Making ends meet on an island can be hard.

And if you’re a single parent with several kids, things get a lot tougher – which is where Kaleidoscope Preschool and Childcare Center comes in.

The non-profit’s mission is to provide working parents with affordable childcare and learning opportunities. It currently serves more than 50 Orcas families, offering preschool, childcare from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., before and after school care for kids up to 12, an early literacy program and four meals a day.

“Orcas Island thrives on its socio-economic, cultural and ethnic diversity,” said director Amber Paulsen. “Kaleidoscope embraces this diversity. These services allow our Orcas community to continue to exist as it does by supporting local business employees, reducing family stressors, and enriching children’s early years.”

Kaleidoscope is presenting its major fundraiser, “Island Grown, Island Raised,” featuring a gourmet meal, wine tasting, and auction, on Saturday, Sept. 11, 5:30 p.m. at the Orcas Senior Center. The meal will consist entirely of products donated by local farmers and merchants, including Black Dog Farm, Maple Rock Farm, Morning Star Farm, Orcas Goods and La Campesina Project.

Paulsen’s husband, Justin, former General Manager at Lucci’s Bayshore on Bellingham’s waterfront, will be preparing the dishes, which include a green salad, seasonal soup, Puget Sound salmon, and mixed fruit crisp with Lopez ice cream.

“It also depends on what is available at the farmers’ market,” Amber said. “That is part of the fun of it.”

All five courses will be paired with a wine sampling from Lopez Island Vineyards. The evening culminates with a silent and live auction with such items as a weekend flight to Seattle with lodging on a Lake Union house boat and a 1982, 26-foot Bayliner Saratoga with a 2007 trailer.

Last year, Kaleidoscope made $15,000. All proceeds from this event go towards the organization’s operations.

This March, Kaleidoscope broke ground on its facility expansion, which will provide more space for its growing list of families. The concrete has been poured, and the trusses, walls, and roof ordered.

“Our enrollment list continues to grow,” Amber said. “I also have people calling and seeking employment opportunities, which will be a positive thing for our community.”

The project is slated to be completed in January 2011, and Amber says they have $35,000 left to raise. She is hoping to secure grants and solicit help from the community.

“Like with our original building, as people come forward and take interest in the project and donate their time and materials, that takes significantly off the cost,” Amber said. “Even though we need to raise $35,000, we don’t need to take that in the form of a check. We can take it in the form of someone’s time.”

Ticket information

Call Kaleidoscope at 376-2484 to purchase tickets, which are $50 each.