Whitneyville Cultural Commons Inc

WE PRESERVE AND ENHANCE PLACES OF COMMUNAL AND HISTORIC VALUE BY PROVIDING PUBLIC SPACES, TOOLS, AND KNOWLEDGE AS SHARED RESOURCES TO SUPPORT A THRIVING COMMUNITY SOCIALLY, CULTURALLY, AND ECONOMICALLY. WE ENVISION A FUTURE WHERE EVERY COMMUNITY HAS VALUABLE RESOURCES PRESERVED FOR PERPETUAL PUBLIC USE, WITH JUST AND EQUITABLE ACCESS TO ENHANCE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ALL. WE: PRESERVE HISTORIC PLACES: STEWARD HISTORIC PROPERTIES IN OUR TRUST WITH A COMMITMENT TO PRESERVING BUILDINGS AND NATURAL ENVIRONMENTS AS PART OF THE CULTURAL LANDSCAPE OF THE SITE. DEVELOP SOCIAL CAPITAL: NUTURE COMMUNAL RELATIONSHIPS AS HOST TO DIVERSE CIVIC FORUMS, PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SOCIAL EVENTS, AND SPIRITUAL AND CULTURAL TRADITIONS. CHAMPION ARTISTIC CREATION: CULTIVATE, CELEBRATE AND SHOWCASE ARTISTIC ENDEAVORS OF ALL KINGS. STIMULATE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY: DEVELOP LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS, INDIVIDUALS, AND START-UPS THROUGH COWORKING OPPORTUNITIES AND THE PROVISION OF SHARED INFORMATION, MATERIALS AND SERVICES.

AS PART OF OUR HISTORIC PRESERVATION PROGRAM, WE PURCHASED 1247-1253 WHITNEY AVENUE, HAMDEN, CT, 06517, A NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK, WHICH INCLUDES THE WHITNEYVILLE UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST BUILT IN 1834 AND ITS CHURCH HOUSE BUILT IN 1924, AND CONTINUED ITS LEGACY AS A HOUSE OF WORSHIP WHILE CONTINUING TO ADAPT ITS USE TO A BROADER COMMUNITY RESOURCES CENTER AND THE FACILITY IN WHICH WE RUN OUR OTHER PROGRAMS; THIS YEAR THE WHITNEYVILLE UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST, ONE OF OUR MORTGAGE HOLDERS ON THE PROPERTY, CEASED THEIR ACTIVITIES AS A CHURCH, HAVING WOUND DOWN DURING THE PANDEMIC. AS PART OF THAT CEASE OF OPERATIONS, THEY DEEMED OUR WORK IN PRESERVATION OF THE CHURCH THAT THEY BUILT TO BE A CONTINUATION OF THE VALUABLE USE OF THE CHURCH BY THE COMMUNITY, AND FORGAVE US THE MORTGAGE THAT THEY HELD ON THE PROPERTY AS A DONATION TO OUR HISTORIC PRESERVATION PROGRAM ALLOWING US TO PLAN FOR RESTORATION AND UPGRADE PROJECTS FOR THE PROPERTY. WITH THE SHUTDOWN FROM THE PANDEMIC CONTINUING TO LIFT, BOTH THE HISTORIC CHURCH AND THE CHURCH HOUSE BECAME MORE USED FOR THE REST OF OUR PROGRAMS, ALLOWING THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION TO CONTINUE. WE ALSO CONTINUED OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH OF ST PAUL AND ST JAMES IN NEW HAVEN, AT 57 OLIVE STREET. WE HELPED TO ADAPT THEIR PEWS TO CASTERS MAKING THE SANCTUARY MORE FLEXIBLE FOR BOTH CHURCH WORSHIP AND COMMUNITY EVENTS.

OUR ASSEMBLY SPACE PROGRAM CONTINUED TO ALLOW USE OF THE HISTORIC PROPERTIES IN OUR TRUST FOR BROAD USE FOR COMMUNITY EVENTS, NONPROFITS, AND SOCIAL GATHERINGS, DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND ITS RESURGENCES VIA THE OMICRON VARIANT FOLLOWING ALL SAFETY GUIDELINES FROM THE GOVERNMENT TO INSURE THE HEALTH OF OUR PARTICIPANTS. THE RED CROSS OF AMERICA RAN MOBILE BLOOD DRIVES, WEEKLY AND WITHOUT FAIL, AT OUR FACILITIES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR AND DURING THE PANDEMIC, INSTITUTING A DEEP CLEANING AND DISINFECTING REGIMENT TO PRESERVE THE HEALTH OF PEOPLE WHILE BEING ABLE TO COLLECT VITAL BLOOD NEEDS. ONCE WINTER ENDED AND WINDOWS WERE ABLE TO BE OPENED, WE BEGAN TO SEE AN UPTURN IN USE OF OUR ASSEMBLY SPACE PROGRAM, STEADILY WATCHING PEOPLE COME BACK OUT TO SOCIALLY GATHER, EVEN THOUGH NOT AT PRE-PANDEMIC NUMBERS OF GATHERINGS WITH LOWER ATTENDANCE THAN PRIOR TO THE PANDEMIC. WE HOSTED ROUGHLY ONE THOUSAND COMMUNITY, NONPROFIT, AND SOCIAL GATHERINGS DURING 2021, MANAGING TO COME BACK A SIGNIFICANT PORTION TO PRE-PANDEMIC LEVELS, THOUGH COMMUNITY TURN OUT TO ACTIVITIES WAS MUCH REDUCED, EVEN THOUGH THE NUMBER OF ACTIVITIES HAD INCREASED.

WE PRODUCE, ON OUR OWN AND IN PARTNERSHIP WITH MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS, CLASSES AND WORKSHOPS DESIGNED TO OFFERING EDUCATION TO THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE, IN ANY TOPIC OR AREA OF INTEREST THAT SERVES THE BENEFIT OF OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS. THIS YEAR ONE OF OUR PARTNER COWORKING ORGANIZATIONS THAT RUNS CHRISTIAN WORSHIP SERVICES AS WELL, FAITH CENTER MINISTRIES, PARTNERED WITH US TO MEET A DEEP COMMUNITY NEED DURING THE PANDEMIC AND CREATING A DISTANCE LEARNING HUB IN THE FELLOWSHIP HALL IN OUR HISTORIC CHURCH. WE RECEIVED A GRANT FROM THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION FOR GREATER NEW HAVEN TO SUPPORT THAT LEARNING HUB, AND THE LEARNING HUB RAN THROUGH THE FIRST EIGHT MONTHS OF THE YEAR, ENDING IN AUGUST WHEN THE STUDENTS WHO WERE PARTICIPATING WENT BACK TO IN PERSON SCHOOL.