Engage & Educate: Volunteer Mixer
Monday, April 21st, 2025 | 12:30 - 2:30 PM
Starlight Apartments Conference Room (355 NW 6th Ave) -Meet us there!
We invite all current and potential volunteers to join us for a Volunteer Mixer! We'll have a brief training session with valuable insights and updates, time for sharing ideas, discussing concerns, and connecting with fellow volunteers. We look forward to seeing you there!
Meet new intern, Shoshana
Come by on a Thursday to say hi!
Community Room
Shoshana will be joining us in the Community Room every Thursday until May 8th! In the mornings you can find her playing board games, doing puzzles, and chatting. In the afternoons, she'll be part of another six-week collaborative art project with a neighborhood building. Shoshana is passionate about how community connections build a sense of belonging.
Member Passing
Marsha Lynn Davidson
March 17, 1967 - February 10, 2025
We are sad to share that Marsha Lynn Davidson passed away in February. She was a cherished Member of Maybelle Center and will be missed.
Community Art Collaboration with Crystal
Friday, April 4th, 2025 | 3 -5 PM
Community Room
In the spring of 2025, Crystal will debut her first visual arts exhibition, “A Thousand Hands,” at the Visual Arts Center in Newport. Join Crystal in the Community Room on Friday, April 4th, to help create one of the artworks that will be featured in the gallery! This is an opportunity for us to participate in a larger project and connect through the act of creation!
Conversation about Gender Identity
Friday, April 11th, 2025 | 3 - 4 PM
Community Room
We have been working hard to expand our tools to create belonging for our trans and non-binary Members and we are ready to begin including our Members and volunteers in the conversation.
In order to share what we have learned, we will host a gathering to connect and talk about ways we can practice being respectful to our trans and non-binary Members. Sign up in the Community Room if you want to join the conversation to discuss respecting gender identity and ask questions in a safe container.
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!
Report out
Sharing some behind-the-scenes Neighborhood Programs work
From Program Director, Andrew Brown
A lot goes into planning and running our Neighborhood Programs that isn't always visible. We wanted to share some of that work and a preview of more to come!
This year we are investing in more Arts and Culture programs. We've done this with our guest theatre instructor, our spring Write Around Portland session, our March Art Classes at Starlight, and a collaborative 6-week art project at the Katherine Grey Apartments.
This spring, we are looking forward to finishing up some long-term projects that will allow us to more accurately describe our work and fulfill our mission. This includes finalizing our Theory of Change, which is our road map of our programs, describing all the ways Members can engage with Maybelle Center to build a sense of belonging. We hope to share this with you soon and look forward to your curiosity and questions.
Have you met with Shane, our Lead Member Inclusion Coordinator, to complete a survey and interview all about your experience at Maybelle Center? If so, then you've been helping us with another big project of ours: a longer term assessment of our programs. With this survey, we'll be able to see how our programs are doing and we hope to share the completed results eventually.
If you haven't participated in the Member survey, we'd love to hear from you! Reach out to Shane via email: sskinner@maybellecenter.org or in the Community Room. We even offer thank-you gift certificate for sharing your insights with us.
Staffing announcement
Jenna on Sabbatical this Spring
Jenna Padbury, our Education Coordinator, is taking a planned break from her work to attend the Great Vow Buddhist Monastery. We will miss her while she is away but will continue to host student volunteers.
If you have ideas about how you’d enjoy interacting with student volunteers, talk with Andrew, our Program Director (abrown@maybellecenter.org or (971) 202-7448).
Free Clothing Boutique this Month!
Friday, April 25th, 2025 | 1 -3 PM
Community Room
Local clothing vendors will be back in the community room hosting a pop-up boutique of free clothing. Join us to shop some fun and exciting inventory! The selection will primarily be women's clothing, but some men's options will be available.
Member's Corner
Feathered Delights!
Have you spotted these lovely birds showing up around Maybelle Center? They are by our Member, Resident, and artist, Lenos! Thank you, Lenos, for making Maybelle Center a more artful space for us all.
Share your art with us!
Connect with Shane to be published: sskinner@maybellecenter.org
Ongoing Opportunities
Changes to ongoing opportunities:
- No scheduled Community Room closures in April 2025
- 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 [2025 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. (April date: 4/8)
- Karaoke: On the 2nd & 4th Tuesdays of the Month, from 1:30 - 2:30 PM in the Community Room. (April dates: 4/8 and 4/22)
- 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). (April date: 4/24)
- 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: Every Thursday, 11:15 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: Every Monday, 3-4:30 PM in the Community Room.
- 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