A Place for Everybody
Reiche Community Room Activities are free and open to the public and made possible by dedicated volunteers
By Tony Zeli
In the 1970s construction began on the Howard C. Reiche Community School in the heart of the West End neighborhood, demolishing four blocks of housing. Part of the deal for the neighborhood has always been that the school would serve in part as a community center. It lives up to that promise to this day thanks largely to the perseverance and hard work of volunteers who want to meet and engage with their neighbors.
Over the years, Reiche has been home to health and dental services, Portland Rec classes, and a popular branch of the Portland Public Library. But decades of austerity and a changing school safety culture led to the closure of the community health center and the library branch.
When the library closed around the time of the financial turmoil of 2008-09, it was a big loss for the community. As institutions in our society have lost popularity, libraries have become more than just a comfortable indoor reading space. They are a welcoming, free space for socializing, meeting new people, and learning about our community.
“I don’t think people really appreciated what the library space and the presence of that open get-together, hangout space meant to the community. It was like you ripped something out,” says Rosanne Graef, an active member of the West End Neighborhood Association (WENA) and former West End News contributor.
REICHE RESTART
Rosanne took the lead to restart activities at Reiche, along with help from WENA. Then they got a modest grant from Maine Medical Center. The funding allowed WENA to pay for instructors, buy card tables and lighting, get art supplies, and even acquire movie screening licenses. Now free community activities are running regularly, but there are restrictions.
Portland Recreation helps WENA to run their activities by providing the room on the second floor of Reiche without charge. However, this ultimately means the hours are restricted to when rec staff are scheduled to be in the building. So, weekday mornings, Monday evenings, and Thursdays in the late afternoon and early evening are the times they have. But thanks to the grant and support from Portland Rec, everything is free.
ACTIVITIES
AM Exercise starts 8:15 a.m. every weekday morning and is the activity that has been going on the longest, celebrating year seven this April.
“The exercise class is going really strong,” says regular AM Exercise attendee Suzanne Hunt. “We have like a dozen people a day, which is very good. Sometimes more. There are fifteen to twenty people who come on some kind of regular basis. I’m a diehard; I go every day.”
In addition to AM Exercise, the monthly travelogues are popular. Local people share stories and slides from their unique trips around the world and answer questions. West End neighbors have shared their stories from the World Cup in Qatar, visiting Antarctica, and biking across Europe to name a few. They’ve been very popular.
Movie nights for the movie diehards is curated by Rosanne herself. She presents two films every month, a classic (over fifty years old) and animation “because I really like animation myself,” Rosanne says.
There was also a book club that has morphed into a magazine readers club with rotating topics from the trivial to profound.
Then there’s educational series like Die Well, where a certified death educator covers hospice, paperwork, what is required by Maine, and so much more. Also, popular have been classes on internet fraud and safe driving from AARP.
RELATIONSHIPS
“For everybody of every age to get to know their neighbors is really valuable,” notes Rosanne. “I think Covid really drove a lot of that home… (Neighbors) suddenly realized that the people who lived down the hall in their same building… they didn’t know them. Those kind of relationships need a place to happen… Especially in a neighborhood like the West End where it is so diverse and there are so many people who live alone…”
In short, every neighborhood needs a place, a public place that is free, where people of all types, with all interests, extroverted and introverted, and across generations can meet – a place for everybody.
Not to mention, it’s a place to be seen. For older generations to be visible to the kids can be a huge part of connecting community. “A lot of kids are not seeing anybody other than their parents, their parents’ friends, and their teachers. You need to get to know who’s in your neighborhood and who you can trust.”
“And we’ve even had romance—” Rosanne notes.
“Yes, we had one major romance,” Suzanne chimes in. “The two people were over eighty and met at the exercise group… And they’re living together; they’re really in love—”
“There’re like teenagers.”
“What we do is not fancy,” says Suzanne, “but it’s really powerful.”
GET INVOLVED – You can make things happen!
Rosanne thinks people want to be engaged and want to have a say in their city but are intimated by bureaucracy and barriers. But “in your own neighborhood you can have some influence. You can make things happen.”
So, get involved. It’s easy and free. As Suzanne says, “No application or anything. It’s very easy, very accessible, and not intimidating.
“Joining in the activities is a great way to meet your neighbors. You’ll make connections. If you come to the exercise class, you’re going to feel better… Just do it for fun. Put a little fun into your life.”
“Just try it,” continues Rosanne, “Just come and see who’s there. You’ll be surprised as you get to know these people a little bit, what they’re interested in, what you might become interested in. It’s a great opportunity to learn things, meet people, try stuff without risk. Nobody fails.”
If you have ideas for activities or want to get involved, send a message to hello@wenamaine.org.
Also they are looking for hand weights, 10lbs and under, especially 4’s and 6’s. Some activities put out a donation box as organizers plan for when the Maine Med grant runs out. Some attendees who can afford to give extra help make acitivites possible for those without the financial resources.
Of course, anyone can donate to WENA at anytime. The Reiche Community Room activities are part of WENA’s Aging in Place efforts.
