A Place to Call Home: How Kahiau Volleyball and the Lake Chelan Community Center Are Building More Than Athletes

‍A Shared Vision for Community

At the Lake Chelan Community Center, the vision has always been clear: create a place where everyone belongs.

Not just a building. Not just a program. But a space where connections are made, barriers are lowered, and community begins to feel a little more whole.

For Desiree Phelps, that vision feels deeply familiar.

Because for years, she’s been building something very similar—just without a place to call home.

Rooted in the Valley

Desiree’s roots in the Chelan Valley run deep. Her family moved here when she was just one year old, and like so many who grew up in this valley, she was shaped by its values—hard work, resilience, and a deep sense of responsibility to others.

“I’ve done a little bit of everything,” she says. “Whatever needed to be done to support our family.”

Coach. Bookkeeper. Volunteer. Business owner. Mom.

Each role adds another layer to the way she sees people—and the way she shows up for them.

More Than a Volleyball Club

That perspective is what eventually led her to start Kahiau Volleyball Club.

Kahiau—a Hawaiian word meaning to give selflessly without expecting anything in return—is more than a name. It’s the foundation of the program.

“We want to teach young people to be givers,” Desiree explains. “To support others, to connect, and to do it without asking, ‘What do I get in return?’”

That philosophy comes to life in powerful ways.

It shows up in the coaches—many of them former players—who return not for recognition or reward, but because they believe in the mission. It shows up in the players, who are taught from a young age to reflect, to grow, and to take responsibility for how they show up for themselves and for others.

And it shows up in who is invited to participate.

Kahiau intentionally brings together athletes from across the region—Chelan, Manson, Wenatchee, Brewster, Omak, Twisp, Cashmere, and beyond.

“It doesn’t matter where you come from,” Desiree says. “At the end of the day, we all put on the same shirt.”

Breaking Down Barriers

In a valley where communities have historically felt separate, that kind of intentional connection matters.

It’s not always comfortable at first. Different schools. Different backgrounds. Different social circles.

But that’s the point.

Because over time, something begins to shift.

Barriers soften. Conversations happen. Relationships form.

And what starts as a volleyball team becomes something more.

Building People, Not Just Players

That transformation doesn’t happen by accident.

It’s built into the way the program operates—and it’s where Desiree’s passion runs deepest.

Each player carries something simple, but powerful. Desiree calls it their “power book.”

Before practice, they write down goals. Not stats. Not wins.

Simple, intentional commitments:

Be a better teammate.

Encourage others.

Stay mentally positive.

Afterward, they reflect.

Did I follow through?

Where did I fall short?

How did I show up for the people around me?

Over time, something powerful begins to happen.

Young athletes learn how to evaluate themselves honestly—without tearing themselves down. They learn accountability, but also grace. They learn that growth isn’t about the scoreboard, but about the choices they make in the moment.

And for Desiree, that’s where everything changes.

“Good volleyball is a byproduct of what we do,” she says. “What we’re really doing is building strong, empathetic, confident human beings.”

It’s the part of the story that still gets to her, every time she talks about it. The part where her voice softens and she wipes away the emotion that comes with telling it.

Because she’s seen it.

Seen the shy player find her voice.

Seen teammates lift each other up.

Seen young women begin to believe in who they are becoming.

For Desiree, that’s the real win.

A Journey Without a Home Base

In the early days, that meant long drives out of the valley for competitive play. It meant hauling equipment, securing limited gym time, and building something piece by piece.

Eventually, it led to something even bigger.

Beach courts in the city park.

A growing program.

A culture that families believed in.

And still—no permanent home.

Kahiau became, in many ways, a traveling community. Balls and carts in the backs of cars. Practices wherever space could be found. Seasons built on gratitude for whoever could make room.

It worked.

But it wasn’t the same as belonging somewhere.

A Place to Call Home

That’s why the Lake Chelan Community Center represents something so meaningful.

“This will be the first place Kahiau can call home,” Desiree says. “And that gives me chills.”

A home base means more than convenience.

It means identity.

Consistency.

The ability to grow with intention.

It means hosting tournaments and bringing people into the valley. It means creating opportunities for athletes to stay local rather than leaving to pursue higher levels of play. It means expanding programs and building new partnerships.

Opening Doors for Everyone

Desiree sees natural alignment with the Lake Chelan Boys & Girls Club—creating pathways for younger kids to learn, play, and be part of something positive.

A place where a child can show up on a Saturday morning and simply belong.

When asked what she hopes people understand about the Community Center, Desiree is direct.

“This building isn’t a church,” she says. “It’s a true community building—with different programs, different partners, and something for everyone. The doors are open to all.”

One Community, Together

It’s not about one group.

Not about one purpose.

Not about one part of the valley.

It’s about everyone.

“We need spaces in this valley that aren’t one community or the other,” she says. “We need places that are just… community.”

That belief has carried her through the years of uncertainty—through the waiting, the questions, and the moments when the vision felt just out of reach.

Because she believes in the people behind it.

She calls them “top shelf people.”

People who follow through.

People who care.

People who stay committed.

More Than a Building

Because the story of the Lake Chelan Community Center isn’t just about construction timelines or square footage.

It’s about what happens inside.

It’s about the unexpected conversations.

The shared experiences.

The moments of connection that change how people see each other.

A volleyball tournament that brings families together under the trees.

A child meeting a new friend in the playroom.

A community that begins, slowly, to feel less divided.

A Place Where Everyone Belongs

For Desiree, that’s the real vision.

More than a gym. More than a program. A place where people come together.

Where young athletes grow into confident, compassionate adults.

Where families from different towns sit side by side.

Where someone walks through the doors and feels—maybe for the first time—that they belong.

Because in the end, this story isn’t about volleyball.

It’s about connection.

And finally, a place to call home.

To make a tax-deductible contribution, visit our fundraising page or contact Executive Director Maribel Cruz at maribel@chelancommunity.org.