Girl Scouts Poised to Serve More, Diverse Youth with New Program Center

SPOKANE, Wash. — With a $2.5 million renovation campaign underway, the Girl Scouts Inland Empire Council (GSIEC) today announced plans for a new Program Center that will increase its ability to serve more girls throughout Spokane.  The GSIEC is renovating an existing 21,600 square-foot building in the West Central neighborhood that will allow for increased numbers, diversity and program offerings.

Renovation plans include a new Program Center with dedicated activity areas including: an arts and crafts studio, a computer lab, a multi-purpose gymnasium, a meeting room for older girls, as well as a Girl Scout hostel with room for 50 guests, a volunteer resource center, a Girl Scout Heritage Room, an expanded Girl Scout shop, and staff offices.

Lindy Cater, executive director, stated that the West Central neighborhood location is ideal for Girl Scouts. Through the Girl Scouts’ Community Collaboration Project, more than 500 girls are able to participate at no cost to their families. 

“We want to make this valuable program accessible to every girl who wants to belong. We’ve had a collaboration with the West Central Community Center for many years, providing Girl Scouts to girls in their after school program at no cost to the girls’ families. Our new Program Center will allow us to continue and expand that collaboration,” said Cater.

Girl Scout membership in the Inland Northwest has grown by more than 13 percent in the past two years. Projections for 2004 suggest more than 5,000 girls and 1,500 adult volunteers will participate this year. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation recently contributed a $250,000 challenge grant for the campaign. Other leading contributors include Dr. Hampton and Marguerite Irwin, Georgia Watts, Elizabeth Welty, M.D., the I.S. & Emily Fetterman Foundation, Scott and Betty Lukins, Bank of America, and Spokane Teachers Credit Union. These and other early contributions are dedicated to the purchase of the building and the design and renovation of staff offices. 

Girl Scout staff and board members are working with Steve McNutt, of Northwest Architectural Company, to make design modifications to the building and to select a contractor. GSIEC anticipates an October 2005 grand opening.