Harvest of Hope fundraiser returns for 2025

The evening will feature live music by the Tillinghast Mountain Duo, catering by Casa El Mirador and a silent auction that includes art, wellness experiences, travel packages and other items. The event runs from 5:30-8 p.m. and is open to guests 21 and older. Tickets are $50 and include food and admission.

The fundraiser will also recognize longtime community leader Maija Yasui as guest speaker. Yasui, a third-generation orchardist, first joined The Next Door’s board in the early 1970s and returned in 2018 to serve as board treasurer. According to a press release, she previously worked more than 25 years as a prevention specialist and community organizer with the Hood River County Commission on Children & Families and has served on more than a dozen local boards.

Founded in 1971, The Next Door describes itself as the largest social service agency in the Gorge, operating more than 35 programs in Oregon and Washington. Its work includes economic development, which helps Latino entrepreneurs and other small business owners with financial education, licensing, access to capital and markets; equity and outreach training services, which guide organizations in incorporating equity into their programs and staff development; and family services, which strengthen parenting skills, family relationships and connections to community resources.

The agency also runs Nuestra Comunidad Sana, or Health Promotion Services, which focuses on outreach and education for communities that have historically faced barriers. Treatment services provide counseling, therapeutic day treatment and in-home support for youth and families, while youth services emphasize advocacy, mentoring and skill-building to help young people move toward successful futures.

For more information about The Next Door and its programs, visit NextDoorinc.org.