Stories & Henna: A Women’s Book Gathering

In celebration of International Women’s Day, the Wellness Café program invites women in the community to join a relaxed and inspiring afternoon of books, conversation, and cultural creativity. Participants are encouraged to bring a book written by a woman author who has inspired them and share why the story, ideas, or message resonated with them. … Continue reading Stories & Henna: A Women’s Book Gathering

Transitioning from High School to College: Supporting International & First-Generation Families

In the last day of February 2026, the Elaine Bacon Literacy Program hosted a Wellness Café session titled “High School to College: Ideas for Making It Less Confusing and More Affordable,” presented by Ruth Gill. The event welcomed about 10 participants, primarily from international families and first-generation college households in our community. For many families … Continue reading Transitioning from High School to College: Supporting International & First-Generation Families

Finding Space to Breathe: Wellness Café Yoga at Fresh Coast Yoga

Today, our Wellness Café gathering at Fresh Coast Yoga was a beautiful reminder of how powerful it is to simply pause and breathe. Led by Beth Krause, nine participants joined the session - women from our community who carved out time in the middle of busy schedules, family responsibilities, and winter fatigue to reconnect with … Continue reading Finding Space to Breathe: Wellness Café Yoga at Fresh Coast Yoga

Sushi-making: A Special Valentine’s Wellness Café

On Valentine’s Day, our Wellness Café gathered at the Portage Lake District Library (PLDL) for a hands-on sushi-making workshop led by our Tokyo-born Yooper Miyoko-san. The session was fully attended, and the room was filled with curiosity and the joy of learning something new together. Participants had the opportunity to learn how to make simple … Continue reading Sushi-making: A Special Valentine’s Wellness Café

Opening Session of Wellness Café: Exploring Mental, Physical, and Emotional Wellness

We are grateful to share that the opening session of our Wellness Café series was a meaningful and successful start to this year’s program. Led by Sabrina from Unite Wellness, the session invited participants to explore the different dimensions of wellness — mental, physical, and emotional — and how these aspects are deeply interconnected in … Continue reading Opening Session of Wellness Café: Exploring Mental, Physical, and Emotional Wellness

Spanish Class for Beginners at PLDL

We’re excited to announce a new Spanish Class for Beginners hosted by the Elaine Bacon Literacy Program (EBLP) at the Portage Lake District Library (PLDL). This pilot program is designed to make language learning welcoming, practical, and accessible for adult learners in our community. Whether you’ve always wanted to learn Spanish or are simply curious … Continue reading Spanish Class for Beginners at PLDL

International Neighbors Winter/Spring 2026

We’re excited to share our International Neighbors Winter–Spring 2026 Diary Dates! 🌍Please find the attached flyer with all of our upcoming weekly programs from January through June. As always, International Neighbors is a welcoming community gathering that celebrates culture, art, food, and the outdoors. We bring together local residents, international families, newcomers, and longtime Yoopers … Continue reading International Neighbors Winter/Spring 2026

Giving Tuesday 2025: Growing Literacy and Community Together

During the recent Giving Tuesday campaign through the Copper Shores Community Health Foundation, the Elaine Bacon Literacy Program received over $4,200 in community donations. We are grateful for this strong show of support and for the many individuals who helped share our work and encourage giving. Giving Tuesday offers local nonprofit organizations an opportunity to … Continue reading Giving Tuesday 2025: Growing Literacy and Community Together

A Look Back at the First Keweenaw International Children’s Festival

The board of the Elaine Bacon Literacy Program would like to thank the many international and local people and organizations who made Saturday's first-ever Keweenaw International Children's Festival at the Portage Lake District Library a huge success! The library was jam-packed for hours as children and their parents milled around listening and dancing to stories, … Continue reading A Look Back at the First Keweenaw International Children’s Festival