Island Stage Left

“The grant we received from the Community Foundation helped us purchase the plywood we needed for the stage that had to be rebuilt for the coming season.  Thank you for being there when we needed you!” Helen Machin-Smith

Over the years, the Foundation helped support the program’s biotechnology needs, but in 2007, the Community Foundation helped fund the purchase of a laptop computer. “That one purchase has made so much happen. We can write lesson plans, do community outreach, make PowerPoint shows, do research and outline it. It is really helping us connect to the people we serve.” Jenny Roberts, director/coordinator

The Community Foundation was a key funding partner in the completion of  the fenced yard, known as Duncan’s Yard, at the Animal Shelter.  ”The project was begun by Susan Eyerly before she passed away. This area gives us a wonderful opportunity to socialize and train dogs before they are adopted. The Foundation grant allowed us to finish this five-year project. We’re grateful for that.” Leslie Byron, director, FHAPS

“The Community Foundation’s contribution to our PARC (the Performing Arts Resource Center) campaign was critical to opening this facility – we couldn’t have done it without them. Over the years, the Foundation has helped remodel the main theatre, too. This has made the way we run the things much more efficient. Thank you!”  Merritt Olsen, executive director, SJCT

In 2007, San Juan Island Emergency Medical Services established a relationship with the aircraft company, Island Air to provide fixed wing emergency medical flight transport to the mainland.  But the patient monitoring equipment used during in-flight transport was old and outdated.  By pooling donations from several different funds, the SJICF was able to underwrite improved equipment to provide better in-flight care.

Sponsored by the Westcott Bay Institute, these no-cost, drop-in workshops bring parents and children together in the creative process and provide opportunities to meet and learn from working artists. The workshops are held every Saturday during the summer months at the Sculpture Park at Roche Harbor. The Institute needed basic program support and the Community Foundation was able to offer that support through a combination of gifts from Donor Advised Funds.

The Mullis Community Senior Center and the local American Red Cross Chapter have agreed to use the center as an emergency shelter for all San Juan Islanders, whether as a response to a major disaster or in the case of prolonged power outages. A generator will greatly enhance the usefulness of the facility during such events. The Foundation was able to underwrite part of the cost through a combination of funds from a Donor Advised Fund and a General Endowment Grant.

The San Juan Nature Institute’s new Groundwater Model helps both students and policy makers better understand the water needs. “It shows the ground hydrology of the islands,” says Susan Key, Executive Director of the SJNI. “The Community Foundation’s help in purchasing this was a key part of helping people understand how water works in place like ours.”