The Methow Community Club (MCC) will hold a spaghetti dinner fundraiser this weekend, on Saturday (Oct. 17) at 5 p.m. Tickets are payable by cash or check at the door. Tickets for adults are $20 each, children under 12 eat for $10. Dinner includes spaghetti, garlic bread, and dessert, with gluten free and vegetarian options available. All proceeds support the MCC Schoolhouse.
Last year “Give Methow” funds were used to install a heating and cooling system in the small building. Give Methow is an annual online fundraising campaign hosted by the Community Foundation of North Central Washington to support fifty local nonprofits in the Methow Valley. Donate on Mondays for a chance to win an additional $500 for any participating nonprofit. Give Methow pays all credit card fees, 100% of the donations directly support participating nonprofits. Visit www.GiveMethow.org to donate to MCC and any other participating non-profit during the month of October.
Neighbors in the town of Methow have continuously used the little red schoolhouse for over 100 years. The flood of 1948 eroded a significant portion of the schoolyard, dramatically bringing an overlook of the Methow River closer to the building. The Pateros School District consolidated classes in the early 1950s, and maintained the building for community events and civic meetings.
Budget cuts necessitated the sale of the building and in 2023 the nonprofit Methow Community Club formed to purchase the property. A generous donation from the estate of Dena Lyn Lee Meadows made the acquisition possible. MCC memberships cover the basic utility costs, yearly membership in the MCC is $36 for an individual and $48 for a family. Grants and fundraisers cover capital improvements to the property.
Regular events include First Friday Game Nights on the first Friday of every month from 6-8 p.m. Families should bring kids, neighbors, a favorite game, and snacks and beverages to share. Methow at Home offers SAIL — Stay Active and Independent for Life — fitness classes at the Methow Community Club twice a week. A SAIL fitness class is designed specifically for older adults for prevention of falls. For more information, email donna@methowathome.org or call (509) 996-5844.
Visit the Methow Community Club website, http://methowcommunityclub.org, to learn more about events and to sign up for the Methow Community Club newsletter.
According to 2024 census data, the Methow Valley has well over six thousand residents, half of whom are celebrating retirement age. Subtract the retired, the students, the second home-owners, the “employed elsewhere” people, and a very small workforce remains to serve everyone’s needs.
Most everyone I know works two to three jobs — not to make ends meet, but to meet the needs of the community. What can we do to support each other? Practice healthy and safe habits — the EMTs, firefighters, and police have limited resources for such a large area and population. Look for ways to ease the manual workload for local workers: clear your own tables, learn how to complete simple fix-it tasks, buy local and don’t overload the post office and delivery services, use paperless billing and pay online. Above all else, be kind to one another.
