Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/challenges-of-a-small-center-lopez-childrens-center/5020286/
Lopez Island is located in the archipelago of San Juan Islands off the northwest coast of Washington State. Breathtaking mountain vistas, sparkling shorelines, forests, and pastoral landscapes filled with sheep and orchards attract many tourists to San Juan County each year. This isolated community can only be reached by traveling on ferries, small commercial planes, and private boats and planes.Community
It is unique that the Lopez Island community recognized the need for a children’s center and that many in the community worked so hard to make it happen. In 1999, the Lopez Cooperative Preschool and the Lopez Island Family Resource Center (LIFRC) began working together to create a children’s center to provide much needed child care. A new home for the existing preschool, operating since 1978, was also a priority. The newly-formed Lopez Children’s Center Committee applied for funding through the federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG). After securing a site in Lopez Village with a 50-year renewable lease for $24 a year, LCC was awarded a CDBG grant of $285,000. Additional fundraising and grant writing continued, and in 2002, construction began.
Lopez Children’s Center’s concept, construction, and completion showcase the craftsmanship and artistic talents of the community. Handmade tiles line the ...