The Center at Orchard Hill Seasonal Newsletter
June to September 2022
The Center at Orchard Hill is emerging. We are weaving threads from the history of this land and place, the long past and the recent past. We are weaving these threads with what is happening now into a sparkling, emerging future. In these times of bringing to light the stories of all people, we listen. We are creating a learning community and restoring traditions that celebrate and nurture; for all people, ages and stages. We imagine into being a culture of kindness and connection with the animals, birds, pollinators, trees, plants, insects, and mycelia. All our relations.
This newsletter is to show you in photos what this community got up to over the summer. We would even more like to show you in person what is happening! You are invited here. The people, all of us, are welcomed by this land and this space. Join us!
Summer Camp
We gathered at Orchard Hill, growing vegetables, radiant berries and fruit. Joyful meetings of campers, making art, and friends! We held four weeks of Nature Day camps that included Art, Forest, Craft, Fire, Gardens, and Pond. We built together with Water, Song and Sacred Feather, and Thanksgiving Circle.
Teen Programs
Amazing counselors joined our school-age campers and participated in their own fun, two-week program. Sammy Burhoe’s invitation to the teens at the beginning of the program captures it all: “This will be a full and easygoing mix of outdoor and artsy fun. We will have numerous workshops to offer, and are also hoping to co-create a lot of our time together. Let’s put down our screens for a bit and pick up some dirt, instruments, paints, a good rock friend, yummy food, iced tea, flowers, baby animals, each others’ sad vibes, each others’ happy vibes, (actually all vibes are welcome), creative thoughts, tough questions, uncertain answers and…
Partnerships
Orchard Hill Breadworks
THANK YOU to the Breadworks and the hardworking and joyful bakers who held 13 Pizza Tuesday fundraisers with music and friendship over the summer. In total, the Breadworks raised over $ 15,000 to benefit 13 different nonprofits, including The Center. So much gratitude for your community benefit engine!
Community Village: The Power of Ceremony
Thank you to the Community Village Folks who are raising up a village in the name of ceremony and healing. This September, a sacred fire ceremony was held and led by three elders: Mayan Spiritual Guide Nana Wilma, Chief and Elder Paul (Gwilawato) Bunnell of the Abenaki Ko’asek Nation, and Healer Una Gallager along with the Community Village radical culture carriers Marcella, Kate, Brighid, Laura, Chief David, Suzette, Elizabeth and Fenua. Bringing workshops and spoken word for justice were Rosa and Spiritchild of the Maroon Liberation School.
The village rose up on this land to hold three days of ceremony for 50 participants. We brought prayers and gratitude for the sacred fire, nurturing our spirits and energy to carry on. The impressions of the ceremony continue on the land and we await the time when the village will rise up again next year.
Continuum Arts and Culture
Thank you Andrew Drury for sparking this new project of partnering with us to welcome artists in residence here at The Center. It was a joyful and enriching experience to get to know JR Rhodes and to share our community with her. She is a gem of a musician and a true kindred spirit. JR is a singer-songwriter who lives, records, writes, and performs in Seattle, WA. Check out her website.
Play and Art / Play is ART
Wonderful friend and leadership member Alissa Schwartz created a Theater Piece, Bread & Bread, a meditation on the bread delivery route she did for Breadworks this summer and her history with Bread and Puppet Theater. Alissa brings her work/play in collective leadership to us throughout the year. We love you, Alissa!
Community Events and The Commons
The Community Garden project was born this spring. Seven families grow food with and for each other, all ages and stages. We return to and nurture the Commons.
Gratitudes
Thank you to our neighbors at Mill Hollow Heritage Trust for hosting our campers for a fun historical experience with water and the physics of harnessing water’s power. We walked to Chase’s Mill to make water wheels on three trips. Our campers were so engaged. We love this program! We look forward to partnering with you in many ways in the future.
Monadnock Developmental Services - We recognize the beauty and importance of including children with differences and developmental delays. MDS has recognized us for this for many years. Your generosity allows us to continue welcoming these children! Thank you.
Jeffery Smith Farm camp scholarship distributed by Cheshire County Conservation District - Thank you Amanda for your continued outreach and generosity for the last 15 years. Campers facing food insecurity and housing experience new possibilities for self reliance in community while working the community gardens and sharing fresh picked snacks.
Alstead Conservation Commission - A special thank you to Sarah Webb! The ACC has provided many years of camperships for Alstead families.
Generous Donations from our Dear Allies. We thank you so much. Your gift made this possible.
In this time it is vital to Restore Justice, Joy, and Connection.
We offer our Deepest gratitude and Shout outs to:
Our camp leaders: Meg, Chloe, Ann, Yumiko, Sammy,and Billie
Alissa Schwartz, for “ Being the change” she wishes to make in the world, assisting, advising, calling us to reflection and insight together
Assistants, Robin and Russell
Arts teachers, Ann and Yumiko
Lifeguard Lanie
Counselors in training: Aster, Akil, Alex, Ayinde, Ethan, Gray, Nayo, River, and Taylor
Gracias, Arigato, Merci,
13 Thank you’s and Honey in the heart,
Keep Healthy, Keep Hopeful until we meet again,