What’s happening at the park
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VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR TREE PLANTING DAY
Saturday, December 9th
9AM - 12PM(rescheduled from its previous date Dec. 2)
Join us with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) and Virginia Interfaith Power & Light (VAIPL) as we plant a new generation of trees at our beautiful park! All ages and abilities are welcome! Bring your family, friends, church groups, and co-workers. Our goal is 50 volunteers.
Sign up directly through CBF’s website by clicking the link below.
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VIRGINIA THEATRE MACHINE performance
Saturday, December 9th, 4:30pm
“Two Actors. Ten Puppets. 30 Minutes.”
Let’s gather at the park and share in some neighborly holiday cheer! Bring your blankets, lawn chairs, and a plate of cookies to exchange. We’ll provide hot apple cider (gf) to keep us all warm during this wonderful show performed by Virginia Theatre Machine.This event is free, but all donations will be used to improve the labyrinth landscaping!
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BOOK CLUB
“Living Resistance: An Indigenous Vision for Seeking Wholeness Everyday”
by Kaitlin B. CurticeJoin Yaupon Place’s first-ever book club to meet new community, dive deep into your own journey of everyday ethical resistance,, learn from the wisdom of Indigenous and other prophetic “resisters,” and practice ways together that embody a life integrated and whole.
We’ll meet every Wednesday evening from October 11th through November 1st. 6-8pm. Facilitated by Emily Nyce.
The first 3 weeks will be online, with the culminating gathering held in-person at Yaupon Place (Nov 1, All Saint’s Day). -
Full Moon Community "Gift" Gatherings
Next Gathering:
Thursday, September 29, 7-8pmFor every full moon, we gather under the trees at the center of the park to share and hear each others “gifts.” A gift is anything that feels like a balm to your soul, and you have a hunch might feel the same for others (poetry, song, ancient wisdom, a scientific wonder, art, spiritual practice, etc.). No gifts necessary, too! Just come to enjoy a simple, welcoming way to gather in community.
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Outdoor Worship at the Park! Led by Seminary Students
Thursday evening, September 15th from 5-6:30pm
Come experience an evening of outdoor “vespers” led by a diverse array of students from Union Presbyterian Seminary.
Details about accessibility and inclement weather plans links below.
Previous Programming:
Yaupon Place receives AARP Community Challenge Grant. Projects completed!!
We are thrilled to be named among 260 grantees nationally who received the competitive “Community Challenge Grant” from AARP Livable Communities. We share AARP’s goals to create an outdoor public space that is accessible, inclusive, and beneficial for our diverse, valued, older members of the community. With their generous funds, we have now realized our dreams for more welcoming infrastructure at the park. Come see for yourselves!
2 new entrance paths. New welcome signs and a parking sign (yes, you can park there!). 6 ADA compliant picnic tables. 21 benches with back support. New path entrance to community gathering area, and a new library box.
"How Stories Can Save Us"
Yaupon Place hosts author, activist, and community storyteller, Mark Yaconelli, on his newest book tour for Between the Listening & the Telling: How Stories Can Save Us.
There is a depth to story that we rarely take time to ponder, let alone to tell and hear. Story is how we transform pain. Story is how we make something useful out of the absurd. Story is how we bridge divisions in our families, communities, and our lands. Sharing stories is how we make a home within ourselves, one another, and with the Earth. In this interactive presentation, author, community activist, and veteran storyteller Mark Yaconelli will help you experience how stories can heal our families, our friends, and our world.
Yaupon Place receives $1,000 Green Grant from Keep Virginia Beautiful for labyrinth garden
Over 30 adults and kids combined to contribute over 84 hours of labor to start beautifying our labyrinth and planting an herb garden around its perimeter! The impact of this generous grant brought the community together for the first time in taking care of the park on a shared project, and the relational benefits and new friendships formed cannot be understated. During our workdays, we shared stories of our love for the outdoors and the ways we have each healed from experiences in nature.
The drought and the ground itself gave us a run for our money with unexpected debris buried below the surface (old bricks, asphalt chunks, coal, etc.). Shalom Farms came over with their plow to loosen the soil, and plants were secured in the ground just before first frost. More landscaping expertise and beautification coming Summer 2023 as community groups join us for more work days, learning about the benefits of labyrinths and herbs.
Stay tuned as we continue to work on this garden. A HUGE thanks to Keep Virginia Beautiful and our dedicated community volunteers for getting us started so well!
Picnic hosted by
Afghan community
Sunday, June 11, 2023, 5-7pm - close to 100 people in attendance!
Ali Ansari, neighbor and supporter of Yaupon Place, organized a Farsi Afghan food picnic for ALL to enjoy! Several local Afghan families cooked samples of their traditional foods (using Shalom Farms’ veggies!), and all were invited to come eat, mingle and learn more about Afghan culture and food. Before the evening was over, traditional Farsi music was filling the air, kids ran around making new friends, and artwork from current refugees (many Afghan) in Turkey & Greece was displayed. It was an evening to remember, and we can’t wait to do it again.
