Looking back on Leslie Naramore’s time at WAGAP

WAGAP is a nonprofit organization that provides an array of essential services for residents in Klickitat and Skamania counties: From domestic and sexual violence support to energy assistance, food donations, housing help and more.

While Naramore served as executive director, WAGAP’s staff doubled, for which she modestly denied credit. The organization also started its Pathways Health Connect Program, a team of community health workers that couple people with medical or social professionals for free, and three youth prevention programs designed to mitigate substance misuse in children.

“I love the work — and I’m so glad that I was here to do the work — but it was very, very stressful,” said Naramore. “I learned very quickly to put boundaries up because otherwise you can’t even function.” At the end of each day, Naramore described how she would push in her chair and say out loud, “I’m leaving the office and I’m leaving work,” to separate professional from personal.

Even so, Naramore kept her office door open and managed several of WAGAP’s program directors, all while juggling emails, grants and phone calls. Her job became considerably more challenging, however, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit and introduced another layer of politics atop an already charged time.

Since WAGAP serves vulnerable populations, like the elderly, and also receives federal funding, it issued a vaccine mandate for all employees. Nine left. Naramore and her team had to shut down the youth center, its thrift store Second Hand Rose and transition its food bank from a place to socialize to a drive-thru, all out of concern for public health. The pandemic burned Naramore out, but she remains adamant about her decisions.

“In taking that stand, a lot of people did see it as political,” she said. “I came to accept that it was political, even though to me it’s not. It’s just doing the right thing.”

The politics don’t end with COVID-19, though. On June 28, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of Grants Pass v. Johnson, a decision that criminalizes camping in public spaces and one that Police Chief Mike Smith sought Goldendale City Council to enforce during a public meeting on July 15.

“A lot of people are houseless through no fault of their own. Their rents have skyrocketed, or they have no protections so they might end up houseless, and that shouldn’t be a crime,” Naramore said. “When you throw in the Klickitat County Jail and all the issues that are going on right now…it just doesn’t make any sense to me.”

According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Oregon had the third highest rate of houselessness in 2022, and the largest proportion of people who were chronically unhoused. There is also a long history of Indigenous displacement and lack of affordable tribal housing in the Columbia Gorge, which Naramore recognizes.

“There’s a lot of mistrust, and we understand that, so we’ve tried to work with our partners who are culturally appropriate to get that work done,” she said. When Nch’i Wana Housing established 46 affordable housing units for tribal members in Wishram Heights last year, WAGAP helped move people into those spaces.

Another major focus of WAGAP revolves around nurturing and empowering young people. In 2021, 47% and 44% of 10th graders in Klickitat and Skamania counties had depression, respectively. The same year, 24% and 18% of those children considered committing suicide, according to data from the Prevention Coalition.

“The way our country is going right now — where we’re stepping backward in time, where we’re removing rights instead of protecting them — if I were a teenager, I would be depressed too,” said Naramore. “It’s our job to do whatever we can to give them hope, and make sure we’re doing that by letting them see we’re doing the work, that we’re trying to create a better future.”

Ultimately, Naramore decided to step down from her position so she could be more present with her own kids, Atticus and Quintus. “I don’t think it’s fair to them that they have a mom who’s consistently stressed out,” she said. “When you have a job that’s so consuming, it’s really hard to compartmentalize and not bring that stress home.”

While Naramore feels proudest of initiating the Pathways Connect Program and WAGAP’s domestic violence shelter, which took in 31 people last year, she hopes to see more funding and programs dedicated to migrant farmworkers in the future.

Naramore paid thanks to the WAGAP Board, and especially Bruce Bolme for his consistent resolve, along with the K-LINK Collaborative and other organizations that have helped bridge the cross-river divide. She also praised Jennifer Pauletto, WAGAP’s new executive director, and Juan Reyes, the new associate director.

“I can feel good about stepping away, I know that it’s in really good hands,” said Naramore. “I’ll always feel proud of this work, but I’m ready to move on.”