Working with Downtown Associates, a Wake County Housing Grant and Wachovia/Wells Fargo, we saved money by buying. We still have our Family Resource Center, but by obtaining the adjoining space we now have a classroom for our children and a conference area for parent meetings.

With the chambers of Wendell, Knightdale and Zebulon, we will host an open house Nov. 17. None of this would have been possible without the help of businesses, personal contributions and a caring community.

This January the Foundation will begin its 19th year of promoting education from birth to graduation. Here in our center we work with families, helping the adults to better understand the stages of early childhood development.

It is unique in that we work with the entire family. The children who use our center range in age from birth to 5. All activities include parental and child participation. It is exciting to watch parents as they recognize and take advantage of the "learning moments" for their children.

It's even more exciting when we see a child sit through story time or participate in activities for the first time. Kids learn to share, to listen, and become comfortable in following a routine. These skills enable them to begin school ready to learn.

We are proud of our board and staff. Our board is made up of volunteers, busy people who care enough about our youngest citizens to work with a very dedicated staff of four.

Last year alone we served more than 1,500 children and their families. One staff member is a trained Parent Educator and visits in homes for more one-on-one service.

Also housed with us are two parent educators from the school system's Project Enlightenment program. One staff member tutors in the public schools upon requests from teachers. As you can see, we are lucky to be able to provide a wide range of services.

Your East Wake Education Foundation is still a strong advocate for our area schools. We are proud of our schools and take every opportunity to promote them.

None of this would have happened without your support. The open house is our way of saying thank you to all of you who have supported our mission through the years. Please join us from 5 to 7 p.m. Nov. 17, 16 E. Fourth St. in Wendell to celebrate the end of a very successful year and the hope for an even brighter tomorrow.