Our History

Celebrating our organization’s past, present, & future

From HSC to CFPA

Fun fact: Our organization is almost old enough to qualify for our 55+ membership!

The Community for Positive Aging was founded as The Hollywood Senior Center in 1973, as a space for adults 55+ to receive support, have fun, and connect with one another in Northeast Portland’s Hollywood neighborhood. The last 50 years have been a winding road as we’ve endured changes of all kinds within our organization, our city, and our world, all the while giving and receiving support from our growing community of members and volunteers along the way.

In 2019, we changed our name and expanded our services, and though we’re now known as The Community for Positive Aging, our era as The Hollywood Senior Center will remain a beloved one for all. In the timeline below, we honor our past, while looking excitedly ahead to what’s in store for the next chapter of CFPA.

Explore CFPA Through the Years—

And here is a video about our history

The Beauty Shop Studio The Beauty Shop Studio

2021

HSC expands its services through the absorption of the programs of The Giving Tree, a small not-for-profit organization supporting low-income properties with customized resident services to ensure housing stability, removal of isolation, health, socialization, and community building through partnerships with businesses and nonprofits.

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The Beauty Shop Studio The Beauty Shop Studio

2021

Hollywood Senior Center helps community members access the covid vaccines, assisting with scheduling, transportation and later hosting community vaccine events.

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The Beauty Shop Studio The Beauty Shop Studio

2020

March: HSC closes its physical doors in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Staff and volunteers work diligently to respond to increased community needs. We adapt existing programs as well as expands HSC services to include telephone reassurance, food delivery (including delivering 300 thanksgiving meals) and virtual programming. During this time, bathrooms are remodeled to include an all gender bathroom for accessibility and inclusivity.

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The Beauty Shop Studio The Beauty Shop Studio

2022

CFPA reopens its physical doors to the public once again providing onsite programming while continuing to offer virtual programming for those unable to connect in person. CFPA continues to provide wraparound support including housing assistance and quarantine and isolation support. CFPA launches the Asian Food Pantry at the Center, a monthly culturally specific food pantry for Asian Elders, the first in Oregon.

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The Beauty Shop Studio The Beauty Shop Studio

1973

Hollywood Senior Center operates a small drop-in center for seniors on SE Belmont St, and with a $5,000 grant from the Jaycees, hired its first director, Paul Campbell.

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Amber Kern-Johnson Amber Kern-Johnson

1975

Funded by the Older Americans Act and a small contract from Multnomah County, Hollywood Senior Center began providing social services to seniors in need.

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The Beauty Shop Studio The Beauty Shop Studio

1979

Hollywood Senior Center moves to our current location. A volunteer puts the finishing touches on the new front entrance doors.

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The Beauty Shop Studio The Beauty Shop Studio

1991

A endowment fund is established to set aside funds for the future to help ensure financial sustainability for the Center.

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The Beauty Shop Studio The Beauty Shop Studio

1988

Jim Paynter is named Executive Director. During his 21 years of service, he raised $350,000 in grants, donations, and low-cost loan funds to complete a much-welcomed remodeling project, allowing the Center to offer many more programs and activities.

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The Beauty Shop Studio The Beauty Shop Studio

1992

The Hollywood Senior Center emerges as a pre-eminent multicultural senior center through engagement and strategic partnerships with the Vietnamese community.

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Amber Kern-Johnson Amber Kern-Johnson

1990s

Pioneering supportive health services are introduced, including day respite care for individuals experiencing Alzheimer’s, a foot care clinic, and an acupuncture clinic.

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The Beauty Shop Studio The Beauty Shop Studio

2000s (early)

Continuing education for older adults grows with the introduction of intergenerational language, art, computer, genealogy, and cooking classes.

Health and wellness classes like Tai Chi and Arthritis Foundation exercise programs, aerobic exercise for older adults, and a recurring health lecture series are added to community offerings.

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The Beauty Shop Studio The Beauty Shop Studio

2009

Jim Paynter retires from his role, and Amber Kern-Johnson is named as HSC’s new Executive Director.

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The Beauty Shop Studio The Beauty Shop Studio

2009

During a summer of extreme heat, Hollywood Senior Center becomes a cooling center, providing respite from the heat during extended hours and distributing fans and resources to help keep older adults safe and connected throughout the summer.

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Amber Kern-Johnson Amber Kern-Johnson

2011

Hollywood Neighborhood Gleaners is established—in partnership with the Hollywood Farmers Market—to address the increasing need for senior access to high quality food that would otherwise be unaffordable. Since May of 2011, the Gleaners have distributed hundreds of thousands of pounds of fresh produce for older adults.

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Amber Kern-Johnson Amber Kern-Johnson

2012

HSC becomes the lead agency in a newly established N/NE District consortium of senior centers, partnering with the Urban League of Portland and Native American Youth and Family Center to provide care coordination, Information & assistance, programs and activities for older adults in N/NE Portland. HSC opens a satellite office at the New Columbia housing development and later at the Charles Jordan Community Center in North Portland (now closed). Partners travel to Salem to advocate for senior services

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The Beauty Shop Studio The Beauty Shop Studio

2013

Hollywood Senior Center celebrates its 40th anniversary, marking the milestone with a health fair, an open house, and a big celebration attended by elected officials and community partners as well as many participants.

The Hollywood Ukulele Group (HUG) begins meeting and practicing weekly at the Center. (Ten years later, HUG is as strong as ever!)

Photo: Amber Kern-Johnson accepts celebratory award on behalf of HSC from elected officials at HSC's 40th Anniversary.

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Amber Kern-Johnson Amber Kern-Johnson

2015-2019

HSC expands programming to include more informational seminars, special events, pizza & movies, luncheons, and evidence-based health promotion classes.

In 2015, HSC is awarded a grant by the National Council on Aging to launch the Aging Mastery Program (AMP). HSC is one of only two organizations on the West Coast to pilot the comprehensive and fun approach to positive aging that focuses on key aspects of health, finances, relationships, personal growth, and community.

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Amber Kern-Johnson Amber Kern-Johnson

2021

Hollywood Senior Center officially re-launches as Community for Positive Aging (CFFA). The Community for Positive Aging was set up as a dba and approved by the State of Oregon January 2021, as an organization that includes Hollywood Senior Center as one of several core programs operating under the refreshed organizational name and structure.

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Amber Kern-Johnson Amber Kern-Johnson

2023

The Community for Positive Aging celebrates 50 years with a block party, concerts, plenty of other community events throughout the year, and a new brand and website!

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