Anthony Smith of Tilghman, Maryland has been named Community Engagement Coordinator at the St. Michaels Community Center. In this new role, Smith is responsible for fostering meaningful relationships between the Community Center and its stakeholders, including residents, donors, volunteers, and local businesses, and ensuring the services provided are relevant and effective in helping to improve the lives of those in the Bay Hundred and St. Michaels areas. “I’m very much looking forward to fortifying the connections between SMCC and the community in this role,” says Smith. “Serving as a liaison, I will be actively listening to the needs and concerns of community members to help align the center's programs and initiatives with our community needs.” The St. Michaels Community Center’s programs for children and adults have been recently put on pause due to the complete renovations now underway of its building at 103 Railroad Avenue, with a focus on outreach events until the renovations are completed in early 2024. Smith recently retired as St. Michaels Police Chief after more than 40 years serving in law enforcement and has served two terms on the St. Michaels Community Center’s Board of Directors. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from Morgan State University and his Master’s in Public Policy from the University of Maryland School of Public Affairs in College Park. “Tony is a great asset to our community and has always been connected with the Community Center through our work with the S.M.Y.L.E program and more,” said SMCC Executive Director Patrick Rofe. “He will keep the pulse on our community's evolving needs to ensure our work has the most impact on people's lives.” SMCC’s current renovations will provide state-of-the-art spaces for more children and adult programs, including a new culinary and hospitality workforce training program. The renovated Community Center will include several classrooms and a large common area for community gatherings, complete with audio-visual technology for presentations and screenings. The renovations also include a modern, well-equipped commercial kitchen, where SMCC will train people for jobs in restaurants and hotels, and from which the Center can continue to serve and deliver prepared meals and tens of thousands of bags of groceries to those in need. “Our Community Café and Food Pantry are core to our mission, and we want to strengthen our relationships with the people we serve, in addition to those in our community at large,” said Rofe. “Tony is a known and respected leader and is already helping us achieve more outreach during his part-time work with us.” Rofe says initiatives that Smith is working on include partnering with S.M.Y.L.E. and the Perkins Family YMCA on a CPR and babysitting training program for middle schoolers. He says Smith has been instrumental in SMCC also joining forces with Union United Methodist Church to introduce a pumpkin painting contest and bring back the pie-making contest for the Fall into St. Michaels festival.
Donations to the St. Michaels Community Center’s annual fund and proceeds from its Treasure Cove Thrift Shop, located on Railroad Ave. in St. Michaels, help provide essential human services, programs, and community events for people in St. Michaels and from throughout Maryland’s Bay Hundred area, with more at www.stmichaelscc.org. More about SMCC's building renovations and new programming is at www.stmichaelscc.org/future.
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Chesapeake Landing Restaurant at 23713 Tilghman Island Road in St. Michaels, Maryland is donating 10% of lunch and dinner sales on Thursday, October 19 to support the St. Michaels Community Center’s capital campaign to renovate its aged building on Railroad Avenue. The campaign has raised more than $4 Million to date and it’s in the final stage heading to a ribbon cutting at the building in March. October 19 is the restaurant’s popular Lobster Nite, with donations made to SMCC when patrons mention the fundraiser at their table, or while making reservations. The Community Center’s total building renovation will expand community food distribution and education services, including a modern commercial kitchen for a new Culinary Arts & Hospitality Workforce Development Program, and after-school programs for children. The new facility will include basic amenities lacking in the original World War II-era structure that was built to be a crude lumber warehouse. Included is a second-floor clerestory for offices, operating windows, proper insulation, a functional HVAC system, handicap accessibility, and more. The renovated Center also will include well-equipped classrooms and meeting spaces for children, summer camps, and adult education, along with a Technology Center to provide online classes offered by Chesapeake College and a home for a retail entrepreneurship training program. The flexible space will have a large atrium for lectures, performances, movies, and community gatherings. “We’re grateful for Chesapeake Landing’s support of our mission,” said SMCC Executive Director Patrick Rofe. “Proceeds from this fundraiser will help complete the building renovations to support our new culinary arts workforce training program that someday may prepare well-trained employees to work at Chesapeake Landing and other local restaurants.” SMCC anticipates doubling the number of people served after programming in the new building is operational. “SMCC’s priority commitment is to the needs of the region’s population who lack the resources to lift themselves from poverty,” said Rofe. “We will continue our long-time commitment to the food insecure and will add to that workforce development programming to enable individuals to transition to self-sufficiency.” The St. Michaels Community Center’s mission is to serve, empower, and connect the community with year-round programs and activities for children, families, and adults. Donations to SMCC and proceeds from its Treasure Cove Thrift Shop on Railroad Ave. in St. Michaels help the nonprofit provide year-round programs, services, and community events for residents of St. Michaels and the Bay Hundred area. Architectural renderings of the St. Michaels Community Center’s renovated building and planned capital improvements, including information about how to support the campaign, can be found at www.stmichaelscc.org/future. The St. Michaels Community Center’s total building renovation will expand community food distribution and education services, including a modern commercial kitchen for a new Culinary Arts & Hospitality Workforce Development Program, shown here, and after-school programs for children. Photo Courtesy Harper & Sons, Inc. Chesapeake Landing Restaurant is donating 10% of lunch and dinner sales on Thursday, October 19 to support the St. Michaels Community Center’s capital campaign to renovate its aged building on Railroad Avenue. The campaign has raised more than $4 Million to date and it’s in the final stage heading to a ribbon cutting at the building in March. Photo Courtesy Harper & Sons, Inc. The St. Michaels Community Center, SMYLE - St. Michaels Youth & Law Enforcement & Union United Methodist Church of St. Michaels, Maryland are hosting the 2023 Fall into St. Michaels Baking Contest, with Bakers needed in our three categories:
Reserve your spot in the competition by October 19 by emailing Patrick at patrick@stmichaelscc.org. You can also find all the Fall into St. Michaels details here. |
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