Yesterday I decided to go to the League of Women Voters monthly meeting, and their guest speakers really inspired me.

Three speakers represented the Family Resource Centers on Lopez, Orcas and Friday Harbor and the fourth was Rick Hughes, our county councilman from Orcas.

I was so amazed to find out what the resource centers do and how wide they reach.

I am going to talk about the San Juan Island Resource center as this is where I live.

First of all their goal is that “Every household on San Juan Island has the resources they need to be healthy, happy and productive.”

Approximately 2,400 people on San Juan Island alone use the resource center in some way. That includes the young as well as the old. That is a big number, maybe 1 in 3. Here is a list of some of the things they do:

-PIP program (Primary Intervention Program)

-Help with power bills for low income families

-Help with rent to prevent homelessness

-Infant and parent play group

-Transportation to medical appointments

-Affordable care act sign up

-Non-essential needs like laundry soap and toilet paper

-Life skills for young adults

The biggest way that people fall into the cycle of need is medical bills stemming from some type of injury or illness. Then they cannot work and they spiral down.

All of this is amazing, and how the Resource Center does it is mind–boggling. Their funding comes from grants, 37 percent, donations, 10 percent and the rest is subcontracted services which means mountains of paperwork, and never knowing how much their budget will be.

I always thought that the county provided all the funding for the Family Resource Center, but was surprised to find out that they only contribute a portion of the mental health tax.

In closing I just want people to know and urge you to help support this wonderful center.

The easiest way is to go to their website of to send a check to : Family Resource Center, P.O. Box 1981, Friday Harbor

Ruth Fleming

San Juan