MCCAC breaks ground on ‘The Gloria Center’

Located at 2505 W. Seventh St. in The Dalles, the center’s newly announced name comes from Gloria Schultens, who passed away in August at the age of 97. The lot that the Navigation Center is being built on was donated by Gloria a year-and-a-half ago, prior to her passing.

“Many of you may have known Gloria and know of the heart that she had for this community, a heart that lives on today,” MCCAC Executive Director Kenny LaPoint said. “Gloria saw the vision that we had for this Navigation Center, so much so that the land here today was donated by Gloria Schultens.”

Gloria’s lawyer Jim Foster was there to speak on behalf of the Schultens family, and was one of many speakers at the event. According to Foster, Gloria purchased the lot in 1995 and it had stayed empty. However, around 10 years ago, an organization approached her about putting a children’s athletic facility on the property. She had been thrilled, especially concerning the value it could provide to low income families. Unfortunately, the project fell through and after eight years, the property went back to Gloria, and she and Foster found themselves puzzling over what they were going to do with it.

Foster said inspiration came in the form of his wife coming home after church one Sunday.

“‘I heard the most incredible presentation by a guy named Kenny LaPoint,’” Foster recounted his wife saying.

The presentation, focusing on the concept of the Navigation Center and what it would be able to do for the community, caught Foster’s wife’s attention and she brought it up on YouTube to show him. According to Foster, he didn’t say much, but the next day he drove straight to MCCAC, uninvited, without an appointment, and asked to speak to LaPoint.

“I said, ‘I have some property that may be available,” he said. “If it would work for you guys, I’d like to have you go take a look at it. Long story short, Kenny came up, took a look at the property, drove back. Within about 38 seconds, he called me and said, ‘I think this may work for us.’ And I said, ‘Well, let me talk to my client.”

Foster said he didn’t tell LaPoint who his client was at the time, due to confidentiality, but he went home and talked to Gloria. According to Foster, she was really excited about the premise, as she always wanted to help her community.

They discussed the matter for quite some time, he said, bringing it up to Gloria’s daughter and family. Ultimately, Gloria decided it was something she wanted to do and they were able to transfer the property to MCCAC.

“She saw what you’ve all been hearing about this morning as really an existential crisis of enormous seriousness,” Foster said. “She saw that people who were houseless and on the street and unemployed and had lost hope, she saw they needed a place where they could come, where they could find integrated services.”

Following Foster’s speech, LaPoint revealed the official name of the Navigation Center to be the Gloria Center.

“The name is to serve as both an honor and tribute to Gloria Schultens and her belief that community collaboration is the foundation needed to address some of our most complex societal challenges,” LaPoint said. “Without collaboration, success will not fully be achieved. Gloria believed this and that is why we stand here today.”

Other speakers at the event were representatives of some of MCCAC’s other community partners, including The Dalles Mayor Rich Mays and Wasco County Commissioner Scott Hege. The ceremony was in large attendance, with all available seats full and many people standing.