Community

Upstairs at the Harbor House, Sue Clark (far right) teaches an art therapy class for seniors. Taking part, from left, are Carolyn Johnston, Mimi Barnes and Wanda Wright. Marty Lyons

The older generation in Southwest Harbor knows the Harbor House as “the Old Yellow Schoolhouse.”

The younger generation knows Harbor House as the place to play, learn and catch up with friends.

Whatever the Harbor House means to an individual, the recreation center housed in the former school building, serves tens of hundreds of area residents each year.

Last year, about 1,992 individuals came through the doors—slightly more than the town’s entire population (1,966).

Over the last 12 months, the nonprofit Harbor House organization had 170 children in its children’s center and school-age programs; 504 playing sports; and 179 campers in its scamper, explorer and sports camps. Another 276 children and adults took part in the sailing programs, and 863 took advantage of the health and fitness programs.

Those numbers are appearing this week in Harbor House’s first-ever, annual report—even though Harbor House has been a community agency serving youth and families for 38 years.

Marty Lyons has been the executive director for the last 25 years.

“What has kept me going is the organization has so many avenues that challenge families, children and adults, on a year-round basis,” he said.

Harbor House provides opportunities befitting of a town’s recreation department—except that Southwest Harbor has none. So the townspeople turn to Harbor House for many of their recreational and social needs with programs, services and meeting-room space.

Lyons likes that, since 1987, Harbor House’s home has been what locals call the Old Yellow Schoolhouse.

“Historically, this building has been something of a lighthouse to the community, a centerpoint as the school,” he said. “The history of the community is all here, and when the space became available, we knew we had to be here.”

“Keeping the old schoolhouse alive has been great for our fledgling organization, because we don’t have the capital or monies to do anything else.”

Which is largely why the Harbor House has launched its first-ever capital campaign for $1 million. The organization has roughly a $500,000 budget, half of which comes from program fees.

 “This is the first time in 38 years when we have done a capital campaign. We are saying, ‘Hey, we’re doing a pretty good job on a shoestring, and it’s getting harder to manage this as costs escalate,’” Lyons said.

“We are employing people here who need wages and benefits, and what we get in support from the towns doesn’t cover it all.”

Eight employees work full-time year-round, and another eight are employed part-time year-round, according to operations manager Carol Reed Walsh. More part-time help is hired in summer to accommodate all the camps and sailing programs.

Additionally, as many as 60 volunteers each year support the work of the employees.

Neighboring Tremont supports Harbor House, too, and its residents are just as active and welcome there alongside those from Southwest Harbor and even other parts of Mount Desert Island.

“We have support in both communities, because there is a true need for what we’re doing,” Lyons said.

Lyons is a member of MDI Tomorrow, an island-wide think-tank working on solutions to various social challenges.

His particular focus is youth in the community.

“What the whole island has to address is not town-by-town solutions, but something developed by a coalition of communities on the island,” he said.

“We are not going to stop the drinking or smoking, but we can create safe environments. That’s partly what we are able to do here.”