Story and photos by Rodger Nichols
While many areas across the country struggle with poverty and housing insecurity, the Mid-Columbia region has done something to address this. Years of careful planning came to fruition on May 31 with the dedication of The Gloria Center at 2505 West Seventh Street in The Dalles.
The Gloria Center operates as a navigation center, connecting residents of Hood River, Wasco, and Sherman counties with housing stabilization supports and essential services.
It is named for the late Gloria Schultens, who donated the land to the Mid-Columbia Community Action Council, which serves as the region’s leading houseless services provider and is responsible for building the center. The Gloria Center streamlines access to an array of public and private agencies by housing them under 1 roof.
Mid-Columbia Community Action Council (MCCAC) Executive Director Kenny LaPoint described the operation and the vision for it during the dedication ceremony.
“The Gloria Center is a multicultural, multi-agency service center that, as of July 1, will house 6 different agencies in 1 location, creating ease of access to supportive services that will work to eliminate poverty in the Mid-Columbia region,” he said. “Additionally, this site will serve as a severe weather shelter, protecting vulnerable community members from extreme heat, cold, smoke, natural disasters, and inclement weather.”
The center is the new home of MCCAC, which moved from a Fourth Street location that only had 1 parking space but a staff of 40.
Joining the agency are branches of the Oregon Human Development Corporation, Columbia Gorge Health Council, Bridges to Health, Nch’i Wana Housing, Mid-Columbia Center for Living, Oregon Department of Human Services, and One Community Health.
Services provided at the center include housing, utility assistance, weatherization, veterans services, employment, behavioral health, physical health, shelter, and other services that help create pathways to self-sufficiency.
Those involved with The Gloria Center point to Kenny as the sparkplug who not only got the idea for it rolling but shepherded it along, picking up contributors and supporters on the way to a successful launch.
While others laud him for the project’s success, he is quick to credit a number of people, agencies, businesses, and institutions that have supported and nurtured the $9.5 million project.
“The Oregon Legislature gave us some funding to really get this kicked off and believed in our vision for the project,” he says. “Oregon Housing and Community Services, the city of The Dalles, Wasco County, the Oregon Department of Energy, the Oregon Health Authority, the Ford Family Foundation, and Google all contributed funding to this project that was critical in making it happen.”
Google, for instance, contributed $100,000 for computer hardware and display equipment. The Department of Energy provided for a full solar panel installation and backup battery that will generate enough power to run the building.
One Community Health/La Clinica’s full doctor’s office on wheels will be stationed regularly at the facility.
Thoughtful planning is evident throughout the center. It has 4 ADA-compliant restrooms, 1 large meeting room, a number of offices, and a half-dozen client meeting rooms for privacy. Motion-activated lights keep electricity costs down.
In addition to services from critical agencies, the property supports 18 pallet shelters that were moved from their previous location on Bargeway Road. The shelters provide 36 beds for temporary housing.
The next step is to use a recent grant to provide on-site stick-built tiny homes and store the pallet shelters for emergencies.
MCCAC’s previous conversion of the former Oregon Motor Motel to supervised housing has been successful. Firm rules established for residents there will also apply at The Gloria Center:
- The low-barrier shelter does not serve individuals who are under sex offender registration requirements or who have been convicted of arson.
- Use of drugs or alcohol is not permitted at MCCAC’s shelters or offices. Weapons and violence are prohibited. Shelter units are inspected daily to ensure they are kept clean, safe, and healthy.
- Shelter clients must be on shelter premises between 10 p.m. and 6:30 a.m. Exceptions may be granted for employment-based reasons.
The new center and the work of dedicated people are expected to help build on MCCAC’s success in transitioning clients from shelter into permanent housing.
“We live in a world that has gone astray, and places its values on those with the most clicks, likes, or follows rather than on those who bring hope, peace, and goodness,” Kenny said at the dedication. “We must use it wisely to bring hope to the hopeless, to unify our community, and to help eliminate inequity across our region. This is our charge with this place. May The Gloria Center be our base as we create a better future for our community and for this world.”