Thanks to an appropriation of the Washington Legislature, a neighborhood center at High Point is within $2.5 million of the $10 million having enough money to build an 18,500 square-foot building.

The Legislature included $2 million for the construction of a neighborhood center in West Seattle in the budget for the next biennium.

The High Point Neighborhood Center will house services for families including multilingual programs and activities to enhance families and to promote self-reliance. South Seattle Community College, SafeFutures and other non-profit organizations and services will also have offices at the new center. The building will become the new home for Neighborhood House programs and will continue a 40-year tradition of service to the community.

The High Point Neighborhood Center will be a certified "green" building meeting the high standards of environmental design and sustainability.

West Seattle State Sen. Erik Poulsen said he is pleased that Neighborhood House's High Point Neighborhood Center will be built to these new standards.

"We are so grateful to Sen. Poulsen, Reps. Eileen Cody and Joe McDermott for leading the effort to secure funding for this center of hope and opportunity in West Seattle," said Martha Kongsgaard, president of the Kongsgaard-Goldman Foundation and co-chair of the Heart of High Point Capital Campaign.

Mark Okazaki, Neighborhood House executive director echoed Kongsgaard's praise for the lawmakers, adding the state money "is much more than an investment in a construction project; it is an investment in helping people create a place of hope in their community. The state's commitment recognizes the unique environmental impact this state-of-the art center will make in West Seattle."

The $10 million Neighborhood House High Point Neighborhood Center is scheduled for completion in April 2009, and will serve the 4,000 children, youth and adults living in High Point and the surrounding West Seattle community. It will house Head Start classes, tutoring programs, employment services, community activities and more.

The $2 million in state funds - along with funding already committed from Seattle Housing Authority, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Microsoft Corporation and other private and public sources - means $2.5 million must be raised in a public campaign. Neighborhood house is presently in the quiet phase of the Heart of High Point Capital Campaign to fund the Neighborhood Center project.

Construction is expected to begin in spring 2008.

To get more information on Neighborhood House and this campaign and to make a contribution go to www.nhwa.org or contact Peter Wolf, capital campaign director at 461-8430, ext. 224, peterw@nhwa.org.