The
INSIDE Senior spotlight
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Lodging tax awards
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New virtual school
Anne Willis photo
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Islands’ eekly W
VOLUME 35, NUMBER 36 • September 4, 2012
Mentor program builds lasting friendships By Julie Summers
Special to the Islands’ Weekly
Lopez Center
SAVE the DATE
Saturday, September 15th
for the 9th Annual
Lopez Home Tour
Debbie Collins remembers her initial hesitation about becoming a mentor. “I didn’t feel like I would be any good at being a mentor,” she said. “I never had any children, so I didn’t know what it was like to have kids around.” Collins was also concerned about the long-term commitment. But eight years ago, she took the
plunge, became a mentor to then 5-year-old Alyssa Gallagher, and hasn’t looked back since. Collins and Gallagher, now 13, are just one of over a dozen current pairs matched by the Lopez Island Family Resource Center’s Mentor Program. Since 1997, the program has been matching island youth with responsive, reliable adult friends. Mentors are asked to commit to meeting regularly Contributed photo
Debbie Collins and Alyssa Gallagher have been in the Lopez Island Family Resource Center’s Mentor Program for eight years.
Visit 8 distinctive homes while benefiting the Lopez Center for Community & the Arts
T
his is your once a year opportunity to discover parts of Lopez you never knew existed! Uncover these places as you visit eight interesting and distinctive homes here on the Friendly Isle. The tour will showcase, from from north to south, the homes of the Collins, DiNicolas, Walters/Dickson, Bollinger/ Seward, Dolans, Raiti Waerness, Whettens and Walkers. Whether nestled in the forest, surrounded by hay fields, or situated above the sea, each home is a reflection of the owner’s unique style. The self-guided tour begins at 11 AM and ends at 4 PM. You may leave your vehicle at the Center and car pool with friends. Delicious box lunches will be available between 9:30 AM and noon at the Center, and at some homes for $5. Tour tickets are $30 and available at the Lopez Center for the Community and the Arts (LCCA), Saturday Farmers Market, Paper, Scissors on the Rock, Lopez Bookshop, and through www.lopezcenter.com. This tour income helps the center to keep event prices low so all Lopezians can enjoy the many and varied yearlong LCCA happenings. What a great way to spend a day while supporting the LCCA!
www.lopezcenter.com
with their mentees, ideally for at least an hour a week. Collins and Gallagher often spend three or more hours together each week. Collins is quick to point out that the mentor-mentee relationship is far from onesided. “I’ve learned a lot from her, as she has from me,” she said. The pair often work on arts and crafts projects
together, something Collins says she excelled at and drew strength from at a young age. She has seen that same aptitude and increased confidence in Gallagher: “I see this young woman who is ready to tackle lots of things.” United Way of San Juan County makes the program possible by providing funding for a mentor coordinator, a position Mikah Smith has held since last year. He recruits mentors, provides periodic training and ongoing support, and organizes special events for mentors and mentees. This year, he hopes to find at least five new mentors – one for each child currently on the waiting list. Collins says the greatest challenge of her mentoring experience, without a doubt, was taking that first step. She understands firsthand the fear of jumping in, the feeling that you don’t have anything to offer. But she encourages potential mentors to set aside their fears and give it a try. “If you don’t try it, how are you going to know if you like it or not?” she said. “I think a young person is worth taking a chance.” To support United Way of San Juan County, mail your gift to P.O. Box 3181, Friday Harbor, WA 98250 or online at www.unitedwaysanjuancounty.org. Summers is a writer for the Lopez Island Family Resource Center