtons River Community Building. Martin reported that the answer was a resounding yes.
The Saxtons River Community Building will be governed by a board of directors that currently includes Micah Circle members Donna Anderson and Barbara Bye as well as Martin, Still, John Bohannon, Ed Dinanny, Amanda Hodgson, and Ethan Lauricella, a high school sophomore.
“The board's role is not to run the programs,” Still said, “but to clarify the mission and set the general direction. The founding board will use the results of the October 15 meeting as well as the Saxtons River Cares needs-assessment to make a plan for which programs to start first. We have no plans to hire staff at this time, so programs will need lots of volunteers.”
The church plans to continue offering religious services after the new nonprofit assumes ownership. Also slated to continue are the church's Blue Door Lunches, served on weekdays in the summer, and its Blue Door Suppers, held on Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m. from fall through spring.
The building also houses the Village Early Learning Center. Still noted at the meeting that the daycare center will continue to operate in the same location.