Our guest speaker on Friday, October 30th was Sarah Lundstrom, talking about “Take the Next Step.” The organization was founded in 2005 as a drop-in resource center. Take the Next Step, located in Monroe, has evolved into a appointment-only Family Resource Center. The organization's budget grew from $100,000 eleven years ago to nearly $900,000. It's team has expanded to eight staff members with dedicated staff for each program. Funding has diversified with grants now the primary source of income and supplemented by invested reserve funds.

Kyle Sylliaasen was our second Member Classification Talk presentation. Raised in Granite Falls and moving in his early 20's to Shanghai and on to Taiwan. Fram a narrated culture shock and humility and his evolving idenity as a teacher where he met his wife and the decision to return to the Pacific Northwest.Kyle highlighed the richness of Taiwan, its beautiful landscapes and the people sharing stories from his family, particularly his grandfather-in-law who lives through the Japanese invasion of Shanghai. Although a teacher at heart, Kyle's passion besides family is his career with New York Life. Kyle is married with a small boy who brings joy to the family household.