Over the years, the Cappalappa Family Resource Center (CFRC) has become a vital institution in the Moapa Valley community. Founded in 1999, the center has become the “one stop shop” for family services in this small town. The wide array of services made available to a broad segment of local residents is vitally important and would not be readily available if not for CFRC. Without CFRC, those who rely on such services would be obliged to travel far distances to get them. Given the circumstances of many of these folks, rather than being able to make the trip, they would probably just end up doing without.
Cappalappa is not a government run entity. It is a non-profit organization formed by members of the community who saw a need and, on their own initiative, set out to fill it. The organization is governed and administered by local people who understand the uniqueness of these local needs.
Over the years, CFRC board members and administrators have sought county and state grants to help fund the center’s basic operations. They have been aided in their efforts by both. The County, especially, has been generous to Cappalappa over the years. Our County Commissioners have shown a particular interest in the CFRC. They have realized that the cost of allowing a small local institution to provide these services is far less than carting county departments and programs all the way out here to do so. Thus, the Commissioners have, to their credit, asserted significant influence in keeping the baseline needs met for CFRC.
Even so, Cappalappa has always operated on a tight budget. Indeed, the center’s needs will probably always outstrip the financial capacity to fill them. Still, that shoestring budget also helps to keep organizations like CFRC running lean and staying sharply focused on fulfilling the essentials of their missions. Over the years, CFRC has been able to successfully do just that.
But, in recent years, as the economy of the region has shrunk significantly, so have the resources made available to CFRC. This year the request for state grant funding was denied. And the word is still out on whether, or just exactly how much, county funding will be granted for the basic operation of CFRC.
Of course, no one is to blame for this. The grants are drawn from our taxpayer dollars. When revenues are short, as they are now, resources become scarce across the board.
It was thus refreshing to see the recent fundraising successes made possible by Overton Lin’s Market on behalf of CFRC.
This large regional corporation operating locally seems to have a natural inclination towards community support and charitable giving. Like many other chain stores, Lin’s holds annual drives gathering local dollars to benefit distant, albeit worthy, charitable organizations.
But this year Lin’s local manager, Darin Leach, learned of the possible funding needs of CFRC and immediately began to think outside the box for the local store. He went to his corporate superiors and asked if the upcoming local fundraising efforts might be redirected to a local cause. To their credit, the brass at Lin’s agreed. The result was a tremendous success. Despite rough economic times, this fundraiser was relatively painless for those who donated; just a dollar here and a dollar there. But these funds made a huge difference to the 65 families in town who were able to send kids to school with new shoes on their feet because of the program.
In such times as these, the fate of an organization like the CFRC recedes back down to the local realm. The benefits of the CFRC are undeniably felt locally. It may now be left up to local efforts, in one degree or another, to support this valuable institution through a difficult time. The community has always risen in support of such causes and organizations. There is a tremendous capacity in Moapa Valley for helping neighbors in need. All of this poses just another example and another opportunity.
