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About the SW Commons, and their programs
proceeds from sale of book will benefit their youth programs
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Building Community
Update May, 2008
- The South Whidbey Commons has sold their Bayview property to Island County Fire District #3. A very fair and equitable price was arrived at by the buyer and seller. The Fire District was glad that the money was providing funding for the mission of the South Whidbey Commons. Likewise, the South Whidbey Commons was pleased that the property was in a beneficial location to be used by the Fire District. We will invest and use the proceeds from the land sale to insure the future of our mission and respect the intent of our donors. We have returned grant money that we were awarded.
- As always, we continue to support our mission “to bring together all people of South Whidbey by providing community space and activities.”
- The South Whidbey Commons was originally about a new community place for programs. We are now about building programs in existing spaces. We continue to hold the same big dreams . . . we are just taking smaller steps. We are here to stay and serve the South Whidbey community, and throughout this transitional process we remain committed to creating opportunities for our community to come together by continuing and expanding existing programs such as:
These South Whidbey Commons programs are centered at, although not limited
to, our rental property in Langley (124 Second St. / 113 McLeod Alley). See below.
- Our planned Bayview facility included a Community Living Room, a Café, a Family & Child Center, and a Multi-purpose Room. When Island Coffeehouse & Books in Langley became a program of The South Whidbey Commons in 2006, we gained our Community Living Room and Cafe. We are passionate about the Coffeehouse, a special place in the heart of Langley, and are committed to its continuation. With the addition of the Backroom, a new community space to house our Afterschool Activities for High School Students as well as serve as a meeting space and Art Gallery, we gained our Multi-purpose Room. As our first new 2008 program goal, we hope to coordinate spaces for young children and their parents to play, learn, and connect with each other. Because parenting young children in a rural community can be isolating, South Whidbey parents are asking for opportunities to explore and join in community with their children. This affords us an opportunity to develop our Family & Child space(s).
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New programs for high schoolers are led by AmeriCorps members Gena Kraha, Program Coordinator and Emilee Quackenbush, AmeriCorps worker. The Youth Advisory Team to South Whidbey Commons and Island Coffeehouse & Books helps shape the programming. Collaborations with other community youth programs, including S.W. Youth Connection, are planned.
- Afterschool programs (2:30 – 5:00 weekdays) are geared for high school students and currently include:
- Art instruction and activities
- Study groups
- Anime Club and board games
- Late Movies (weekends)
- The South Whidbey Commons continues our involvement with community partners and collaborators: S.W. Community Engagement Center, S.W. Family Resource Center, S.W. Youth Connection, S.W. Family Support Alliance, S.W. Children’s Center, 4H, and Whidbey Island Nourishes (WIN). We are especially grateful to the S.W. Youth Connection for providing funding for the first year’s lease of the Backroom.
- The South Whidbey Commons has received a grant of $22,180 from the Employees Community Fund of Boeing Puget Sound for equipment needed at Island Coffee House & Books. The money will be used to purchase equipment that will continue to support job training of our local students.
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