New Beginnings Social Events

🌿 A 3-Week Series on Emotional Awareness, Resilience, and Self-Leadership

When life throws us off balance, emotions can feel heavy or hard to handle. This 3-week series explores how to meet those feelings with awareness and compassion. Learn practical ways to feel, heal, and find the freedom that follows understanding.

We’ve all faced moments of emotional disruption — in relationships, at work, or during major life changes — when feelings rise up that we’d rather not feel. Frustration, sadness, anger, fear… we push them aside, distract ourselves, or get swept away.

But what if those uncomfortable emotions aren’t the problem? What if they’re messages guiding us toward growth, self-knowledge, and deeper peace?

We’ll explore practical ways to understand, experience, and work skillfully with difficult emotions — so they become allies instead of obstacles. Each session includes short, thought-provoking video teachings (about 30–35 minutes total), followed by group discussion and personal reflection in a supportive space.

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Three-Week Series

😎 Summer evenings are better with good food, good conversation, and good company! 💕 Join your New Beginnings Sisterhood friends for a casual potluck Happy Hour by the water at beautiful Parkside Aquatic Park.

📅 Thursday, August 20
⏰ 5:15–7:30 PM
📍 Parkside Aquatic Park
1595 Seal St, San Mateo, CA 94403

We’ll gather along the Marina Lagoon for a relaxed summer evening to catch up, chat, laugh, and enjoy being together. No program, no agenda—just an easygoing Sisterhood get-together!

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🧺 POTLUCK — KEEP IT SIMPLE!

We’re not doing potluck sign-ups, so just bring something you’d enjoy sharing.

🥨 Bring an appetizer or snack to share
🥤 Bring your favorite non-alcoholic beverage (or alcoholic beverage - 🤫 please be discreet!)

🧺 You may also want to bring a picnic blanket or folding chair.

🤗 No need to coordinate—we’ll enjoy whatever assortment shows up!

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🚗 IMPORTANT: AVOID HWY 92 COMMUTE TRAFFIC

Because we’ll be arriving during the evening commute, we strongly recommend avoiding eastbound Highway 92/San Mateo Bridge traffic if possible.

Instead, use local streets:

Coming from downtown/north San Mateo:

➡️ Take East 3rd Avenue east
➡️ Turn right onto S. Norfolk Street
➡️ Turn left onto Roberta Drive
➡️ Turn right onto Seal Street

Coming from the south:

➡️ Take E. Hillsdale Boulevard
➡️ Turn left onto S. Norfolk Street
➡️ Turn right onto Roberta Drive
➡️ Turn right onto Seal Street

The City’s official directions also route drivers to the park via Norfolk → Roberta → Seal, rather than Highway 92.

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🅿️ PARKING & PARK DETAILS

Parkside Aquatic Park has a free on-site parking lot right next to the beach, including wheelchair-accessible parking spaces. The lot is relatively small, so if it fills, look for legal street parking in the surrounding neighborhood.

What better excuse for a relaxed Friday evening with friends than National Spumoni Day? Join New Beginnings for a casual backyard potluck at “Harker’s Back Forty” in San Mateo—an easygoing evening to share food and drinks, reconnect with familiar faces, and meet some new ones.

And yes, somewhere along the way, there should probably be some spumoni. 🍨😊

🌿 Harker’s Back Forty

Our host, Robert Harker, is graciously opening his private backyard across from San Mateo High School for the evening. He’ll provide the tables, chairs, plates, utensils, cups, and other basics—so attendees simply need to bring something to eat and/or drink and share.

There’s no potluck sign-up and no assigned categories. Bring an appetizer, entrée, side dish, dessert, beverage—or simply something you enjoy and think others might too.

Robert also has a small BBQ available.

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🥗 What to Bring

Please bring food and/or drinks to share with the group.

Homemade specialties are always welcome, but absolutely not required. This is meant to be an easy, informal gathering—not a cooking competition!

And since August 21 happens to be National Spumoni Day, anyone inspired to bring spumoni—or another favorite ice cream or dessert—is certainly encouraged. 🍨

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🕕 Timing

Friday, August 21
6:00–9:00 PM

Doors open at 6:00 PM, with dinner getting underway around 6:30-ish. Come when you can and settle in for a relaxed summer evening.

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🧥 Dress for a Cool Evening

San Mateo evenings can get chilly, especially after sunset, so bring a jacket, sweater, or coat just in case.

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🚗 Parking

There is plenty of off-street parking behind the San Mateo Performing Arts Center and next to the High School District offices, near San Mateo High School. (See the photo posted below.)

Please use the off-street parking rather than parking in the surrounding neighborhood, so street parking remains available for Robert’s neighbors.

Robert’s driveway will be reserved for anyone who needs accessible parking.

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📍Location

The exact backyard address and additional arrival information will be provided to attendees the day before the event by email.

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💚 Thank You, Robert!

A special thank-you to Robert Harker for opening his backyard to New Beginnings and providing the tables, chairs, dishes, and supplies that make this gathering possible.

And for anyone wondering…
“The Back Forty of what?”
Robert will tell you when he figures that out! 😉

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