Breaking: Lease is Signed for DC Pagan Community Center

Last night on September 21, the board of the Open Hearth Foundation signed a lease for the upcoming DC Pagan Community Center. The board promised to launch the center by "Imbolc of 2012", showing that they're more than three months ahead in fulfilling what has been a goal for the DC-area Pagan community for over a decade.

The property is on the second floor of a stand alone building at 1502 Massachusetts Avenue NE, in the Eastern Market neighborhood of DC. The space has two partitioned rooms that will be reservable, one of which will double as a library, a foyer area, full bathroom, a kitchen, and two refrigerators.  Build out is minimal and will include a fitting one room with book shelves, installing an electric stove, as well as installing a wheelchair lift. The two-year lease begins on October 1 and the official date the center is open for business is still to be determined. It likely will not be until November 1st or later.

The Open Hearth Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization founded in 1999 to create a Pagan community center in the National Capital Region. Through fundraisers, membership, sponsorship, and community events, the OHF Board of Governors past and present have worked hard to make this dream a reality. In 2010, the transitioning Board considered saving what was raised if fear that this generation of Pagans would not financially support the center. Town halls and a leadership summit were conducted to find out what the OHF should do, and the community called for the center to launch by Imbolc 2012, a challenge that the OHF Board dedicated to meet.

The DC Pagan community center will be in touch shortly with more details on volunteers and committees that will be needed to get the center at full speed.