Island Coffeehouse & Books has new landlords, and among their most valuable assets is an old youngster named Dan Graybill.

“He’s terrific,” said Susie Richards, co-director of South Whidbey Commons. “We need more like him.”

The South Whidbey Commons, a nonprofit organization that offers activities for South End youths, recently purchased the Langley coffee shop and the little building behind it, Richards said.

The Coffeehouse and the Back Room, both on Second Street next to the Star Store parking lot, accommodate South Whidbey Commons’ two principle programs.

Island Coffeehouse and Books has been there four years, and provides barista and bookseller job training for local youths.

Graybill, of Langley, is a volunteer at the Coffeehouse. Nearly every Monday morning, he helps tutor young apprentice baristas in the art of coffee steaming and general Coffeehouse operations.

“I’m the ‘adult volunteer,’” said Graybill, who is 60 and retired. “I read that as ‘the old one.’ I realized where I was when the application asked me for my grade point average.

“I like to be part of something that works,” he added. “I think this works.”

The South Whidbey Commons has used the Back Room for the past year to provide a space for local youths to experiment in workshops with art, poetry, writing and music. The South Whidbey Youth Connection funded the first year, Richards said.

Programs include Friday Night Live, Saturday Night Encore and after-school activities for high school students, along with several family events.

The South Whidbey Commons board and volunteers have worked for seven years to provide programs and activities “to bring together all the people of South Whidbey,” Richards said.

The historic property was purchased from Suzanne Hagen, whose husband operated an optometry business in the house in the 1960s. Hagen and her son, David, and his wife, Candy, have supported the nonprofit’s vision, Richards said.

The South Whidbey Commons hopes to raise enough money to make some much-needed renovations, including a roof repair, she said.

“We are confident that this is the location, this is the time and these are the programs that have a solid foundation upon which we can expand,” Richards said.

Graybill didn’t need a lot of persuading to join the team.

A retired college psychology professor from Illinois, he moved here in May 2007 to be near family members in the Seattle area. His son, daughter-in-law and two grandchildren drove him around to areas within an hour of Seattle so he could find the right place to live.

“One day we were in Mount Vernon, and my son suggested we take a different way home, across Deception Pass Bridge,” Graybill said. “By the time I got to the ferry in Clinton, I decided this is where I wanted to live. It’s a beautiful place.”

He knew no one on South Whidbey, but he had two objectives: to find a coffeehouse to frequent, and to get to know people by being of service to his new community.

He discovered Island Coffeehouse & Books, and soon decided that it was the place to be.

Graybill comes in nearly every Monday morning and cleans and straightens, getting ready for the week ahead. Then he starts work, and mentoring, behind the counter.

“I love plain coffee,” he said. “I didn’t even know what a latte or a mocha were. The kids pick it up more quickly than

I did. It’s very humbling.”

He said that back in his former life, he was the teacher and young people were the students. Now everyone is equal, “all learning together.”

“The kids treat me with respect. They don’t look through me,” Graybill said. “They relate to me honestly. It’s a healthy thing for me personally. When you get to retirement age, you have to keep learning.

“I like coffee, interacting with the customers, and I especially like the kids,” Graybill said. “I love all the boisterousness, noise and adolescent energy. This gives kids somewhere to go. It’s a wonderful place.”

For more information about South Whidbey Commons, call Richards at

360-929-2606, or visit www.southwhidbey

commons.com.

“We hope to encourage community members to continue the energy and excitement that the election generated by volunteering and making a difference,” Richards said.