According to reporting by The Columbian, the Port of Vancouver announced its 2026 Community Fund recipients on Monday, awarding a total of $10,000 to local projects located within the port district. The awards are part of the port’s annual effort to support initiatives aligned with economic development, workforce training, and tourism—areas central to regional growth across Southwest Washington.

According to reporting by KXL News, this year’s awards benefit four programs. The Hudson’s Bay High School Construction Trades Program is receiving $2,500 to purchase building materials for student projects and to support nine Saturday Community Build/Open Shop days. These sessions provide hands-on construction experience for students and families, connecting local workforce training efforts with real-world skill development.

Latinos Unidos y Floreciendo is also receiving $2,500 to enhance youth leadership programming at Heritage Farm. According to KXL’s reporting, funding will support professional sound, lighting, and other upgrades that strengthen the group’s 2026 educational activities. The port reported receiving 24 applications for this funding cycle, totaling more than $134,000 in requests.

In a statement provided to KXL, Mike Bomar, the port’s Chief Economic Strategy Officer, said the number of strong applications made the selection process challenging but affirmed that the chosen projects support key regional priorities including workforce readiness, tourism, and broad economic opportunity.

The Port of Vancouver created the Community Fund in 2020 and continues to model it after similar programs administered by other Washington ports. Applications for the 2027 cycle will open next year.