How has it already been over a year???

To be exact, it's been 410 days since we opened our doors on May 18th, 2024. And what an incredible 13+ months it's been!

We had the chance to celebrate our one year anniversary with a small gathering back in May. Community partners, volunteers, board members, and staff enjoyed a slice of cake (or two) and great conversation as we took time to recount all that the CCC has been able to accomplish over the last year.

It was wonderful seeing some familiar faces who helped bring this space to life chatting with some of our newest board members. We were once again humbled at the thought of how many community members have invested time, energy, and funds into bringing the CCC to life!

We remain grateful for every single person who has helped the CCC and its programs thrive over the last year. Pictured below are just a few of the folks who have supported our work; we're thankful for every smiling face as well as the dozens not shown who have helped make the CCC a place that encourages personal growth and community development!

To recap, since opening our doors, we've had...

25 workshops

268 participants

98 facilitators

450+ guests across 3 special events

12+ table events

...and countless other amazing moments where we've had the chance to connect with community members of all ages and backgrounds. What's a stand out moment for me from our first year? Well, I'll share a story that I shared at our anniversary celebration.

In mid-May, we hosted a Sewing & Knitting Basics workshop. As knitting truly is an artform, it takes time, so this was a smaller workshop than we typically offer; it only included two breakout sessions. As I headed toward the Galaxy Room to give the 5 minute warning, I walked in on one of those moments that makes you feel so grateful to be a part of community work. One of our facilitators (who has been crocheting masterfully for decades) was gently rocking a participant's 4 month old in her arms as she guided the mom on how to correctly hold the needles. It was this perfect picture of one of our community members not only passing on a skill to another, but also meeting this community member right in the midst of her current season in life- holding her infant with a quiet care that likely brought assurance to baby and mom alike.

These are the moments we celebrate regularly at the CCC. Moments where we see people connecting and communicating as they can only in person. More than that, connecting across generations and lived experiences that too often lead to disconnection in today's society.

As we reflect on the last year, then, it's not the numbers or stats that leave us feeling excited or accomplished. It's the people. It's the facilitators who have sacrificed time and shared their talent with enthusiasm and creativity. It's the volunteers who have helped maintain a warm and welcoming space for our guests. And it's the participants who have shown up with an open mind and a genuine desire to learn alongside (and often because of) their neighbors.

We are so grateful for every single person who has made these last 13+ months so successful. We could never do this work alone, so thank you for supporting our mission and helping to bring it to life. We feel fortunate to partner with so many of you.

We have some awesome workshops lined up for the rest of summer and into fall, so check them out and come hang with us soon. We'd love for you to experience firsthand what it's like to participate in a workshop that prioritizes interaction and personalization. It's been such a joy to see it happen again and again across topics ranging from job skills to cake decorating to making music.

We also want to take this moment to personally invite you to consider partnering with us as we seek to provide multigenerational workshops that reduce social isolation and empower both leaders and learners. In hopes of furthering our mission, we're aiming to gain 10 new monthly donors by Sept. 1st. The exciting news is that we gained one monthly donor this morning, so only 9 more donors would get us to our goal! Would you consider becoming one of our financial partners? Whether it's $10 a month or $150 a month, your donation will help Norfolk residents have a chance to learn in an environment that fosters imagination and connection at every turn!

Thank you, again, Norfolk, for making space for us. We are so grateful to play a small part in making our city such a wonderful place to live and learn, and we can't wait to see what the next year has in store!