WENA Encourages West End Residents to Join In!
By Mark Tappan, WENA board member
The West End Neighborhood Association (WENA) kicked off its Join In! initiative at the annual WENA picnic on Tuesday, August 13th at Harbor View Park. The goal of Join In! is to build community by fostering relationships among all residents of the West End and to create a more inclusive and welcoming neighborhood. It will include a specific focus on intergenerational activities and events to encourage deeper connections between young people and adults. Join In! is funded by a Caring Community Grant from Maine Medical Center.
The WENA picnic was attended by more than 50 residents. It featured art activities for children sponsored by Love Lab on Brackett Street, science activities for children and adults sponsored by WENA’s Reforest the City Project, an art and community-building activity table sponsored by the WENA executive board, and a special bubble station for young and old alike! The evening concluded with the group Ukuleles Heal the World leading all in a community sing-along.
Join In! Free Showing of ‘Join or Die’ Documentary
The Join In! initiative continues with a free showing of the film “Join or Die”. This documentary focuses on the role that civic involvement and engagement play in promoting individual and community well-being. Join us on Monday, September 23rd, 2024, at 6:30 p.m. in the Reiche Community Center on Clark Street.
This feature documentary went nationwide this summer after winning awards in several major film festivals. It follows the half-century story of America’s civic unraveling through the work of social scientist Robert Putnam, author of the best-selling book “Bowling Alone.” Putman’s research on America’s decades-long decline in community connections also holds answers to our present crises of social isolation and loneliness.
The film weaves historical analysis and contemporary community profiles. It features the types of civic organizations that Putnam has found to be foundational to a healthy democracy. One of the organizations featured in the film is Bowl Portland, a thriving local bowling league at Bayside Bowl in Portland. Find more information about the film at https://www.joinordiefilm.com/.
Looking Ahead 2024-2025
WENA’s “Join In!” programming for 2024-2025 will include: convening community study circles to follow up on questions, issues, and ideas generated from the film. Also plans include sponsoring a West End Neighborhood Intergenerational Community Celebration. And next spring, collaborating with other community organizations on an Intergenerational Public Art Project at Harbor View Park.
In addition, throughout the year, WENA and Portland Parks and Rec will be sponsoring a variety of Elder Xercise physical fitness and social activities (e.g., pickleball, cornhole, basketball, volleyball, badminton). And we’ll bring opportunities for intergenerational learning and relationship building (e.g., learning to play cribbage) to the Reiche Community Center.
More information about all of these events and activities, as well as membership in WENA, can be found at http://www.wenamaine.org/.
