While a lack of affordable child care resources is still affecting parents nationwide, there is a new community and family resource center in Onalaska — the Touched By One, Touched By All daycare.
Touched By One, Touched By All was founded by Lakeda Sullivan, a state-licensed foster mother to two children. In addition to the new venture, Lakeda is also raising three children of her own with her husband, Anthony Sullivan, who currently serves in the U.S. Army.
On Friday, Dec. 19, Lakeda and Anthony were joined by family, friends, clients and representatives of the Centralia-Chehalis Chamber of Commerce to officially cut the ribbon and open the Touched By One, Touched By All community and family resource center.
“I just want to say thank you all for coming out. I think all of you know how hard this was, but we’re just getting started and have more to come,” Lakeda said. “Today is a big day. I was working every day up to this point and still didn’t complete everything. But, in the new year, we have some amazing things coming for the community. I just appreciate you all coming out, celebrating this moment and this day with me. This is a big milestone in our organization. We were mobile for several years. We started at Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM). My husband’s active duty, you did see me, but I had a force behind me saying, ‘Where you at with that building?’ I had somebody to keep pushing me. Because if you’re in the military, you’re on time, you’re precise and you need to be ready, and I am not. He definitely keeps me structured in that way of meeting deadlines, timelines and all of those things.”
She also thanked community members for their help, along with the Touched By One, Touched By All Board of Directors.
Originally from Louisiana, Sullivan found herself in the Pacific Northwest after Anthony was stationed at JBLM in 2018. Once stationed at JBLM, the Sullivans liked the region and decided to establish roots. They purchased land in Onalaska to build a new house, which they completed several years ago. Even while still stationed at JBLM, Lakeda began a mobile diaper delivery service for mothers in need in the area.
Earlier this year, The Chronicle visited their Onalaska house, which had since been turned into the Lakeda House Family Daycare, providing supervised child care for local families. At the time, Lakeda had been eyeing various unused buildings in the Onalaska area to move the daycare and accommodate the growing demand for her services.
One of those locations was a vacant building space located at 1735 state Route 508 next to the U.S. Post Office and Brenda’s Country Market — which is now where Touched By One, Touched By All can be found.
The demand for child care across Lewis County is still high, as Lakeda told The Chronicle she has parents coming from as far away as Packwood looking for resources and daycare options.
Daycare options aren’t all that parents can find at Touched By One, Touched By All, as Lakeda offers assistance with everything from getting food and clothes to support for caregivers and their patients.
Clients can even get health and diet advice, along with education on living with diabetes and disabilities.
For more information, call Lakeda at 253-266-5732, email her at community.services@touchedbyone.com or visit the nonprofit’s website at https://www.touchedbyone.com/.
