Comunidades buys offices in White Salmon

WHITE SALMON — “This is the beginning of a dream,” said Ubaldo Hernandez, director and founder of Comunidades. “It’s still a dream but we need to make it happen and we’re going to need the help and support of our community.”

Comunidades began its work in 2020 under the fiscal sponsorship of Columbia Riverkeeper and now is stepping out as an independent program with the purchase of property in downtown White Salmon a few doors down from city hall.

“It’s a clear statement on the capacity that we have to create and develop jobs and empower of voices of the community that has been here for many generations now,” said Hernandez. “We are going to be working with other organizations shoulder to shoulder to benefit our communities.”

Hernandez recently spoke about the importance of settling Comunidades in White Salmon especially, and the security of owning their own space. After searching for offices in Hood River, they found some resistance due to the nature of their work. “We heard we are not a good fit for renting a space, which we can understand because we are an organization that focuses on social justice, affordable housing, and rent control,” he said.

When Hernandez saw the opportunity to buy the property in White Salmon, he took it, and “we started daydreaming.”

“The vision for Comunidades is to be a place and space where the community can gather to learn about the rights to develop leadership and be able to advocate for their wellbeing as a community,” he said. This includes advocating for affordable access to housing and healthcare, and to develop local representatives that will advocate for the real needs of the working and immigrant community in the Gorge.

They put a down payment on the land and worked with the Inatai Foundation based out of Seattle to find funding and pay off the property. “It’s all paid off. It’s totally Comunidades-owned property,” said Hernandez.

“This is a landmark,” he said, and now the Comunidades team is using the space to hold book clubs in Spanish and English, to house resources, host events and offer educational, leadership, and journalism trainings for youth and community members. Comunidades also hosts events to preserve Latino culture and traditions like traditional arts and crafts lessons so new generations can continue these practices. They are looking to expand the on-site resources to include childcare and storage facilities. “We serve the whole Gorge Community,” he said. “The intention for this building is to create a hub of the community and provide services that essential for the survival and benefit of our community.”

To learn more about Comunidades and how to get involved, visit comunidades.org.