The help south county families need

LYNNWOOD — Whether supporting caregivers or providing playtime for children, a nonprofit agency in Lynn­wood has spent 15 years helping families in Snohomish County.

The Family Support Center of South Snohomish County is planning to hold an open house from 1 to 4 p.m. today to show off some recent remodeling to its building at 6330 195th St. SW. The center is also being honored for its work by the Edmonds Chamber of Commerce.

With only a few paid employees and a six-room building, the Family Support Center has served more than 2,700 families so far this year, center program coordinator Pam Graham said.

Question: What kind of services does your center provide?

Graham: We provide play groups, parenting groups, socializing opportunities, caregiver programs, special-focus support groups and caregiver support groups. We mobilize the community around particular needs they’ve identified, and we have forums for people to get input into what people think and what they want for their families.

Question: What kind of families do you help?

Graham: The focus is on low-income (families), but the dilemmas and problems that families have reach across all socioeconomic levels. We serve everyone.

Question: Do you think you reach most families that need help?

Graham: We’ve been around for 15 years, and still a lot of folks don’t know about us. As people and organizations get to know about us, they’re kind of floored and amazed and they want to let other people know.

Question: How important is your location in Lynnwood?

Graham: It’s a nonbureaucratic setting. It’s an old home that’s been converted specifically to make it accessible for people, where people can volunteer to support their community or get support for issues in their lives, from emotionally to monetary.

Question: What kind of renovations have been done at the center?

Graham: We increased the size of the rooms that we use for our programs, and we’ve done some landscaping. All of this was done with volunteer help, contributions from businesses and contributions from groups. It’s really a neighborhood center, and our neighborhood is south (Snohomish County).

Reporter Scott Pesznecker: 425-339-3436 or spesznecker@heraldnet.com.