May went by so quickly, I feel like it was yesterday when I wrote the last Director’s Corner! I hope you had a wonderful Older Americans Month, and that you had the chance to make some new friends or try a new activity. I swear, most of you are busier in retirement than my younger friends who are still working! We’ve been having a great time at the Center, and are excited for some of the new activities coming up.
Fresh (and free!) farm shares from Sunrise Farm are now available weekly for you to enjoy, in addition to the shipments we are already getting from Willing Hands and Price Chopper. Our new transportation workshop coming in September is now open for registration. Plus, several excellent new health & exercise classes are coming up, another mini-trip this month to Fore-U, our first field trip of the year to Mohegan Sun Casino, art classes, the Hartford Block Party, and all kinds of BugbeeTalks… Whew!
All the new programs have been keeping us VERY busy behind the scenes! So, this month we’re giving a little break for staff and volunteers, as we settle into the summer. Bugbee has typically closed during federal holidays (except Veterans Day, so that we can do the Veterans Day lunch). This year we will be closed on June 19 for Juneteenth. This day commemorates the emancipation of enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas on June 19, 1865. Juneteenth has been observed for generations within the Black community, and in 2021 became an official federal holiday nationwide.
What do you like to do during summertime? Me, I’m a northerner through and through, so the heat and humidity can get to me. Still, it is nice to be able to just walk outside without needing to suit up like an astronaut, so I’ll enjoy hitting the trails and just being outside as much as possible. Summer is also a great time to come to lunch at Bugbee – bring a friend to escape the heat, enjoy some good food and good times! Thank you ALL for being a part of the community here, it is truly a joy to spend time together.
Mark Bradley
Executive Director