Lower Yakima Valley Rural Enterprise Community is a Round 1 designee located in the heart of one of the most productive agricultural regions in the country. There are approximately 20,000 residents in and around Census tracts 19 and 20.01 in the communities of Grandview and Sunnyside located in south central Washington State. The lead agency for the program is Yakima County.

2003 proved to be both a challenging and rewarding year for the Lower Yakima Valley Rural Enterprise Community. After the contract with the LYCREC 501c3 was terminated on December 31, 2002, the newly-configured nine-member Board got right to work reevaluating the community’s priorities and realigning a strategy to effectively meet those needs.

The Rural Enterprise Community enjoyed a number of successes. In 2002, several projects with great promise and prospects for long term sustainability were launched. During 2003, they began to bear fruit and there is every indication that these programs will continue to serve the community in a positive way in 2004.

Housing – The Bienestar “Well-Being” Transitional Living Center opened in Sunnyside, Washington. It’s the first residential service of its kind available in the Lower Valley. The facility houses four to six families at any given time. In addition to providing a safe environment, center services include case management to help stabilize families while they locate acceptable permanent housing. In 2003, the first families took up residence and began taking advantage of this much-needed and long-overdo service.

Infrastructure – The Wal*Mart distribution center in Grandview broke ground and began construction of their new facility. The promise of over 600 new jobs seems much closer to a reality as the building takes shape and the large scope of the project becomes evident. Work Source, a LYVREC partner which benefited from grants and leveraged dollars to build its own facility several years ago, is assisting with the massive task of hiring and training new personnel. The distribution center is expected to open its doors in April 2004.

Community Development – The REC Community Neighborhood Outreach Committee continued their work this year. In an effort to sustain and grow the seeds that have been planted, new alliances have been forged and the committee is currently investigating a grant from the Stewart foundation to support a long term plan to develop neighborhood associations and offer civic leadership opportunities for youth. The success of the program is evidenced by the number of groups that have stepped forward supporting the grant application and development of a neighborhood consortium. Among those that have come on board to date are Work Source, the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services, Sunnyside Inc.*Community Economic Development, Yakima Valley Community College, Horizons of Sunnyside, Sunnyside School District, Northwest Community Action Center, Washington State Migrant Council, Board of Yakima County Commissioners, Heritage College *National Center of Excellence, Sunnyside Chamber of Commerce, and Sunnyside’s Promise.

Youth – Construction of the new Sunnyside Community Center is nearing completion and will open its doors in early 2004. The Washington State Migrant Council has contracted with the city to operate the facility. A strong emphasis is being placed on creating a safe and welcoming atmosphere with positive outlets for youth. The Migrant Council has already begun engaging this sector by giving them a stake in the project. A group of young people are helping to design activities for the center. As a part of this, several young men helped to write a grant request to the REC for the purchase of equipment that will be used for recreational purposes and fundraising events coordinated by these budding entrepreneurs.

At the end of the year the Board developed and distributed a Request for Proposals to identify community projects for the remaining grant funds. We wanted to be sure everyone in the community had an equal chance to be considered. Ten requests were received. Each project submission will be judged against a scoring sheet developed by the Board to ensure a fair and balanced assessment. Awards are expected the early part of 2004. Our intent is to zero out the grant balance before the end of the calendar year to avoid the expense of a 2005 audit.

LYVREC has made great strides during 2003 reengaging our community and government partners in our efforts to have a positive impact on capacity building, youth, and the development of new leaders. We look forward to a challenging year as we approach the end of our designation. We are refocusing on the needs of the community and strengthening partnerships while leveraging funds to make the best use of both financial and human resources. Community leaders, government officials, and economic development entities have all expressed a desire to retain the Enterprise Community designation. As we anxiously await word from Washington regarding this issue, we are investigating several options to ensure the REC Community Board continues its good work into 2005 and beyond.

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