Clark County nonprofits and community partners were honored Tuesday evening during the annual Nonprofit Excellence Awards.
The Nonprofit Network of Southwest Washington started the awards ceremony five years ago to recognize the good work organizations are doing.
The Clark County Habitat for Humanity ReStore won the Excellence in Impact award. This year, the store will raise enough money to build homes for five low-income families, and the store will divert nearly 3 million pounds of waste from landfills, said award ceremony host Randy Querin of PeaceHealth Southwest Medical center.
The nonprofit is also a partner for YouthBuild Vancouver, which won the Excellence in Collaboration award. The organization trains at-risk young adults to build homes, and participants can earn their GED or high school diploma and construction certificates. The other finalist for the award was Refuel Washougal, which provides free hot meals to those in need.
The Humane Society for Southwest Washington, which has 545 volunteers divided between the shelter and the ReTails Thrift Store, won the Excellence in Volunteer Program award for nonprofits with more than 500 volunteers. The other finalist was the Fort Vancouver Regional Library District, which has 1,500 volunteers who support literacy and self-improvement.
“I’m most proud that we live in a community were people do this — give selflessly,” said Stacey Graham, Humane Society for Southwest Washington president.
For the under-500-volunteers category, Battle Ground HealthCare’s free clinic won the Excellence in Volunteer Program award. The clinic helps uninsured and underinsured adults and added dental care last year. Clients are referred to the clinic by emergency rooms, urgent care facilities and homeless shelters. The Clark County Veterans Assistance Center, which connects veterans and their families to benefits, was the other award finalist.
The Columbian received the Community Support award. The newspaper and the other nominee, Latte Da Coffee House & Wine Bar, are both fervent defenders of freedom of speech, said Carol Van Natta, executive director of the PeaceHealth Southwest Foundation. The newspaper supports nonprofits by offering them discounted or free advertising, while the coffee house is a gathering place for neighborhood associations and community groups.
