2022 Silver Citizen Award Recipient - Katlin Smith

Clark County recognizes that older adults are valuable contributors to the vitality of this community. To encourage and support older adults for their contributions, the Clark County Commission on Aging has established a program to recognize older adults by means of an annual award presented at a Commission on Aging event.

The recipient of the 2022 Silver Citizen Award is Katlin Smith. Katlin is 72 years old, is a resident of Vancouver, and has devoted her professional and volunteer time to community service. The impact of Katlin’s service with FISH of Vancouver Food Pantry particularly stands out. In 2014, Katlin joined the FISH Capital Campaign Committee, supporting the $1 million+ campaign that enabled the purchase of a new 10,000 square foot building/warehouse in downtown Vancouver. She joined the organization’s Board of Directors in 2016 and has been president of the board since 2017.

Under Katlin’s leadership, FISH of Vancouver evolved from an all-volunteer organization open a few hours a day to the bustling enterprise it is now – three full time employees, more than 120 volunteers, and approximately 1.3 million pounds of food distributed last year.

In April 2022, FISH changed the model of the typical food pantry/food bank, from clients receiving pre-packaged boxes to a client choice grocery store model. The Mobile Pantry is another new addition to FISH services. The Mobile Pantry takes food to clients, traveling to senior centers, low-income medical clinics and other often overlooked locations, delivering fresh produce, staples, dairy and meats.

The Silver Citizen Award recognizes the valuable contributions older adults make to the vitality of the community and is open to any county resident 60 years or older who has enhanced the community through their life’s work, engagement of others, volunteerism and or other impactful acts of service to the community for any age group. Major emphasis is placed on contributions to the community made by the individual after reaching age 60. Service in any field of endeavor will be considered (e.g., education, radio, television, business, healthcare, art, music, journalism, faith-based, athletics, politics, volunteer service). A couple may receive the award jointly when both have been involved in service and various community endeavors.