ISLAND COMMUNITY CENTER HIGHLIGHTS
COVID-19 Update 9/18/20:
Greetings Island Community,
The community center is working to reopen its doors! We are
excited to announce we are going forward with slowly opening up
for programs. We are starting to allow programs that do not serve
food or require physical exertion. We will be contacting those
programs that qualify directly to set up a return to our space. All
visitors will need to wear a mask and plan to do extra cleaning.
We have taken steps to have extra cleaning done as well. At this
time, we can offer community walking in the gym or individual
training.
Please know that we are anxious to fully open our doors and see
everyone we have missed so very much. As things move forward
and improve, we will continue to add more programs. If you would
like to be contacted about a program, please let us know.
As we have done throughout this pandemic, we will continue to
seek out options that will allow us to serve our community within
social distancing guidelines. We are thinking outside the box these
days and your ideas are welcome.
Wishing everyone the best,
Jeannie – Executive Director, ICC
COVID-19 Update 7/17/20:
Greetings Island Community,
I wanted to reach out to let you know the board made the very
difficult decision to continue with the center’s closure for all
programs and activities. The community members that we serve
on a daily basis continue to be amongst those at the highest risk.
Maine has done a wonderful job so far, compared to the rest of the
country. We feel we need to do our part and continue with these
precautions. The Island Community Center is vital to this island.
We do not want to be responsible for spreading a possible life-
threatening disease, however unintentional it would be.
We recognize that this will continue to put many programs and
activities on hold until further notice. The board, Saige, and I will
keep in contact and continually evaluate the situation and keep you
informed.
Please know that we are also anxious to open our doors and see
everyone we have missed so very much. As soon as we possibly
can, we will do just that.
In the meantime, we will continue to seek out options that will allow us to serve our community within social distancing guidelines. We are thinking outside the box these days and your ideas are welcome.
Wishing everyone the best,
Jeannie – Executive Director, ICC
COVID-19 Update 4/24/20:
Hello, friends of the Island Community Center,
In response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Island Community Center is making the difficult decision to make changes to every program and event we do. We feel it is necessary to continue doing our part to prevent the virus from spreading through our community. We’re focusing on new and inventive ways to bring events to the community. In areas where this is not an option, we must be socially responsible and make the difficult decision to cancel.
Sadly, we must cancel some events to do our part to keep the level of infection to a minimum. For 2020,
we will be canceling our annual Flash in the Pans Street Dance, scheduled for June 22nd , and Fisherman’s Day, scheduled for July 19th . This was to be our first year of organizing this event. We will refund any payments made towards this event. We are already looking forward to 2021, and the joy that being together as a community will bring.
We are moving our Stonington Six road race to an online format. We feel with some major changes to the format, we can still offer fun running opportunities around the 4th of July holiday, with the same “get out and run” attitude. We also know that online auctions are one of the many new ideas on the market today, and we are looking to utilize this for the Island Community Center’s Annual Auction fundraiser that takes place on Monday, August 10th . Stay tuned for more details on the changes to both of these events over the coming months.
We are searching for daily programs and activities that can be done online as well. We are looking at cooking classes, sport-specific training, creative writing classes, music classes, group sing-a-longs, and so much more.
The decision regarding Camp Kooky, our weekly summer camp, is still being assessed. We are looking at ways to minimize personal interactions while still being able to serve area children. We are doing all we can to make camp happen. If for any reason we cannot, we will refund any down payments that have been made. We will make a final decision at our monthly board meeting, scheduled for mid-May.
To keep informed of changes to programs and events, please visit our Web site at https://www.islandcommunitycenter.net, or visit us on Facebook or Instagram. If you would like to be added to our email list or have any questions, please send us an email to
director@islandcommunitycenter.net. Thank you for your understanding and continued support of the Island Community Center.
Jeannie Hatch
Island Community Center Executive Director
COVID-19 Update 3/22/20: Although we are going through trying times we are remaining optimistic and planning for the future. If we are unable to continue with any upcoming events we will be sure to keep everyone informed. At this time the Island Community Center will be closed to all programs through the month of April. We are currently in the process of looking for ways to develop programs to honor social distancing but also allow families and individuals to enjoy activities together. Stay tuned for more updates.
- The archery safety class scheduled for April has been CANCELED.
- IHT Nature camp scheduled for April has been CANCELED.
- The Great Down Easter Egg Hunt scheduled for April has been CANCELED.
Greetings Island Community,
I am reaching out to you our Island Community Family to let you know we will be closing indefinitely as of tonight (March 13th ) at 6 pm. This was a difficult decision that I and the board did not make lightly. Things are changing so rapidly in terms of protocol for responding to COVID-19 that we are acting with caution. The community members that we serve on a daily basis are amongst those highest risk. At this point, we must be prudent and do our part to prevent any potential exposure. Given the current facts, our community isn’t at risk at this moment, but this could change very quickly. We are trying to do our part to alleviate fears and prevent possible spreading of this virus.
We recognize that this will put many programs and activities on hold until further notice. The board, Saige, and I will keep in contact and continually evaluate the situation and keep you informed. Thank you for all your support and understanding as we navigate this global issue.
Wishing everyone the best,
Jeannie
Stories
On a cool September morning, John walked backward gently guiding his wife Joan, forward. They have been together for over 45 years. They arrive faithfully each spring and fall for a few weeks to take in their beloved Deer Isle. They love to explore the shores of Sandbeach, frequent their favorite eateries, and watch the boats in the harbor. In recent times, Joan has suffered a health event that has made walking a struggle. She deeply wants to come again to her favorite place. He loves her deeply, so he brings her. For him, there is no difficulty too big to overcome, if it makes her happy. Given her struggles, Joan must walk each day to build her strength. In Stonington, the hills and bustling sidewalks make it too great of a challenge for her to get the walking time in. Here at the Island Community Center, we offer community walking in the gym area. The gym is perfect for what they need; it is level, spacious and dry. John & Joan stop by twice a day during their visits to walk as many times around the gym as she can handle. He tells me, "We could not have continued to come if we did not have a space to take her walking each day, thank you."