The Village Green Story

In 2002, Kingston set out to replace the small Washington state town's aging and inadequate community center. The intention was to create a new heart of the community including space for the library, seniors and youth. A non-profit foundation—now called the Village Green Foundation (VGF)—was started. Over 100 volunteer community members built the park, and the project’s signature event - Pie in the Park - was launched. People paid hundreds of dollars for delicious, locally-made pies with proceeds going toward the building fund. Other gifts of every size rolled in.

The Village Green Metropolitan Park District (VGMPD) was established by voter approval of an August 2010 ballot measure. The VGMPD would provide an on-going funding source for maintenance and operations of the park and, once completed, the building.

After more than a decade of fundraising, the VGF Board of Directors had building plans and three-quarters of the project’s $9.1 million price tag in-hand. Concerned that construction costs were rising and momentum might slow, the VGF board hoped to break ground in the spring of 2015. Three generous local families stepped up to provide bridge financing for the remaining funds, and construction began.

The award-winning building opened on April 30, 2016. Since then, the Village Green Community Center has exceeded expectations - as a structure, as a gathering place and as an extraordinary example of continued grassroots cooperation. It houses a branch of the Kitsap Regional Library, the North Kitsap Boys and Girls Club and the Kingston Super Seniors. It is owned by the VGF, operated and staffed by the VGMPD's one full-time employee and one part-time employee, along with forty volunteers. Scores of community groups use the building for public meetings, classes and events. Pickleball players and other athletes of all ages take advantage of the building’s full-size gym. The VGF subsidizes the building's low-cost adult exercise programs and intergenerational activities, and sponsors the Music at the Green concerts as well as the rotating art exhibits in the building’s Grand Hallway Gallery.

So many have done their part, giving their time and resources, to make this dream a reality. You can be a part of it, too. Consider giving to the VGF to help fund Village Green programs with a one-time donation or on-going Evergreen contribution. Or, offer your expertise and your time as a volunteer for the Village Green.