2020 Award for Excellence Nominee

Vernonia Senior Center & Vernonia Cares Food Pantry Building Project

On Saturday, September 12, 2020 a Grand Opening over 25 years in the making will take place in the City of Vernonia, the Grand Opening of the newly constructed Vernonia Senior Center and Vernonia Cares Food Pantry building. Both of these long standing agencies were damaged in the floods of Vernonia in 1996 and 2007. Both agencies patiently waited while the rest of the community rebuilt using private, county, state, and federal funding; finally it was their turn. In 2015 the City of Vernonia applied for and was awarded a CDBG grant from IFA to construct a new facility on City-owned highground land to house these two agencies. The funding provided still did not cover the
costs of construction. The other necessary funding was secured by the two agencies through foundation grants, and private donations, as well as City staff writing and receiving a 200,000 dollar
grant from the Seattle Foundation on behalf of the C.Keith Birkenfeld Memorial Trust. These two agencies are vital, supporting vulnerable populations in our community. We are so excited to have them in a new, safe, beautiful building. The unwavering effort by the two agencies, countless citizens, and the community as a whole is the reason this new building and long standing effort was nominated for an Award for Excellence.

Learn more about the Vernonia Senior Center and Vernonia Cares Food Pantry Building