Reimaging the Islesford Neighborhood House

There are two goals this summer for the Neighborhood House project. “The first is to flesh out and refine the program for the building’s renovation,” said Bill McGuinness, Neighborhood House director. “The second is to provide opportunities for island residents to shape that building program, and by doing so, to take ownership of the project.”

A capital campaign for these renovations is in the development phase. Though the building plan is still a work in progress, some of the changes the community has asked for include winterizing the building, making it energy efficient and improving the kitchen.

Work is also underway on a web site, www.islesfordneighborhoodhouse.org, which will be live by mid-June.

McGuinness, an Islesford resident, was named as director in November 2008. The Island Institute funds this position.

The Island Institute is involved with this project because the Institute has seen the importance of year-round community centers to the long-term viability of Maine’s unbridged islands. “A good deal of energy has built up in the Islesford community around the Neighborhood House project, and the vital role it can play in the island’s future,” said McGuinness. “We have this tremendous asset the functions so well in the warmer months, but sees little use over the long winter, when we need it most. Our goal is to refurbish the building in such a way that the community can have a fully functioning central gathering place all year long.”

-David Tyler