Sustainable Connections awarded five Whatcom County businesses as “sustainability champions,” during the organization’s annual All Members Meeting & Potluck earlier this month.

The awards featured categories drawn from tenets of Sustainable Connections’ mission, including promotion of strong community, healthy environment, meaningful employment and buying local first.

Chuck and Dee Robinson, owners of Village Books and Paper Dreams in Fairhaven, received lifetime achievement awards for, among other things, their support of the community and commitment to lifelong learning, according to Sustainable Connections.

“There are so many inspiring stories of businesses making conscious efforts to better our  community, our environment, and the lives of their workers,” said Abby Hade Terpstra, membership coordinator at Sustainable Connections, in a press release. “It is an honor to present these awards to truly exceptional entrepreneurs and to share their stories of innovation and success.”

The awards were sponsored by One Pacific Coast Bank.

Sustainable Connections’ Sustainability-award winners 

Leader in promoting strong community: Louis Auto and Residential Glass

Leader in promoting healthy environment: 2020 Engineering

Leader in promoting meaningful employment: VSH, Certified Public Accountants (Varner Sytsma Herndon)

Leader in promoting buying local first: Mallard Ice Cream