Andy Wade named the Next Door's Volunteer of the Year

Known to many for his heart for service and commitment to supporting his community in lasting, meaningful ways, Wade is a familiar face at the Hood River Warming Shelter, after several years spent being the shelter’s volunteer coordinator. He currently serves as the pastor at Bethel United Church of Christ in White Salmon. Wade is also a member of the Gorge Native American Collaborative (GNAC), a group of nonprofits, social service providers, inter-tribal organizations, volunteers, and allies working together to support Native American community members in the Gorge.

For years, GNAC has had a goal to provide propane to Native Americans living at in-lieu and Treaty Fishing Access Sites along the Columbia River where many residents rely heavily on propane as their primary source of fuel for cooking, heating, and electricity in their homes. However, support for weatherization of unconventional homes and propane access have historically been limited. Recognizing this need, The Next Door’s Native Supports team and GNAC collaborated to provide propane and gas cards to help overcome barriers to access when possible. With the help of Columbia Gorge Health Council (CGHC), Wade helped secure a location for a propane tank bank, a centralized propane storage and distribution space where community partners can exchange empty propane tanks for filled ones. Now, Wade has not only volunteered his time for GNAC meetings and events, but he also helps run a system that has made propane outreach easier and more consistent for community partners including TNDI’s Native Supports team, while greatly reducing the cost of propane and transportation for community members who rely on it.

“It‘s a gift to be a part of [the propane outreach],” he said. “It would be easy to rest, but that takes for granted that community takes work and community takes everybody . ..One thing I’ve learned about volunteering and being involved in the community is that you get so much more back than you ever give.”

His deep commitment to service is rooted in a family legacy of generosity and care. Wade’s mother served for many years on the founding board of hospice and was also on the founding board of what eventually became The Next Door Inc. His late father, a beloved doctor in the area, taught himself Spanish to be able to communicate with his Latino patients and often accepted trade services as payment for families who couldn’t afford medical care.

“Our lives are bound together,” Wade said. “When our neighbor is hurting — whether they’re unhoused or at an in-lieu site — their lives are bound with mine. We all suffer when one person suffers,” he continues. “We need to reconnect and regain community and mutuality. Then volunteering isn’t about sacrifice; it’s about building the kind of world we want to live in.”

For more information, visit nextdoorinc.org.