st. michaels community center

Community Center Hosts Sept. 17 Rock the Block Party

September 10, 2022 by St. Michaels Community Center

The St. Michaels Community Center is hosting a Rock the Block Party on Sat., Sept. 17 from 3 to 6:00 p.m. The free event includes food and drinks, music, games, children’s activities, community resources, and more.

The St. Michaels Community Center hosts block parties throughout the year to build a stronger relationship between neighbors and the community center.

“We are grateful for the work we do in partnership with our donors and community supporters,” said SMCC Executive Director Patrick Rofe. “These events bring people together to become more engaged in and connected to the community as a whole.”

Donations to SMCC and proceeds from its Treasure Cove Thrift Shop, located on Railroad Ave. in St. Michaels, help the nonprofit provide year-round programs, services, and community events for people from throughout the Bay Hundred area. More information is at stmichaelscc.org.

Community Center Hosts Aug. 2 National Night Out Block Party

July 29, 2022 by St. Michaels Community Center

The St. Michaels Community Center is joining the St. Michaels Police Department and numerous community partners to host a National Night Out Big Block Party on Tues., Aug. 2 from 6 to 8 p.m.

The free event includes food and drinks, Nannie’s water ice, music, games, community resources, and a police display.

National Night Out enhances the relationship between neighbors and law enforcement while bringing back a true sense of community. The program provides a great opportunity to bring police and neighbors together under positive circumstances, with more at www.natw.org.

“We are grateful for the work we do in partnership with the St. Michaels Police Department,” said SMCC Executive Director Patrick Rofe. “Together we keep the pulse of the community so that we can help people find the resources they need and to strengthen our community as a whole.”

“National Night Out hits at the core of our community policing approach,” said St. Michaels Police Chief Anthony Smith, who also serves on SMCC’s Advisory Board. “Partnering with the Community Center in this way helps bring people together, and the opportunity to meet the police officers who serve to protect our community.”

July 25 Fundraiser at Foxy’s Benefits Community Center

July 21, 2022 by St. Michaels Community Center

From left: Daughter and mother Madison Knopp and Terye Knopp take a moment along the family-owned Foxy’s Harbour Grille’s waterfront to celebrate the upcoming “Halfway to Rincon”

The waterfront Foxy’s Harbor Grille in St. Michaels is going local for the beneficiary of this year’s “Halfway to Rincon” party, with proceeds benefiting the people served by the St. Michaels Community Center for the event being held on Mon., July 25 from 5 to 9 p.m.

The event features live music by Uncle Ward & Friends, Puerto Rican-themed food and libations, and specials on Presidente Cerveza, known as the Caribbean’s beer of choice.

Guests are asked to bring a backpack or school supplies to benefit local children, with cash donations accepted and a 50/50 raffle as part of the fundraising fun.

Foxy’s “Halfway to Rincon” party is an annual celebration started by a group of St. Michaels locals—including Foxy’s owner Terye Knopp—who spend their winters in Rincon, Puerto Rico.

“This is a great deck party overlooking St. Michaels Harbor that locals and guests embrace each year,” says Knopp. “We’re glad to be able to support the work of the Community Center in this way also, by keeping our charity local.”

“Foxy’s has been a great partner for us,” said SMCC Executive Director Patrick Rofe. “They are also one of our generous concert series sponsors, and we know this additional outreach will go a long way in helping the individuals and families we serve. Plus, it will be a lot of fun.”

Donations to the St. Michaels Community Center and proceeds from its Treasure Cove Thrift Shop, located on Railroad Ave. in St. Michaels, help provide essential human services, programs, and community activities and events for people in St. Michaels and from throughout Maryland’s Bay Hundred area.

The nonprofit recently announced its first capital campaign supporting the adaptive redesign of its building, with architectural renderings and more at www.stmichaelscc.org/future.

St. Michaels Community Center Helps Fathers Build Skills

July 10, 2022 by St. Michaels Community Center

St. Michaels Community Center Executive Director Patrick Rofe, left, with Responsible Fathers Initiative Lead Facilitator Corey W. Pack.

The St. Michaels Community Center is helping fathers get the skills they need to be involved in their children’s lives by sponsoring the National Fatherhood Initiative’s 24/7 Dad program beginning this August.

The free program is being facilitated by the Responsible Fathers Initiative, with limited participation and pre-registration needed.

A 13-session workshop begins at SMCC on August 2 and continues Tuesday evenings from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. through December 13, with a light meal provided for participants. The program will give dads the parenting, relationship, and communication skills they need to be involved, responsible, and committed fathers.

“This program will help strengthen our local families and our entire community by helping our fathers be the best dads they can be,” said SMCC Executive Director Patrick Rofe. “This also serves at the core of the Community Center’s mission in serving, empowering, and connecting people in our community.”

Developed by fathering and parenting experts, 24/7 Dad focuses on the characteristics that men need to be involved fathers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This community-based program helps men develop the attitudes, knowledge, and skills they need to get—and stay—involved with their children. 24/7 Dad focuses on key fathering characteristics—like masculinity, discipline, and work/family balance—and helps men evaluate their own parenting skills, as well as their fathering role models.

“Now more than ever the America family needs to be pulled back together and that cohesive and binding force is found in no other place but the commitments of a nurturing and responsible father,” said Responsible Fathers Initiative Lead Facilitator Corey W. Pack. “I am excited to work with SMCC in their efforts to strengthen families in the Bay Hundred area.

“While no one program can solve all the shortfalls a family may be facing, combining the stabilizing and regenerating curriculum of NFI with the economic and social programs offered by SMCC, these families are off to a promising start to being restored and complete.”

Pack founded the Responsible Fathers Initiative in 2020 after a career working with the State of Maryland and while serving as Talbot County Councilman. The Initiative provides communication and engagement skills and provides fathers with an understanding of the importance of their roles in the family while providing the skills and tools needed to empower fathers to be the best they can be. More is at www.responsiblefathersintiative.org.

“NFI is excited about the St. Michaels Community Center’s efforts to help fathers build their skills through the 24/7 Dad program,” said President of National Fatherhood Initiative President Christopher Brown. “Research shows that a major barrier to father involvement is a lack of skills in dads, many of whom grew up without fathers in their lives. At a time when 1 in 3 children live in father-absent homes, the Community Center should be applauded for its efforts to help dads get involved.”

The National Fatherhood Initiative was founded in 1994 as a premier provider of fatherhood resources in the nation. The Initiative has trained more than 25,000 practitioners from more than 6,300 organizations through its national resource center FatherSOURCE™, in delivering meaningful programming to dads, with more at www.fatherhood.org.

For more information or to enroll in the program, contact SMCC Executive Director Patrick Rofe at 410-745-6073 or at patrick@stmichaelscc.org.

Donations to the St. Michaels Community Center’s annual fund and proceeds from its Treasure Cove Thrift Shop, located on Railroad Ave. in St. Michaels, help provide essential human services, programs, and community events for people in St. Michaels and from throughout Maryland’s Bay Hundred area. The nonprofit also recently announced its first capital campaign supporting the adaptive redesign of its building, with architectural renderings and more at www.stmichaelscc.org/future.

St. Michaels Community Center’s Block Party, Summer Camps Return

June 21, 2022 by St. Michaels Community Center

The St. Michaels Community Center’s summer programs have returned with a free Community Block Party at SMCC on Saturday, June 25 from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The free event includes food, drinks, music, and children’s and family activities.

Summer camps for children begin on June 27 and provide age-appropriate activities for children entering K-5^th grades. Camp themes include farm-to-food connections, letting your inner artist shine, get out and explore, and dance the night away, with more information and limited registration at www.stmichaelscc.org.

SMCC’s senior programs are also taking place on Wednesdays from 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and feature activities including bingo, painting, lunch, and fellowship. All are invited.

SMCC Seeks Community’s Input to Assess Needs

June 18, 2022 by St. Michaels Community Center

St. Michaels Community Center recently announced its first-ever capital campaign supporting the adaptive redesign of its building, shown here, with architectural renderings.

The St. Michaels Community Center is seeking input from residents from Royal Oak to Tilghman Island to help shape the future of the nonprofit’s programs and services, with the survey available online through July at www.stmichaelscc.org.

“This feedback can go a long way in helping the St. Michaels Community Center expand our programs in the direction that best serves our community’s needs,” said SMCC Executive Director Patrick Rofe.

A paper version of the survey is also available at SMCC and the Treasure Cove Thrift Shop.

The Community Center announced in May its first-ever capital campaign to renew, rebuild, and revitalize its aged building in the Town’s Historic District. The renovation will allow the Community Center to double the number of children and adults served by the nonprofit’s programs and services.

The nonprofit continues to provide groceries and meals to those in need during select hours on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays along with youth, senior, and adult programs throughout the year.

Donations to the St. Michaels Community Center’s annual fund and proceeds from its Treasure Cove Thrift Shop, located on Railroad Ave. in St. Michaels, help the nonprofit provide year-round programs, services, and community events for people in St. Michaels and from throughout Maryland’s Bay Hundred area. The nonprofit also recently announced its first-ever capital campaign supporting the adaptive redesign of its building, with more architectural renderings and more at www.stmichaelscc.org/future.

St. Michaels Summer Concert Series Kicks Off this Thursday

June 13, 2022 by St. Michaels Community Center

The St. Michaels Community Center’s free, waterfront Summer Concert Series is kicking off this Thurs, June 16 at 6:00 p.m. with local favorite JCT33 playing their ‘little bit country, little bit rock ‘n roll.’ The series continues each Thursday at Muskrat Park in St. Michaels through Sept. 1, with all performances listed on the Community Center’s website.

Muskrat Park features an expansive lawn overlooking St. Michaels Harbor and the Miles River and includes a covered gazebo for performances, with plenty of locally-owned restaurants and parking nearby.

Guests may bring a blanket or their own seating, with limited picnic tables available. Bringing a takeout meal from one of the concert’s sponsors is encouraged, with alcohol prohibited.

“The St. Michaels business community has really embraced our concert series with support this year,” said SMCC Executive Director Patrick Rofe. “The support goes beyond the cost of the performances and is essential in keeping our daily operations going for the people we serve.”

The free concert series is made possible through patron tips and generous local business sponsors acknowledged at each concert. Treats include snow cones, bottled water, and hand-scooped vanilla, strawberry, and chocolate ice cream provided by Justine’s Ice Cream Parlor. This year cash and credit card payments are being accepted for treat purchases, with all proceeds benefiting the individuals and families served by SMCC’s programs and activities.

The nonprofit continues to provide groceries and meals to those in need during select hours on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays along with youth, senior, and adult programs throughout the year.

Community Center Receives $35K in Mid-Shore Community Foundation Grant Funding

May 24, 2022 by St. Michaels Community Center

Pictured in the SMCC food pantry are from left, SMCC Executive Director Patrick Rofe, SMCC Food Distribution Director and Youth Programs Coordinator Amy DeWitt, SMCC Volunteer Brian Griffiths, and Mid-Shore Community Foundation President Buck Duncan.

The St. Michaels Community Center recently received three grants from the Mid-Shore Community Foundation to expand the nonprofit’s food support program with $10k in funding and to help fund the Community Center’s recently announced capital campaign for an adaptive redesign of the Center’s building with an additional $25k in grants.

The Community Center’s Food Support Program was named an emergency food hub for Talbot County’s Bay Hundred area by the Talbot County Emergency Task Force in 2019 and continues to provide shelf-stable pantry items and hot meals to anyone in need in St. Michaels and the outlying villages on the peninsula.

“Every week, SMCC provides as many as 250 pantry bags and 300 hot meals to our community,” said SMCC Executive Director Patrick Rofe. “As we slowly emerge from the pandemic, the need in our community has remained high and this grant will help SMCC strengthen and expand the program to satisfy this need.”

The St. Michaels Community Center announced its first-ever $4 million capital campaign earlier this month to support an adaptive renovation of its aged building in the Town’s Historic District. The planned renovations include a fully equipped modern commercial kitchen, well-equipped and lit classrooms, and a multipurpose room for community gatherings, with an anticipated 2022 groundbreaking.

Rofe says the grant funding is being matched by other generous donors.

SMCC’s food distribution program also includes a community food pantry; a weekend backpack program; Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Women, Infants, and Children nutrition outreach and services; after-school and childcare meals and snacks; summer program participant meals; and more. The Community Center also participates in the Talbot County Hunger Coalition to help eliminate food insecurity for low-income individuals and families in Talbot County.

“This is a great example of how our foundation connects private resources with public needs to enhance the quality of life for people of the Mid-Shore,” said Mid-Shore Community Foundation’s Chief Program Officer Robbin Hill. “Supporting the food support programs and future building improvements of the St. Michaels Community Center is an investment in helping to ensure no one goes hungry in our communities.”

The Mid-Shore Community Foundation works with donors to establish funds for the region – funds that are distributed as grants and scholarships, provides training programs and endowment management services to area nonprofits, and supports start‐up charities and local charitable projects through fiscal sponsorship.

SMCC’sCommunity Café and pantry are currently open three days a week to provide meals and groceries for anyone in need, with limited local delivery provided by a group of dedicated volunteers. The St. Michaels Community Center also hosts food drives and holiday meals for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter, along with year-round engaging programs and activities for children and adults.

Proceeds from the Treasure Cove Thrift Shop in St. Michaels, Md. also help the nonprofit provide year-round community programs and services that serve, empower, and connect people from throughout the Bay Hundred area, with more at www.stmichaelscc.org.

Sen. Ben Cardin Tours St. Michaels Community Center

May 20, 2022 by St. Michaels Community Center

U.S. Senator Ben Cardin, third from the left, meets St. Michaels Community Center Executive Director Patrick Rofe, right, while SMCC Advisory Board President Langley Shook, and his wife Karen look on.

U.S. Senator Ben Cardin visited the St. Michaels Community Center on Sunday, May 15 for a tour of the facility and to discuss major renovation plans with Community Center leadership. The Community Center is seeking federal funding to support its renovation project.

First elected to the Senate in 2006, Senator Cardin currently serves as Chair of the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Committee and is a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations, Finance, and Environment & Public Works committees.

“The St. Michaels Community Center is doing important work addressing hunger in our communities,” said Sen. Cardin regarding SMCC’s food distribution program that serves people from Royal Oak to Tilghman Island, Md. “The Center’s plans for culinary job training also will fill an important need – helping to strengthen and maintain the strongest, most capable workforce for St. Michaels and the State of Maryland.”

From left: SMCC Past Advisory Board President Karen Shook, SMCC Advisory Board President Langley Shook, U.S. Senator Ben Cardin, and SMCC Executive Director Patrick Rofe go over renderings and floor plans for the new St. Michaels Community Center.

SMCC already has raised almost $3 million toward its $4.5 million goal to rebuild its aged building in the Town’s Historic District, including $1.225 million from the State of Maryland and almost $1.75 million from private donors and foundations.

“We’re honored by Sen. Cardin’s interest in our plans,” said SMCC Advisory Board President Langley Shook. “State and federal support can go a long way to making the long-overdue renovation happen to let us serve more people when our new building is complete.”

The new facility will include a modern, well-equipped commercial kitchen, where SMCC plans to train people for jobs in restaurants and hotels, and from which the Center can continue to serve and deliver prepared meals and tens of thousands of bags of groceries to those in need.

From left: St. Michaels Community Center Executive Director Patrick Rofe, SMCC Advisory Board President Langley Shook, and U.S. Senator Ben Cardin at SMCC’s Community Café.

A Technology Center where students can do their homework and space for community gatherings also are included in the plans, along with classrooms where Chesapeake College and others can provide high-level instruction right in the middle of town.

Architectural renderings of the new building and more about SMCC’s planned capital improvements, including information about how to support the campaign, can be found at www.stmichaelscc.org/future.

The St. Michaels Community Center’s mission is to serve, empower, and connect the community, with year-round programs and activities for children, families, and adults. Donations to SMCC and proceeds from its Treasure Cove Thrift Shop on Railroad Ave. in St. Michaels help the nonprofit provide year-round programs, services, and community events for residents of St. Michaels and the Bay Hundred area.

St. Michaels Community Center Launches Capital Campaign

May 12, 2022 by St. Michaels Community Center

The St. Michaels Community Center is kicking off the first capital campaign in its 32-year history to renew, rebuild, and revitalize its aged building in the Town’s Historic District.

The St. Michaels Community Center purchased its Railroad Avenue headquarters in 2015. The structure was constructed before World War II as a lumber storage warehouse. It’s had only minimal changes and upgrades since then. The nonprofit has made do with its crudely constructed interior, no windows, no heat or air conditioning in most of the building, and without handicapped accessibility, among other issues.

The St. Michaels Community Center has announced its first capital campaign to renew, rebuild, and revitalize its aged building—as shown here—in the Town’s Historic District. The structure was constructed before World War II as a lumber storage warehouse. It’s had only minimal changes and upgrades since then.

“Our building’s primary asset is its location in the commercial district near the people we serve,” said St. Michaels Community Center Executive Director Patrick Rofe. “This long-awaited adaptive renovation will make the St. Michaels Community Center the only fully-equipped resource center for social services on the Bay Hundred peninsula.”

The planned renovations will include a fully equipped modern commercial kitchen to expand food distribution and meal service to those in need, and training for jobs in restaurants and hotels. Bright, well-equipped classrooms and a multipurpose room for community gatherings are included in the plans, with the Community Center anticipating double the number of people making use of the Center compared to today’s participation levels, once the new building is fully operational.

The nonprofit St. Michaels Community Center is now inviting the public to participate in fundraising for its new building, shown here, with naming opportunities and more in the works before an anticipated 2022 groundbreaking.

“This will give us a place to do our best work and have the greatest impact on the lives of the children and adults we serve,” said SMCC Advisory Board President Langley Shook.

Shook says more than half of the necessary funding already has been raised, including $1.225 million from the State of Maryland.

“The State’s support is a great vote of confidence for our first-ever capital campaign and an investment in securing a sustainable future for the Community Center’s essential work,” said Shook. “We serve at the heart of this community, and these improvements will give us a much better platform from which to serve our community.”

The planned renovations of the St. Michaels Community Center will include a fully equipped modern commercial kitchen to expand food distribution and meal service to those in need, and training for jobs in restaurants and hotels.

“This funding will help us to have the improved facilities needed to support our food distribution program and a new culinary arts workforce training program, for example,” said Rofe. “This will benefit our participants and local restaurants in need of well-trained employees.

“We’d like to start a Farm-to-Table program that will explore every topic related to nutrition and health, and for growing vegetables and fruits in our 40 community garden plots.”

Rofe says the Town’s Historic District Commission praised and unanimously approved the design of the renovated building, and an application for a building permit has been submitted to the Town.

The nonprofit is now inviting the public to participate in fundraising for the new building, with naming opportunities and more in the works before an anticipated 2022 groundbreaking.

“SMCC’s priority commitment is to the needs of the region’s population who lack the resources to lift themselves from poverty,” said Shook. “We will continue our long-time commitment to the food insecure and will add to that workforce development programming to enable adults’ transition to self-sufficiency.”

Architectural renderings of the new building and more about SMCC’s capital improvements, including information about how to support the campaign, can be found at www.stmichaelscc.org/future.

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