Commentary: MCCAC shares informal overview and addresses misconceptions in the community

• MCCAC’s The Gloria Center
  • 2505 West Seventh St., The Dalles 
  • Open Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (closed from noon to 1 p.m.) 
• MCCAC’s Hood River Office
• 606 State St., Suite 1 B, Hood River
• Open Monday to Thursday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (closed from noon to 1 p.m.)

Email: Info@mccac.com

Phone: 541-298-5131 

Website: www.mccac.com

MCCAC is a Community Action Agency that has served Hood River, Wasco, and Sherman counties since 1965. For nearly six decades, our work has been rooted in meeting community needs as they evolve, with a focus on serving low-income community members. 

Many community members know of MCCAC through our Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) or Utilities Assistance Program, which serves thousands of community members each year. Our Utilities Assistance Program helps low-income households pay their utility bills or purchase bulk fuels to avoid utility shut-off and remain warm and safe in their homes. Learn more about MCCAC’s Utility Assistance Program at www.mccac.com/utility-assistance.

Over the past three years, MCCAC has experienced significant growth and has expanded the programs and services it offers to the community. With that growth comes the need to strengthen our infrastructure so we can continue providing effective, sustainable services moving forward. MCCAC currently employs 39 staff members, nine of whom work seasonally at the Hood River Shelter.

Hood River Shelter

The Hood River Shelter is a program of MCCAC and operates each winter from mid-November through March. It provides a warm and safe place to sleep along with access to food, clothing, bedding and toiletries, shower and laundry services, and connections to housing case management and other supportive services.

The Hood River Shelter has been open each winter since 2009, first operated as a program of Gorge Ecumenical Ministries (GEM), and then as the independent non-profit, Hood River Shelter Services (HRSS). In 2023, HRSS and MCCAC merged in a strategic alliance, with the Hood River Shelter program coming under the umbrella of MCCAC. This merger brought together the grassroots, community-based foundation of the Hood River Shelter with the long-standing housing stabilization services provided by MCCAC.

The Hood River Shelter is made possible in part through collaboration with the City of Hood River, which provides annual funding to support shelter operations.

Learn more about the Hood River Shelter at www.mccac.com/hood-river-shelter.  

The Gloria Center

The Gloria Center in The Dalles serves as MCCAC’s main office and service hub, and we are proud to share the space with six partner agencies that also provide critical support to community members.

Partner agencies co-located at The Gloria Center include Mid-Columbia Center for Living (MCCFL), Nch’i Wana Housing, Oregon Human Development Corporation (OHDC), Oregon Department of Human Services (DHS), and the Columbia Gorge Health Council (CGHC) and its Bridges to Health Pathways program.

Services provided at The Gloria Center include basic needs supplies, housing stabilization services such as eviction prevention and long-term rental assistance, utility assistance, Veterans supportive services, resource connection, monthly resource drop-in center services, and emergency shelter during severe weather events and natural disasters such as wildfires.

Through a new partnership, Bread and Blessings now operates their hot meal program out of The Gloria Center. Meals are served Monday through Friday between 9-10 a.m., and we are thrilled to support this vital service.

Construction of The Gloria Center was made possible through funding provided by local and state government, private foundations, and the donation of land by The Schultens Family Trust. 

Learn more about The Gloria Center at www.mccac.com/gloria-center.

Monthly Resource Drop-In Center

Another new offering at The Gloria Center is the Monthly Resource Drop-In Center, offered by MCCAC as a low-barrier access point for our unhoused community members. The Drop-In Center is open once a month, on the last Friday of each month, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Services provided at the Drop-In Center include basic needs supplies, hot showers, a hot meal, laundry services, and resource connection.

Many MCCAC programs require documentation due to funding requirements, and we understand that not everyone is able or willing to navigate that process. The Drop-In Center provides an alternative, allowing individuals to connect with essential services without those barriers. While the Drop-In Center operates on a monthly schedule, other MCCAC resources at The Gloria Center remain available during regular business hours. 

Learn more about the monthly Drop-In Center at www.mccac.com/shelter-2.

Emergency Shelter

During severe weather events, MCCAC opens emergency shelter at The Gloria Center. MCCAC is actively seeking funding to open the Gloria Center shelter seasonally and welcomes support from city and county partners and interested community members.

While volunteers play an important role in supporting shelter operations, shelters cannot operate on volunteer labor alone. Seasonal operations would require at least one full-time staff member, two part-time staff, and a dedicated security team during overnight hours. 

Learn more about Emergency Shelter and other Severe Weather Resources at www.mccac.com/severe-weather-resources.

The Annex

The Annex is a MCCAC program that provides transitional housing with wraparound supportive services to individuals and families who are experiencing houselessness. Located in The Dalles, The Annex has two separate buildings on site; one supports families with children, and the other houses individual adults.

Opened in 2023, The Annex was made possible through Oregon’s statewide Project Turnkey Program which allowed MCCAC to purchase and renovate the former Oregon Motor Motel. The average length of stay at The Annex is four months.

Twenty-one units on the adult side of the facility are currently being converted to permanent supportive housing (PSH), while the remaining units will continue to serve transitional needs. Current guests at The Annex will be prioritized for placement into the PSH-converted units and will receive on-going supportive services from MCCAC and Center for Living staff.

The family side of The Annex is not changing; all units on the family side will continue to offer transitional housing. 

Learn more about The Annex at www.mccac.com/the-annex.

Our Commitment to the Community

Community change and resilience aren’t built overnight. This is generational work. Just as intergenerational poverty is real, so is the long-term effort required to break cycles of hardship and inequity.

We are grateful to those who came before us, those who laid the groundwork so future generations could continue this work. We’re committed for the long haul, and we hope you are too. 

We care deeply about our community, and we also know that no single agency can solve these challenges alone. Real progress will take all of us showing up, working together, and supporting one another. We invite you to roll up your sleeves and join us. 

For more information about MCCAC's services and programs, visit www.mccac.com or follow MCCAC on Facebook at www.facebook.com/mccactd. You can also learn more about how to support our work at www.mccac.com/donate.

Upcoming press releases in this series will highlight MCCAC’s Supportive Services for Veterans (SSVF) Program, the agency’s response to the Rowena Fire, and MCCAC's role in convening the Mid-Columbia Houseless Collaborative.

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Una versión en español de esta historia está en línea en www.columbiagorgenews.com/enespanol.