Eastern Cowley County Resource Center

To improve reading and writing skills and a place for a community garden and farmers market and to share food with a food bank and Thanksgiving food boxes. To provide a safe place for families to visit and see educational and interesting things. To give away books to families.

Providing Literacy skills, reading, writing, community events, a community garden and farmers market, and a food bank. A fun and safe family destination. Every child or adults should have a good book to read and a fun and safe place to visit. A good place to visit and discover rural culture in Kansas.

Over 300 volunteers built a community library - Lighthouse Library. The library program gives away thousands of books each year to families who visit and through an annual Christmas in the Country event. The library offers free WiFi to the community and to visitors. There is a food bank at the two programs sites. A Farmers Market began in 2017 to provide a place for locals to purchase good quality food and for them to have a booth to share their produce. The sustaining program is the Grouse Valley Lodge and the Honeysuckle Lodge at the site - rental cabins. The library rents out for events as Lighthouse Lodge. Eastern Cowley County Resource Center is the nonprofit that sponsors the programs. It is a 501 c 3. Hicks Chapel in rural Dexter was purchased this summer to expand programs to the rural area. Visitors and field trips are welcome at both sites. The library has a large saltwater aquarium. The church shows the history of the area since 1910.

Annual Christmas in the County - at Hicks Chapel Church. Books and goody bags are given out to families. Other events include hay rack rides, a farmers market each summer, and community gardens.

We enjoy sharing this rural area of Kansas and visitors have stopped in from all across the United States. Families seek out our spot as a retreat andt o visit the area history and beautiful scenery. There are three program sites: 107 S Main where the Lighthouse Library, Grouse Valley Lodge, and Honeysuckle Lodge are. 103 N Main where the Famers Market is. Hicks Chapel site is at 26802 282nd Rd. We need volunteers to help plan th annual Christmas in the Country event and to haul food and books. We also need volunteers to clean the cabins and to work in the gardens. There is always maintance work which includes carpentry skills, painting, plumbing, or electrical work.