Powell House

Elsie K. Powell House in Old Chatham, N.Y., has continued to provide programming in the form of virtual workshops and youth conferences throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Recently, weekend-long adult retreats have been held over Zoom, exploring a range of topics such as clerking and opening to the heart of worship. The extra time within a weekend-long event has allowed for deeper exploration of the topics at hand.

“Drive-Thru Dinners” have also been offered about once a month, allowing people to stop by and pick up a dinner prepared by chef Tony Barca. These events have allowed the staff to work together in a new way, nurture connections within the community, and make new connections with Old Chatham locals.

Online events have been a steady source of groundedness in a time when it is much needed. Youth attenders have expressed that while a virtual conference is much different from an in-person one, there is still a lot of joy and community that can be shared over Zoom. Weekly Saturday evening worship also provides groundedness and community for Friends.

Powell House is still able to host sojourners in the Anna Curtis Center and Pitt Hall, and is grateful for the energy they bring to the space during this time when the buildings and grounds are largely empty.

powellhouse.org

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