Kathleen Friend accepting a certificate of recognition
at the 20 year anniversary of the Lake Stevens Family Center in September.

Lake Stevens Family Center Director Kathleen Friend began her career with Lutheran Community Services Northwest as a part-time volunteer and was asked to do a community assessment of Lake Stevens and determine the need of a Family Support Center.

Little did she know that her part-time volunteer gig would become a paid staff position in March of 2002. 

Through the years Friend has taken her expertise in community building, marketing, relationship building, team building and overall loyalty to her community turning a small Family Center into the Lake Stevens Family Center that we see today.  
Below are a few of the milestones:

Staffing:
2002 – 1 part-time volunteer – Kathleen
2012 – 5 paid staff – 1 intern and large scale volume of volunteers
2012 – 14 member Advisory Board
Unduplicated participants accessing the family center:
2002-2005 – 3,457
2006-2012 – 28,592
Volunteer Hours:
2002-2005 – 3,215
2006-2012 – 35,145
Three events in Lake Stevens have become signature events for Lake Stevens and hosted by the Lake Stevens Family Center:
National Night Out:
2002 – 344 attendees
2012 – 1800 attendees
Halloween Carnival:
2002 – 318 attendees
2012 – 1035 attendees
Christmas Giving Program:
2002 – 182
2011 – 1300
Friend has implemented two programs that have become considered ‘Best Practice’ for Family Support Centers of LCSNW and been instrumental in building capacity and sustainability for Lake Stevens Family Center:

Donor Recognition – Family Supportive Business program – Every business that supports the Lake Stevens Family Center receives a plaque to display in their business and a year tag every year that they support the Center.

Healthy Family Project – The Healthy Families Project addresses all areas of “Family Health” by implementing a project that consists of three major interwoven components that addresses:  Family – Financial – and Physical health of families and provide those services within the community that participants live.
Opened new Outreach Site in 2012 in Granite Falls.

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