Write Around Portland: Spring Session
Every Thurs, starting March 13th through May 1st, 3-5 PM (Sign up required!)
Community Room
Join us for another Write Around Portland 8 week session! This is hands-on creative writing workshop is available for 18 Members and is devoted to generative writing and the transformative power of writing in community. The workshop incorporates exercises to inspire the writing life, including freewriting, work with writing elements, strength building feedback, and early draft revision. The workshop culminates in an anthology publication and public reading!
Open to writers of all levels and experience. Sign up in the Community Room or contact Jennifer at 971-202-7466.
Art Unveiling Event
Thurs, March 6th, 3 PM
Katherine Gray Apartments (1115 SW 11th Ave) Meet us there!
Last year Neighborhood Programs launched a pilot art program to strengthen alignment and bridging by offering some of our social engagement opportunities in the buildings where Members reside. In January, we began a partnership with the Katherine Gray Apartments to co-create a large art installation that will be permanently displayed in their lobby. Join us for the celebration and unveiling on March 6th, at 3 PM!
If you are interested in participating in one of these upcoming art projects, contact Anastasio at 971-202-7451, awrobel@maybellecenter.org.
Art Projects at Starlight Apartments
Tues in March, 3-4 PM
Starlight Apartments (355 NW 6th Ave) Meet us there!
In March we are offering weekly Tuesday afternoon art classes in the beautiful Zephyr Art Space hosted by our neighbors at Starlight Apartments. Last year we made a series of portraits, charcoal still lifes, landscape paintings, and more. Our art will be showcased in an art exhibition later this year!
Join fellow Members and Starlight residents to connect this month through art.
Call for Volunteers: Fundraising Event Help!
Tues evening, April 29th, 2025
Every year, our fundraising team runs a big event to raise critical funds to pay for our programming (to the right are moments from the 2024 event).
If you are curious about the event and would like to help us make it a success, consider signing up for a volunteer role! We will need help the night-of to welcome our guests, direct attendees to their seats, and other possible positions. Sign up in the Community Room if you are interested.
Elevator Project
Starting in March
Courtyard & Southside rooms
We wanted to share that an exciting renovation for the Macdonald Residence is scheduled to get started this month: a whole new elevator is being added! This means there will be some space impacts on our program offering. We won't have access to the courtyard and some of the Southside kitchen area while the project is underway (most likely through 2025).
We won't be changing any classes or activities, but we wanted to share what was going on! Staff will demonstrate how to get from the Community Room to the Southside rooms without the courtyard, once things are started.
The More You Know...
By Member, Patty A.
Sharing a few tips and insights!
- Walgreens offers a 20% discount for seniors on the 1st Tuesday of each month.
- If you are a member of AARP, you can attend advance movie screenings for free. Check it out in their online newsletter or their Movies for Grownups webpage (https://bit.ly/3ElkXT5).
Coming soon: Earth Tones NW Music Therapy
Tues in April (April 8, 15, 22, 29), 3-4 PM
Community Room
Calling all musicians and music enthusiasts! We once again have the honor of coming together and experiencing the joy of listening to, composing, and creating our own music. This workshop will be a relaxing and fun exploration of our musical abilities. No musical experience necessary!
Learning Opportunities
We’ve gathered recent feedback from our Members who are trans or non-binary that they are not feeling the same level of belonging as others at Maybelle Center. We want to use the this newsletter to share some information that we think is helpful!
This month we want to name and acknowledge Transgender Day of Visibility which happens every year on March 31st. There are over 1.6 million trans, non-binary, and gender-expansive people across the U.S. and some of those folks are right here.
Let’s talk about gender!
“We all express our gender in various ways. Some folks don’t fit into the gender binary. I don’t feel that I fit into that binary, so I use they/them pronouns. We don’t have to understand someone’s pronouns to use them and respect one another.”
To ensure everyone feels belonging, we are currently working to develop training and materials to help our community learn more about gender identity, practice using people’s pronouns, and facilitating spaces for these conversations to happen in a safe container.
Stop by the Community Room to learn more or reach out to our Lead Member Inclusion Coordinator, Shane: (503) 715-2095, sskinner@maybellecenter.org.
Member's Corner
Collaborative Florals
This is a Collaborative Floral Artwork that many Members and staff worked together on. Working together to make art can be so rewarding and FUN. We are excited to be offering more opportunities to create art together: check inside this month's newsletter!
If you’d like to see this piece in person, you can find it behind Shane’s desk in their new workspace in the southside staff kitchen space.
Share your art with us! Contact Shane to be published: 971-202-7445, sskinner@maybellecenter.org
Ongoing Opportunities
Changes to ongoing opportunities:
- No scheduled Community Room closures in March 2025
- Women's Group, Men's Group, and Rainbow Group will be combined into one large group: Heart Circle, and will be held on Thursdays at 11 AM in the Classroom. This group will be facilitated by our Member Inclusion Coordinator, Shane. Heart Circles will be a safer space for folks to speak from their hearts, to be heard, and to listen. We can still break out into Men’s, Women’s, and Rainbow Group from time to time, but this change will help make our support groups more consistent for everyone involved.
- Introducing: Online Chair Yoga, Mondays 9-10 AM! Benefits of chair yoga include stretching tight muscles, reducing chronic pain, decreasing stress and anxiety, and improving circulation and strength! Join us via zoom every Monday morning to practice from your own chair. Enter the website into your browser (https://bit.ly/4jGzZmr) and then open the zoom meeting. If you are asked for more info, the meeting ID: 819 4753 4249 and the passcode is: 691908 [If you need assistance contact: Mary Bedford-Carter at (971) 202-7453 or mbedfordcarter@maybellecenter.org]
- Wildwood Paused for 2025: Due to budget and staffing needs, this year Maybelle Center will not be offering our annual trip to Wildwood. This was announced at our most recent Member forum. We know this event is much anticipated and well-loved and we hope to offer this outing again in 2026. We will continue to provide opportunities for connection and belonging. If you have any questions, feel free to chat with any staff.
Ongoing opportunities details:
- Community Room [adjusted hours]: Monday, 1–3 PM; Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays 10:30 AM – 2:30 PM.
- CareOregon Advantage Q&A: 2nd Tuesday of the Month, 10:30 AM - Noon in the Community Room. Reps from Care Oregon will answer your questions on aging, disability, and Medicare. (Jan date: 1/14)
- Karaoke: On the 2nd & 4th Tuesdays of the Month, from 1:30 - 2:30 PM in the Community Room. (Jan dates: 1/14 and 1/28)
- Movie and Popcorn: Every Thursday 12:30 - 2:30 PM in the Community Room. Grab a bowl of popcorn and enjoy a classic film or new blockbuster together.
- Street Books Mobile Library: Every Thursday, 1:30 PM in the Community Room. Check out a book or two without worrying about fees, fines, or an address.
- Birthday Party: Last Thursday of the Month, 1:30 - 2:30 PM. A monthly celebration of member birthdays with cupcakes (gluten-free and sugar-free available). (March date: 3/27)
- Bingo: Every Friday, 10:30 AM - 12:30 PM in the Community Room. Join us for some friendly competition and get ready to shout "Bingo!"
- March Arts Project at Starlight: Meet us at Starlight Apartments for an art class every Tuesday in March from 3-4:30 PM.
- Choir: Every Monday, 11 AM - 12:30 PM in the Classroom and online: maybellecenter.org/choirzoom
- Heart Circles: Starting January 9th, every Thursday, 11 AM in the Classroom. A safer space for folks to speak from their hearts, to be heard, and to listen. This will be a combined group in place of Men’s, Women’s, and Rainbow Group, facilitated by a staff member.
- Member Forum: Quarterly, 11:45 AM - 1 PM in Southside A and B. Join us each quarter to brainstorm new ideas, discuss any concerns, and eat pizza. (Next meeting will be on Friday, April 18th, 2025)
- Theatre Class: Usually every Monday, 3-4:30 PM in the Community Room. On Monday March 3rd, 10th, and 17th, we have our special instructor and the session will run longer from 3-5 PM.
- Online Chair Yoga: Monday mornings 9-10 AM. Join us via zoom every Monday morning to practice from your own chair. Enter the website into your browser (https://bit.ly/4jGzZmr) and then open the zoom meeting. If you are asked for more info, the meeting ID: 819 4753 4249 and the passcode is: 691908