Winter shelter closed, but services continue to grow

“The original warming place was operated by a committee, and had over 150 volunteers,” Lutgens wrote in an email. “Over the course of 10 years of operation, many volunteers aged out, retired and quit volunteering … Last year, we operated mainly with hired help and some volunteers. We were funded by the city and CAP (Community Action Program) and got through the winter. It took its toll on our board and staff, and the board decided that it was just too much for a staff of three to manage.”

Lutgens said SDVP will continue to provide people with supplies, including food, tents, and propane, and can also assist with things such as bus transportation, prescriptions, resume prep, hot showers and laundry facilities. He also said they will still be servicing “the fragile housed, stranded visitors, victims of domestic violence, and medically compromised.”

For those experiencing houselessness in The Dalles and Wasco County, Mid-Columbia Community Action Council (MCCAC) runs a non-congregate pallet shelter located at the corner of Bargeway and Terminal Avenue in The Dalles. The shelter is open year-round and has guest intakes every weekday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

According to MCCAC Executive Director Kenny LaPoint, MCCAC also has limited hotel vouchers available for families with children, those fleeing domestic violence and those with medical issues. The vouchers can only be used by those who have not been kicked out of hotels in the past.

The Dalles shelter that MCCAC runs has 34 beds and is made up of a series of pallet houses, as well as a restroom trailer that has three bathrooms, one of which is an ADA unit with a wheelchair ramp. Each bathroom has a toilet, sink, and shower.

As of summer 2021, the trailer has full water and sewer hookups that were installed on the property by the city. The parcel of land the shelter is located on belongs to the city, but MCCAC has a use agreement for it.

The shelter is meant to be transitional housing, LaPoint said, with a limit of six months. During that time, however, every person staying there has a housing case management team that will work with them to get them into permanent housing. As the search for housing can be very time-consuming and many of the people living at the shelter have jobs, the support from their team can be very valuable in aiding their transition. According to Shelter Manager Rob Mendoza, they have transitioned 62 people into permanent housing since the beginning of the year.

Additionally, those residing at the shelter have access to medical and mental health services. One Community Health brings their mobile medical unit to the site every Tuesday to provide mobile medical services. Mid-Columbia Center for Living also comes almost every day to provide mental health services.

“Our partners are vital to everything we do here,” LaPoint said. “We really appreciate the partnerships we have.”

MCCAC also works with those who are low income to help them get things they need, such as winter gloves or boots. Recently they’ve launched an account on Purposity, which is a website and app where MCCAC can post needs in the community with a dollar amount, and people can donate to fulfill those needs.

So far, multiple needs have already been filled, including a bed frame to help a senior veteran to get in and out of bed, warm winter boots for an unhoused man, and winter gloves for another unhoused individual. To help MCCAC fulfill needs of low-income and unhoused individuals in the community, visit their Purposity at purposity.com/organization/mccac.

For more information about MCCAC and the work they do, visit their website at mccac.com/shelter.