Rotterdam Community Center

10/15/2026

In case you missed it, there are some updates to the Rotterdam Fall Festival tomorrow in regards to the weather. 🍂 Even if we won't be able to show off our Mobile Pantry van, we are still so excited to be there with MVP Health Care giving away brand new, free coats for the kids!🧥 We hope to see you all there, too!

🍂🎃 ROTTERDAM FALL FESTIVAL UPDATE — IT’S STILL ON! 🎃🍂

Join us Friday, October 16, from 5:00–8:00 PM at Rotterdam Town Hall for an evening of fun! Despite the anticipated weather, most activities are still on, with many moving indoors and additional activities outside as conditions allow.

🎃 Trick-or-treating & craft vendors: Inside Town Hall, including the second-floor Town Board Room.

🧥 Winter Coat Giveaway with MVP: Inside Town Hall. First come, first served, while supplies last. Please be patient and respectful.

🎈 Balloons & Magic with Mike Cole: Inside Town Hall!

🚒 FD 7 & Rotterdam PD: Community engagement and fire truck and police car tours in the parking lot.

🐴 Hayrides & wagon photos: Weather permitting. The wagon will be available for photos if conditions do not allow hayrides.

🍔 Food vendors: Attendance will depend on weather conditions and their ability to operate safely.

🎶 Live Music Canceled: Unfortunately, due to anticipated high winds and the chance of storms, live music has been canceled for everyone's safety, including the band and our staff.

🚧 Street Closures: Surrounding streets around Town Hall will be closed from 4:30–8:30 PM. Please follow directions from traffic safety officers. Local traffic only.

❤️ Thank you for your patience and flexibility as we adjust plans. There is still plenty of fun to enjoy, and we hope to see you Friday!

📍 Rotterdam Town Hall
📅 Friday, October 16, 2026
⏰ Festival: 5:00–8:00 PM

10/15/2026

Had a blast joining our partners at United Way of the Greater Capital Region for their Campaign Kickoff tonight. What an event! Great to be in the room with so many community stakeholders who are working hard to support our neighbors throughout the Capital Region. The BEST part was hearing from some of our tiniest neighbors about the joy they receive through UW’s partnership with Dolly Parton's Imagination Library which has brought over 300K free books to local kiddos. Truly incredible. Shout-out to Peter, Claire, Heather & the entire UnitedWay team for making magic tonight. Proud & grateful to be your partner!

10/13/2026

We are ecstatic to share our next Empty Bowls 2026 Community Champion: Bob Carreau

You can purchase tickets here: https://bit.ly/rccemptybowls2026

Robert Carreau has worked in the philanthropic sector as a CEO, grant-maker, fundraiser, marketer and strategic consultant. He has worked across the spectrum of the sector -- advising philanthropy programs of global corporations as well as leading on-the-ground community-based initiatives. Carreau has held the position of Secretary of The Schenectady Foundation since 1992, and was appointed the Foundation’s first Executive Director in 2010. He previously led the United Way of Schenectady County, and later formed a consulting practice called Outcomes Work, LLC through which he worked with foundations and corporations to develop strategic grant programs. Carreau has served in numerous volunteer leadership roles, including as Chair of the Capital Region Community AIDS Partnership which he helped to found, Empire State Youth Orchestra, and The Carlilian Foundation. In his spare time, Bob plays the guitar and mandolin, throws clay, and hosts the Eighth Step’s monthly open mic at Proctors.

10/12/2026

It's another packed week here at the RCC and boy do we have some really exciting stuff in store this week! In addition to our new chair yoga classes, this week is also the week of both the Annual WELCA Craft Fair, and Rotterdam's Trunk or Treat. (Which if you haven't heard, we'll be there with MVP Health Care giving away coats for kids!) Have a great week, and we hope to see you there!

10/08/2026

We are excited to share the first of our Empty Bowls 2026 Community Champions: Shane Bargy

You can purchase tickets here: https://bit.ly/rccemptybowls2026

Shane Bargy has served the residents of Schenectady County for over 30 years as the Executive Director of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Schenectady, as well as working for Schenectady County in various human service roles. He helped lead the Boys & Girls Club through the pandemic, which never closed and served as the headquarters for COVID 19 relief in Schenectady County. The Club served over 100,000 free meals during the pandemic and was a key partner in the COVID 19 Coalition that brought dozens of partners and volunteers together to assist with the greater community's basic needs by delivering over 16,500 care packages to the porches of those in need. While working for the County, Shane assisted migrants seeking asylum by coordinating Know Your Rights seminars for those that were housed in the Super 8 Motel in Rotterdam in partnership with The Legal Project and Saint Gabriel the Archangel Church. Additionally, he is also the former CEO and current board member of Better Community Neighborhoods, Inc.(BCNI), an organization in Schenectady that works towards improving the housing situation for residents in need of assistance. Shane, a Mont Pleasant High School graduate, resides in Delanson with his wife Jennifer and their four children.

10/08/2026

We are HYPED to announce our first $1,000 Village Gatherer Sponsor for our Fourth Annual Empty Bowls Gala taking place on Friday, November 20th at 6:30p, Lakeside Lillypad Philanthropy!
Thank you to Lakeside Lillypad Philanthropy for their incredible generosity!
We encourage you to buy a ticket or sign up as a sponsor today as we work for a town where all our young people have access to healthy and nutritious foods they need!

10/07/2026

Were you at our Community Roundtable Event last week? Let us know how it went! Were you unable to attend? No worries, we still want to hear from you! Scan the QR code and let us know what you thought, why you could or could not attend, and how we can improve similar events in the future! Together we can continue to build the RCC into a place where all neighbors feel welcome!

10/07/2026

Zoinks! We’re delighted to be partnering with our friends MVP Health Care and the Town of Rotterdam to provide free winter coats to our youngest neighbors! Catch us at the Trunk-or-Treat at Town Hall on October 16th 🧥 🐕 🎃

10/07/2026

Powered by the generous support of The Schenectady Foundation, our Community Advocates are gearing up to work for the passage of resolutions supporting Schenectady County Food Council nutrition security policies in every municipality in Schenectady County in the coming months.

Join us for our next training session hosted by Messiah Lutheran Church on Tuesday, October 20th at 6:00pm!

10/05/2026

We are incredibly EXCITED to announce our third sponsor for our Fourth Annual Empty Bowls Gala taking place on Friday, November 20th at 6:30p, Saint Kateri Tekakwitha Parish! Thank you to the Parish for their incredible generosity!

We encourage you to buy a ticket or sign up as a sponsor today at https://bit.ly/rccemptybowls2026 as we work for a town where all our young people have access to healthy and nutritious foods they need! We only have a bit over 40 tickets still available so please purchase yours today!