Dae Vitale
By Dae Vitale
Greetings from River City. It was a text from Chris and through TV news that I learned of the historic earthquake that hit on April 5. I didn’t feel anything. Gabrielle got patients and staff out of their shaking building and texted me.
I must confess, I’m not unhappy at having missed it. I remember being on the phone with my brother, when that really bad one hit Los Angeles and the immediate aftershock could be heard through the phone and my brother’s halted voice. That’s as close as I care to be. We may have some aftershocks, which I also do not look forward to.
Roll Up Your Sleeves! Newburgh Community Cleanup is Saturday, April 27. Safe Harbors 0f the Hudson is kicking off the spring season with their annual Newburgh Community Cleanup, which launches a city-wide effort to keep Newburgh clean and green all year long.
Meet at Safe Harbors Green at 9 a.m. to check in; heavy duty gloves and garbage bags will be provided. Please note: this is NOT a bulk pickup for large items. For event information, contact Ken Martinez at (845)784-1110, or email kmartinez@safe-harbors.org. Volunteers needed for this event. Setup - sign up at https://volunteersignup.org/3X43X.
5k Run For The Green on May 11. Are you registered? Join us for our Run for the Green 5K on Saturday, May 11. Run, walk, or stroll through Newburgh in our annual 5K! Fun for runners and non-runners of all ages.
The 2024 Run for the Green will help to raise funds for the annual maintenance of Safe Harbors Green and their free summer programming in the park. Help us keep this beloved community green space busy and looking its best this season!
Registration is $35 in advance for adults; $45 on the day of the event. Youths 18 and under have free registration. The 2024 Run for the Green is part of Spring Into Newburgh, a city-wide celebration of the season featuring special events, workshops, tastings, and the Art on the Block outdoor art market.
Safe Harbors Green will host the Newburgh Farmers’ Market and Wellness Shines on the Green, a festival highlighting local wellness vendors and free fitness classes throughout the day. Come for the run and stay for the fun!
Renovations at the Cornerstone: Work is well underway at the Cornerstone, and the building is humming (and hammering!) with activity. With 128 resident units in total, renovations are progressing with 5-8 apartments completed every week!
This has required the careful collaboration of their entire operations team, case management partners at Independent Living, and their contractors to ensure residents are impacted as little as possible by the construction. They are pleased to report the process has been smooth sailing so far.
This is the first major renovation to the Cornerstone since the building opened nearly 20 years ago, and will provide needed upgrades throughout the building--new elevators, new windows, new HVAC, a new roof, and upgrades to apartments--and will reduce the building’s energy use by 20 percent.
The $15 million renovation is being funded by the New York State Homes and Community Renewal Supportive Housing Preservation Program. Safe Harbors is proud to be the first supportive housing project in the entire state to be awarded these critical funds to protect and maintain housing for our neighbors. Stay tuned for updates on their progress!
Weekly Events: Yoga Class on Mondays at 7 p.m. at Safe Harbors Multipurpose Room. Join in for a weekly yoga class with John Newsome of The Yoga Collective. This class is FREE and open to the public.
Newburgh Drum Circle on Tuesdays from 7 - 9 p.m. at Safe Harbors Lobby at the Ritz. All levels of experience are welcome. Bring your own drum if you have one—if not, they have some to share.
Newburgh Farmers Market on Saturdays from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. at Safe Harbors Lobby at the Ritz. Follow the Market on Facebook and Instagram for updates on weekly vendors and market news!
Mount Saint Mary College Nursing alumnae Elizabeth Scannell-Desch and her twin sister, Mary Ellen Doherty, will present “Journey to a Book: Women’s Journeys to Posttraumatic Growth” on Tuesday, April 23 at 9 a.m.
The talk, based on the sisters’ 2023 book Women’s Journeys to Posttraumatic Growth: A Guide for the Helping Professions and Women Who Have Experienced Trauma, will take place at the Mount’s Dominican Center Café on campus, 330 Powell Ave. The event is free and open to the public, but registration is required by Wednesday, April 17.
To register, visit msmc.edu/Journey.
Cardinal Raymond Burke began a 9-month Novena to Our Lady of Guadalupe for help for America and the world. The website is novena.cardinaburke.com where you can get the special prayer that participants will be praying. We started on March 12 and will culminate on Our Lady’s Feast Day on December 12.
We hope you will join in this novena with the participants from all over the world. The prayer explains why we are asking Our Lady of Guadalupe for her blessed intercession. May those who in our families, our friends and neighbors, and all over the world who are sick, suffering, troubled, or disturbed find health and peace. I close with my prayers for God’s blessings on your heads, my dears.