About

The Lays and the Steads have been "homeschool friends" since their children were in diapers. Christina grew up in the homeschool world & Hanna didn't consider homeschooling until her oldest got ready to start kindergarten, but thanks to a neighborhood playgroup, their families grew to become friends. When they each started homeschooling their children, it felt natural to come together, along with a couple other families in the neighborhood, for what became affectionately known as "Friends' Co-op".

As they branched out into the wider homeschool community of St. George for field trips, holiday parties, and eventually larger groups, they realized there were some unmet needs. With the rising prevalence of social media, a niche was formed with different Facebook groups popping up to help spread the word about different events & groups. However, there were frustrations with trying to find events or posts spread across several different Facebook groups, as well as the general frustrations of needing to get on social media when many people wanted to avoid the distracting, addicting, and often contentious atmosphere of social media. Another large need they could see was the difficulty homeschool groups have in trying to find places to meet. With some groups growing to have 70+ kids, meeting in homes was not an option, and most buildings are not set up or accommodating to children.

They talked and dreamed for years about how wonderful it would be if there were some central place where homeschoolers could come to meet, find out what's happening in the homeschool community, utilize resources they need for homeschooling, and make connections. They knew they were not alone in the community in wishing for such a place, so in 2019 they decided to pursue it. They invited the homeschool community to come together to share ideas, help raise funds, and move forward towards a resource center. They started hosting fundraisers, researching, conceptualizing about the ideal setup, talking with real estate agents & engineers, and brainstorming names. Then came 2020.

Christina's husband received a job offer that brought a move to Texas. The week they moved, much of the world was shutting down due to fears about COVID-19. The homeschool community shut down as well. The landscape of homeschool was forever changed, though many of those changes were positive. However, the planning & working towards a resource center was put on hold, and the funds raised were put into a savings account with hopes that someday their purpose would be realized.

Fast forward a few years. After some time, Christina's family was able to move back to St. George (thanks to the 2020 shift towards working remotely!). Hanna & Christina still saw a possible resource center in every empty building around town. One day they decided they were ready to try again.

In February 2025, Desert Blossom Resource Center was officially founded as a non-profit corporation. It has grown steadily since then, and we look forward to continue towards our goals of providing connection and support to homeschool families in the St. George area.