Ferry Beach Retreat & Conference Center
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    • RE Week
    • Choral Fest
    • GAYLA
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    • Company of Women
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    • Sacred Circle Dance
    • Motivational Interviewing
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    • Summer Cookouts
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    • SOS Saco Bay Conference
    • Vintage Improv
    • Kindred Spirits
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Ferry Beach Communicative Virus Policy
We have built our Communicative Virus policies and guidance around information provided by the US CDC, State of Maine CDC, and other research based sources.
Overview
Vaccines: Seasonal illness and COVID-19 vaccines are recommended
Masking: Optional (recommended if arriving by air, rail or bus)
Testing: Recommend negative rapid test result before visiting for an overnight event
COVID Positive While Visiting: Isolation and masking required
Flexibility: Required for ever-evolving policies and external conditions that may affect your stay

Communities of Care
Each conference, people come together in community. These intentional communities are built on the foundations of universal love, radical hospitality, trust and care for one another. Part of care is understanding the risk of coming together in cohabitation. Extended contact with individuals increases risk of sharing illness. We ask that all people coming to Ferry Beach consciously consider their impact on others when they come to Ferry Beach ill, or become ill while visiting.

Vaccinations Recommended
We strongly recommend that all visitors be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 and all other seasonal illnesses.


Before Visiting Ferry Beach
Please ask yourself and those in your party the following questions before visiting Ferry Beach. These questions are intended to help keep visitors, staff and others at Ferry Beach safe and reduce the spread of COVID-19 and other Communicative Viruses. If you can answer yes to any of these questions, we ask that you consider rescheduling your visit to Ferry Beach.​
  • Have you or anyone in your household have any of the following symptoms: Fever over 100 degrees (f), chills, cough, shortness of breath/difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle/body aches, headache, new loss of taste/smell, sore throat, congestion/runny nose, nausea, vomiting, and/or diarrhea?
  • Have you or anyone in your household tested positive for COVID-19/Communicative Virus and still experiencing fever and symptoms?
  • To the best of your knowledge, have you been in proximity to any individual who tested positive for COVID-19/Communicative Virus and still experiencing fever and symptoms?
Additionally, we recommend all guests take a rapid COVID-19 test before visiting Ferry Beach for a retreat or conference to help protect your families, friends, others visiting Ferry Beach and our Staff. A test is also strongly recommended if you, or a member of your party, have traveled by public transportation (airline, bus and/or train) recently. If you are coming to Ferry Beach by public transportation, we energetically recommend that you mask while enroute.
​
Items to Bring:
  • Masks: Masking is optional, however please bring enough masks to have on hand should a situation arise that masking would be advised.
  • COVID-19 Rapid Tests: Bring enough rapid tests for your entire party to use if needed.
  • Hand Sanitizer: Using hand sanitizer at times when you aren't able to wash your hands reduces the spread of germs. Ferry Beach has hand sanitizer pumps around campus for your convenience, but it is a good idea to have some on your person too.
  • ​Refillable Water Bottle: Not only is this better for sustainability, but reduces the risk of spreading germs.

Becoming Ill While at Ferry Beach
As we live within communities of care, if a guest becomes ill while visiting Ferry Beach, we request they mask and isolate until their symptoms improve, and they are fever free for 24 hours without fever reducing medication. Individuals sharing lodging space with this person or have had close interaction with them will be considered exposed and should also mask when in group settings.


Check-In:
Check-in procedures will be based around current COVID/Communicative Virus guidance and best practice. Check-in information will be sent to groups and guests prior to their arrival to Ferry Beach.

Dining Hall:
Movement through the dining hall will remain one-way and meals will be served cafeteria style. Enter the dining room from the Boardwalk Drive side of the building and exit through the doors on the Gardiner side. The meal line may extend to the outdoors during serving time. Please form lines down the walkway instead of around the interior of the dining hall or the porch. Please do not prop the doors open while waiting to enter the building. We have heat/air units running and we are also limiting the fly population inside the building.

A La Carte Meals:
A la carte meals will not be sold In the dining hall. You must pre-purchase a meal plan with your registration.

Keep Shared Spaces Clean:
Please help by cleaning up after yourself by wiping down handles, doors, and/or frequently touched surfaces. We will have plenty of disinfectant and cleaning supplies in the dining hall and within the restrooms.


Reduced Paper:
We have moved our in-room booklet, song books, Tidings newsletters and Sunday chapel programs to the Ferry Beach app. We will have posters with QR codes around campus to access these documents, or you can access them directly through the app. Download the app at app.ferrybeach.org or by searching your app store.

Let's be SMART about Community Living
We are asking our guests to be COVID/Communicative Virus S.M.A.R.T. and have established some basic guidelines we hope all guests will adhere to while at Ferry Beach.
Picture
S: Status: Vaccinated
We recommend all guests be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and other seasonal illnesses based on US CDC guidance for your personal situation at the time of registering.

M: Masked Faces
Masking is optional. Please consider masking when in close proximity to others. If you are feeling ill or have a fever please wear a mask. If you have recently traveled via plane, train or bus we recommend that you wear a mask while in group settings where safe physical distance can not be maintained.

A: Adapt & Be Flexible
Rules and guidance may change - we ask that you remain flexible and adapt to new policies as they become active.

R: Respiratory Etiquette
Practice good respiratory etiquette, including:
  • Cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing.
  • Use tissues and throw them away.
  • Wash your hands and/or use a hand sanitizer every time you touch your mouth or nose.

T: Track Symptoms
​​Self-monitor for symptoms: fever or chills; cough; difficulty breathing; fatigue; muscle or body aches; headache; loss of taste or smell; sore throat; congestion; nausea or vomiting; diarrhea. If you become ill, please isolate, mask and test.

!: Have Fun
Enjoy your visit to Ferry Beach! We are so happy you are sharing time with us! Let’s all do our part to keep the Ferry Beach community safe!
Our mission at Ferry Beach is to awaken hearts to explore, grow and renew the spirit of universal love. 
We work by creating programing and events in the areas of Arts & Culture, Education, Spirituality, Sustainability, Personal Growth and Justice & Action.  
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Ferry Beach Retreat & Conference Center is a 501(c)3 membership organization. 
Our mission is to awaken hearts to explore, grow and renew the spirit of universal love.  We accomplish our mission through work in the areas of
​arts & culture, education, spirituality, sustainability, personal growth and justice & action.
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Copyright © 2024
Ferry Beach Retreat & Conference Center
5 Boardwalk Drive, Saco, ME 04072 - Our Address has Changed.  Click here to learn more.
​phone 207.282.4489  • fax 207.690.4800
​
[email protected]
Privacy Policy
​Accessibility Statement
Email Webmaster
  • Home
  • Organization
    • Governance
    • Board of Directors
    • Board Interest
    • Staff
    • Work at Ferry Beach
  • Membership
    • For Members >
      • Strategic Plan
  • Giving
    • One-Time Giving
    • Sustaining Gifts
    • Donation Pot
    • The Beachkeeper Program
    • Quillen Shinn Society
    • Memorial Garden
    • Endowment Fund
    • Scholarship Program
    • Capital Campaigns
  • About
    • Our Mission & Values
    • History
    • Contact Us
    • Directions
    • CELEBRATING 125 YEARS
  • Schedule
    • Community Dinner
    • Coffee Hour
    • Quilting Retreats
    • Summer Solstice
    • Annual Meeting
    • Personal Retreaters Week
    • Outdoor Work Week
    • Concert
    • Sand and Stars
    • Independence Getaway
    • RE Week
    • Choral Fest
    • GAYLA
    • Women's Healing
    • Family & Friends
    • Circles of Life
    • Company of Women
    • Circle of Music
    • Sacred Circle Dance
    • Motivational Interviewing
    • Quilting by the Bay
    • The Beach Getaway
    • Labor Day Weekend
    • Summer Cookouts
    • AFG
    • SOS Saco Bay Conference
    • Vintage Improv
    • Kindred Spirits
  • What to Expect
    • Our Facility
    • Our Retreats
    • Our Dining Center
    • Our Accessibility
    • Our Policies
  • Lodging
  • News
    • Discovery
    • Maine Storm & Climate News
    • Blog
  • Plan a Gathering
    • Gathering Spaces
    • Planning Resources
  • Store