Sometimes, community building can feel overwhelming. Observing our communities, the dire needs alongside the diversity of belief systems and ideologies, it really can feel like there’s no way to find a seat at the table for everybody. Yet, a key tenet of the work we...
The Hoping Machine
The Father of Folk, Woody Guthrie, says “...about all a human being is, anyway, is just a hoping machine.” It’s no accident that hope followed on the heels of calamity and terror when Pandora opened that infamous box. Hope is what gets us up in the morning and keeps...
Woven Together: Working with The Milan Village School
The Milan Village School is a community hub in its own right and the school as a whole works incredibly hard to be active contributors to the community. The sixth grade class, in particular, complete Community Service Learning Projects that they work on throughout the...
Arcana: Art Show at The Three Sisters
What began as a passion project among friends became a true example of creating a shared experience across a wide variety of community members. Local metalsmith Laura Jamison and sometimes artist, mostly community builder Mandy Bernd collaborated on an interactive...
Berlin Porchfest 2023
This event draws from the collective efforts and contributions of many to provide an experience for all. Berlin’s 2nd annual PorchFest was held on September 22, 2023. From 4 in the afternoon until 10 in the evening....
Trunk or Treat, Milan and Berlin 2023
Mandy participated in two Trunk or Treating events during the Halloween Season. Berlin Elementary School’s PTO hosted their Trunk or Treat at the Heritage Park in Berlin on October 24th. Milan’s Recreation Department hosted another at Milan Village School on October...
I’m Going to Show Up
Sometimes, community building can feel overwhelming. Observing our communities, the dire needs alongside the diversity of belief systems and ideologies, it really can feel like there’s no way to find a seat at the table for everybody. Yet, a key tenet of the work we...
Freeze the Water Bring the People
Neighbors in Whitefield were thrilled when the famous ice rink on the Common was brought back to life this winter! The rink has become a tradition and a sense of pride for residents. However, due to weather and volunteer scarcity, the Common sat iceless for many...
Community Building Recap – Building Relationships & Aligning Goals
Community building activities and events from this past fall and winter in northern Coos and northeastern Essex County have truly served to strengthen community ties and align goals. Energy is building around common issues of importance, and community members are...
The Hoping Machine
The Father of Folk, Woody Guthrie, says “...about all a human being is, anyway, is just a hoping machine.” It’s no accident that hope followed on the heels of calamity and terror when Pandora opened that infamous box. Hope is what gets us up in the morning and keeps...
Summer Event Highlights up North
This summer was very busy, but a couple of events I was heavily involved in stood out as truly embodying the work we are doing in community building. After several months of planning with local partners, we pulled together a very successful Splash Pad Social at the...
Latin Beats and Eats: A Celebration of Culture, Community, and Connection
This year’s Latin Beats and Eats event was something truly special. We gathered at The Loading Dock in Littleton, where people from 10 different Latin countries came together to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with the sounds of merengue and bachata, delicious food,...
Strengthening Our Communities – Stratford Rising
Stratford is definitely on a positive up-swing, and the community is making that happen together. As a Community Steward I meet a lot of people and hear about a wide range of needs and goals in the area I serve. The challenge is to find and prioritize common threads...
From Neighborly Chat to Community Success
This was a concerted effort between the Hub, Granite Guild, and the Northumberland Fire and Police Departments. The Ghostbusters were on hand yet again, with a screening of The Afterlife, next to a bonfire with music and free food! The event was well received by residents and requests to make it an annual occurrence. Continue Reading From Neighborly Chat to Community Success
Woven Together: Working with The Milan Village School
Collaboration and dedicated relationship building provided the foundation for an amazing community dinner for area Senior Citizens. Continue Reading Woven Together: Working with The Milan Village School
Coffee on the Common
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