MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – Just as everyone from Cobb Mountain, down through Anderson Springs, Middletown and Hidden Valley suffered together through the Valley fire and its aftermath, now this same group of people can heal together throughout this long period of recovery.

Community gatherings will be held every Monday from 6 to 8 p.m. at alternating campuses within the Middletown Unified School District .

The first one will be this Monday, April 11, in the multi-use room of the new Minnie Cannon Elementary on Big Canyon Road, across from the Tallman Gym high school parking lot.

A free meal will be provided. Supervised games will be organized for the young and young at heart, and adult group counseling will be offered by a licensed therapist from Lake Family Resource Center.

These weekly gatherings will be a collaborative effort funded by the Lake Area Rotary Club Association, sponsored by Lake Family Resource Center and hosted by the Middletown Unified School District.

“Our team is ready to go and excited about this project. This is going to be awesome,” said Stephanie Lilly, programs director for Lake Family Resource Center.

On Monday, April 18, the community gathering will be at the high school multi-use room.

On Monday, April 25, the gathering will be in Coyote Valley Elementary's multi-use room. On May 2 it will be at Cobb Elementary.

This rotation will continue until the end of the school year, and then begin again in the fall.

Several gatherings may be scheduled in the summer.