Nooksack Valley Schools is the only district in the county without an in-person Family Resource Center, a central location to house donations and serve as a hub for families to visit. A project underway now will change all that by creating a Family Resource Center space within a portable at Sumas Elementary. 
 
Ana Enselman, NV Schools family services coordinator, says that although her department has access to donations and other basic needs items to distribute to families, having a centralized location for families to visit has been a longstanding goal of the district. Now they finally have the capacity to make it happen. 
 
“The floods in December really opened my eyes to barriers our families face when trying to access basic needs,” she says. “Opening a school-based center like this will allow families to utilize resources and basic needs in a quick and timely manner.” 
 
The goal is to transform the portable into a small clothing store where families can shop and access urgent needs for free, including clothing, hygiene items, shoes, household goods and more. Nooksack Valley Schools does not want to take from or replace any of the valuable community support already in place, such as the Sumas Church Clothesline or NV Food Bank, but become an added support for area families. 
 
Enselman says she also hopes that a portable can be used as a quiet space to meet privately with families, have a computer and printer accessible for families needing to complete applications and enrollments and serve as a home for community partners to meet with families. 
 
“Meeting with families face-to-face in a quiet and reliable space only deepens our relationships with them,” she says. “Allowing families to pick out new/gently used clothing items for their children or household feels much better than just handing them a bag of donated items. Our families deserve that dignity.” 
 
As the district continues to plan the opening of the space, staff have toured and gained insight from several spaces at other districts to understand what works best within the Nooksack Valley community. Enselman says that the Lynden Noon Kiwanis Club has been instrumental in moving the project forward thanks to the hours they’ve spent volunteering and the donations provided for the project. Nooksack Valley High School students have also been regularly donating their time to help sort through items in preparation of an opening. 
 
The goal is to open the Family Resource Center in August, if not earlier. Enselman says that anyone interested in learning more, volunteering their time or donating items can reach her via email at ana.enselman@nv.k12.wa.us.