Sky Valley Integrated Service Center

Included on the campus is the Sky Valley Resource Center that connects families in crisis and those experiencing homelessness with available basic need resources, including other local services to support them back to stability.

Our Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) serves 60 children from low-income households in providing high-quality preschool, along with home visiting and parenting support for families through the North County Early Head Start program serving families with children 2 years and younger. Family Support Specialists connect families to available resources and help support plans towards stability and self-sufficiency to break the cycle of intergenerational poverty many rural households face.

Our Sky Valley Youth Coalition (SVYC) aims to keep teens above the influence of harmful substances, free from self-harm and suicide, and resilient to bullying. The SVYC hosts a safe space for teens after school, and provides service opportunities, connections to supportive and trustworthy adult mentors, and exposure to post-secondary education and employment opportunities.

The Sky Valley Senior and Community Center also resides on the campus, and hosts an active schedule of lunches and activities every week to help seniors engage with community members and decrease isolation. Our hunger prevention efforts also include the Sky Valley Elderly Nutrition Delivery program (SEND), providing nutritionally-prepared weekly meals that are delivered to vulnerable homebound seniors.

The Sultan Food Bank is an important support for low-income families in Sky Valley, serving roughly 400 households a month. With almost 12,000 total visits in 2018, food insecurity continues to be a challenge for many in this rural community.

(Please note, Lynsey is currently on leave and will be back in the fall.) As Executive Director of Community Resource Centers for Volunteers of America Western Washington, Lynsey is responsible for oversight of both the Sky Valley Integrated Service Center and the Arlington Community Resource Center’s functions to ensure effective delivery of basic needs services and community support. Lynsey joined VOAWW in 2018, bringing expertise in social service programming and integrating services in Snohomish County. Having the opportunity of leading “one-stop-shop” centers where families, youth and seniors can connect with multiple resources and receive assistance is a passion of hers. Lynsey is committed to finding avenues to improve outcomes for those in need, and enjoys collaborating with other agencies, government entities, volunteers and others to build strong communities.

Tracy serves as the A-Frame (our Sky Valley Senior and Community Center building) Manager at the Sultan VOA Campus. She oversees all programs housed within the A-Frame: the Sultan Food Bank, Sky Valley Senior and Community Center, and the S.E.N.D. program. She started as a Volunteer in 2015 with the Sky Valley Youth Coalition, then went on to volunteer with the Sky Valley Senior and Community Center, and has been serving in her current role since the winter of 2019. Tracy loves helping all the families and seniors that come to the A- Frame. "Each day is different, and I feel like I am part of something great."

As the Food Bank Coordinator at the Sultan Food Bank, Seth helps distribute food to hundreds of households in the Sky Valley on a weekly basis. Seth began volunteering at the food bank while he was still in school in 2018, and became the Food Bank Coordinator in early 2020 prior to Covid-19. Seth loves being able to contribute to and help the community, especially through hard times when food security isn’t always guaranteed.

Ruth Shapovalov sees as many as 35 teens on any given day in a community outreach-centered after school program. She connects these teens with services, employment and education opportunities, mentorship, and food, while giving them ways to volunteer to serve. Ruth joined the Sky Valley Resource Center staff in 2017, and built the Sky Valley Youth Coalition from the ground up. Ruth loves investing in teens' lives, helping build their family bonds, and modeling and teaching trauma-informed practices. Watching the kids grow and mature into well-balanced adults gives her great joy. One of her passions is watching them enjoy home-cooked meals in their "second home" at the VOA.

As the Assistant Youth Coordinator, Hannah works with teens from various backgrounds to ensure they have a safe place to study, hang out, and volunteer in the community. Hannah started with the Sky Valley Youth Coalition in 2020. She enjoys connecting with youth and teaching them valuable life skills and outdoor education.