Keep Our Family Together @Home on Vashon

Can we all agree that Vashon is truly a remarkable oasis? From the fresh air we breathe to the food we grow, this Island gives us all the things we need to have a fulfilled life. I call it paradise. But this paradise did not happen by accident.
It all began over a hundred years ago, when Islanders then understood that the foundation they were building and the community they were creating would secure a future in which their children and their children’s children could prosper on a remote Island in the Pacific Northwest.

Vashon Community Care’s roots also go back nearly one hundred years. You can say, we too, were building a foundation that would become what VCC is today – a crucial Island resource for our beloved elders.

It all began on a working farm and boarding house located on the same piece of property we are on today. The farm took in men who were in need, gave them work, dignity and a place to call home. When those men were too old to work, Nell Hebert, who eventually bought the farm, cared loving for them until the day they passed.

In time, Nell too grew old, sold the farm, and senior living came under new government rules and regulations. The old farm buildings had to come down.  If not for the spirit of community, that was forged by our forefathers, the residents would be evicted and moved off-Island. But Vashon came together and built what we know today as Vashon Community Care - a community owned non-profit.

So the question becomes, why do Islanders need to give to VCC?

Because VCC is home to the very people that helped forge this community.  How can we not support them?  Our residents include Island lawyers, Island activists, Island school teachers, and Island non-profit founders.

I could tell you all about funding gaps, and the lack of Medicaid reimbursement rates, but that’s not why you need to give.
We need to give to continue that pioneer spirit of community and support those who came before us.  What began a hundred years ago must continue for another hundred years.

Thank you so much Vashon for your past support, and your compassionate and caring spirit!