Making things better

For several years the Family Resource Center on South Sprigg Street has provided an extra boost to youngsters taking part in a variety of programs. Currently, about 15 students a week participate in an after-school program designed to help them with reading skills. The center also offers programs for adults.

The director of the Family Resource Center, Denise Lincoln, and many other helpers and volunteers have poured their hearts and souls into the effort.

The center is housed in a former church building that is showing signs of its age. The church was built in 1941, and the center has made some improvements, including new windows. But when the center applied for a day-care license in order to obtain a grant, a city inspection was required. The inspection underscored the maintenance needs of the building.

For a while, it appeared the center might have to shut its doors. But the need for a day-care license is being appealed, and the center can remain in operation during that process. That gives the center some time to deal with the building.

While 15 students in an after-school program may not seem like much, the center is responding to a genuine need in the neighborhood it serves. Other activities, including a Girl Scout troop, have grown out of the center's programs.

The future of the center may well depend on raising funds to repair the old church building. Or it might hinge on the cooperation of the neighborhood to come up with an alternative, even a temporary one, if required due to an ongoing effort to comply with all the regulations.

The Family Resource Center has provided good and consistent services to enough children and adults that it would be well-served by the ingenuity of anyone interested in building a better community. If you have a good idea, Denise Lincoln would love to hear from you.