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Greater Maple Valley Community Center 

Description

GMVCC provides community-based programs that offer healthy choices and alternatives to reduce neglect and isolation, and prevent violence and substance abuse. We use best practices to focus our prevention efforts. We provide Children & Family Programs for families with children ages 0 to 5 years; Teen Programs at The Den Youth Center for students in grades 6 through 12; and Senior Adult Programs for adults age 50+. In addition to information & referral, special interest activities and events, and volunteer opportunities, The Center provides over 50 hours of drop-in programming each week. Many youth activites are delivered in the middle schools and junior high of the Tahoma School District.  (Our service area is the ninety square miles of the Tahoma S/D )

Mission Statement
The Greater Maple Valley Community Center enriches the quality of life in our community through quality human services and social activities. GMVCC is a multi-age facilty with a multitude of programs that meet the neds of community residents from toddlers to senior citizens.  It was founded in 1976, and is celebrating 37 years of service to the community. The Center programming strives to reduce isolation, create connections and build on the strengths of inviduals, youth and families. We work toward these goals by promoting and providing opportunities for education, and involvement which encourage strong community attachment, decrease violence and substance abuse and enhance the social well being of all.
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Greater Maple Valley Community Center
22010 SE 248th St 
Maple Valley 
WA
98038-6067 
(425) 432-1272 

Mark Pursley 
Executive Director 

Programs

Greater Maple Valley Community Center Programs

The GMVCC Children & Family Program focuses on Early Learning and Parent support. We offer a drop-in Toddler Time Play Group for caregivers with children ages 0-5; a Play & Learn School Readiness Co-op (in cooperation with Child Care Resources); Special community outreach activities & events; our summer PBJ & Books Nutrition and Literacy program in a local low income community; and family information, referral and support groups. We emphasize the role of parents as their child's first teacher and the importance of play in learning and child development. Our target population includes an estimated 21% of children in our area at highest risk of neglect and abuse who are in the care of untrained caregivers.

The GMVCC Youth Program targets youth residing in a largely underserved portion of King County within the 7,200-student Tahoma School District. The youth program includes educational, recreational, and social services that foster positive connections between youth, their schools, and their communities; work to develop leaders among the youth; and encourage young people to become contributing members of the community. In January 2008, we opened a dedicated youth center offering after-school Teen Drop-In activities on school days for 6th through 12th grade youth.Concerts/Dances are held on weekends.

The goal of the GMVCC Senior Adult Program is to reduce isolation, create connections, and build on the strengths of the senior citizens in our community. We provide opportunities for education, recreation, and involvement, which encourage strong community attachment and enhance the social well-being and health of these older residents. The centerpiece of the GMVCC Senior Program is our congregate meal program and our Transportation Assistance Program which provides seniors with a way to remain independent by offering door-to-door transportation to activities and appointments.

Recent Successes and Current Challenges

Until March 2008 our lunch program was part of the Seattle Senior Services congregate meal program, with Senior Services. When we were given very short notice that Senior Services would be unable to continue the program, we immediately developed our own meal program, and were able to continue offering lunches with no gaps in provision. Our senior participants have remarked that the quality of the lunch program has improved, and as a result, attendance has increased from 10-25 per day to 35-50 per day, for an average of more than 500 meals per month. Another issue for our rural community is the growing need for safe and reliable transportation for our seniors and the disabled. We have recently obtained funding to expand our transportation services greatly.

Evaluation


As the only large multi-service organization for a 90 square-mile area of rural King County, the Greater Maple Valley Community Center (GMVCC) has been a vital human services hub since it was founded 30 years ago. Area residents (particularly seniors and youth) seeking social services, health and wellness programs, and connections with other community members would be hard-pressed to access these services if they weren’t provided closer to home by GMVCC.

Accessibility
Although almost 40% of Maple Valley's population is under 18, and area youth remain underserved—particularly in the area’s growing Latino community. This has led to a high incidence of substance abuse and teen violence. GMVCC's youth center “The Den” seeks to reverse these trends, providing teens with a safe and youth-friendly gathering place and support services. GMVCC received a United Way Innovations Grant which enabled them to provide an open forum for the neighboring low-income Latino community in Riverbend. Through this event GMVCC staff identified leaders within the Riverbend community and are currently partnering with them to better serve the Riverbend community.

Collaboration
Because community needs are vast and GMVCC's resources limited, the Center relies on collaboration with other entities in order to provide a wide range of services on-site. Key partners include the Tahoma School District, Senior Services of King County, Valley Cities Counseling, the King County Library System, and King County Youth Probation. The City of Maple Valley underwrote construction of GMVCC’s youth center. In return, GMVCC is responsible for all maintenance, programming, and operating costs of running the youth-focused facility.

Financial Health
Despite a constrained funding environment, GMVCC’s financial health remains strong. The City of Maple Valley continues to support GMVCC at a high level. The Washington State Department of Transportation provided funding to launch the Southwest Regional Shuttle program, expanding GMVCC’s reach into the community while adding a new source of revenue. Additional fundraising events have generated new revenue and the Board Finance Committee closely monitors the organization’s financial health and ensures GMVCC maintains a strong base of reserves.

Grant History with The Seattle Foundation:

Grants Awarded through The Seattle Foundation Grantmaking Program:

DateAmountPurpose
3/10/2013 $10,000.00support general operating expenses.
6/10/2012 $10,000.00support general operating expenses.
6/10/2011 $15,000.00support general operating expenses.
6/10/2009 $20,000.00support general operating expenses.
3/22/2007 $25,000.00support general operating expenses.
9/16/2004 $15,000.00support general operating expenses.

Financials

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