Story by Jacob Bertram, Columbia Gorge News

April 19, 2023 (STEVENSON) — Washington Gov. Jay Inslee visited Stevenson last week to speak with local representatives about the community services provided by agencies and nonprofit organizations in the area.

As part of the tour of Skamania County, Inslee participated in roundtable sessions with community leaders and experts on the topics of housing and human services.

Photo Courtesy of Governor Jay Inslee's Flickr

How does a community tackle a complicated issue such as substance abuse? Our Klickitat Prevention Coalition, a community organization dedicated to preventing substance use among youth and their families, sees education as one of the most effective pathways to preventing the many consequences that come with drug and substance misuse.

Story and photos by Jacob Bertram, Columbia Gorge News

Programs for Peaceful Living Shares Awareness Months for Sexual Violence, Child Abuse, and Crime Victims. Learn more about resources available for friends, family, and community.

Pedro Garcia is a big man with an even bigger heart. His path in life has led him to become a Community Health Worker with Washington Gorge Action Programs (WAGAP). It’s a role he had never envisioned, but he loves it.

Sasha Bentley has joined the WAGAP team as the new Director of Equity. She will focus on making improvements within the agency and its hiring practices to provide more equitable opportunities and environments.

Our Klickitat Prevention Coalition and its partners are hosting an opioid panel in Trout Lake on March 14, 2023, from 6-8 p.m. at Trout Lake School. Teens and adults are encouraged to attend, and childcare will be provided.

Two members of the Mid-Columbia Houseless Collaborative (MCHC) have been awarded nearly $2 million in support of the effort to address houselessness. Over the next three years, Mid-Columbia Community Action Council (MCCAC) will receive $969,600, and Washington Gorge Action Programs (WAGAP) will receive $809,603.

Our Klickitat Prevention Coalition is working on a five-year Drug Free Communities (DFC) grant renewal application. If awarded, it would bring $625,000 to Klickitat County in support of youth through its fiscal agent, Washington Gorge Action Programs (WAGAP).

Story by Cole Goodwin: Columbia Community Connections

COVID-19 emergency food allotments are phasing out in February. That means all households receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits will return to their normal pre-pandemic amounts. The extra allotment is going away.

Families need to plan accordingly and should reach out to the WAGAP Food Bank if help is needed to make the transition. Call 509-493-2662 extension 208.

Stabilizing families to prevent child abuse and future houselessness is a primary goal of the new Family Resource Center being developed in Goldendale by Washington Gorge Action Programs (WAGAP) in partnership with The Next Door, Inc. (TNDI). Photo by Some Tale on Unsplash

CPAKC is offering free medicine lock bags to protect youth from accidental overdose and potential death. The effort is part of CPAKC’s annual Locks Save Lives campaign in Goldendale, Washington.

Members of the Mid Columbia Houseless Collaborative are preparing for the 2023 Point in Time ( Coun t which will take place in Hood River, Wasco, Sherman, Klickitat, and Skamania Counties between Monday, January 23rd Friday, January 27th.

Photo: Kelli Hovrath, Director of the Office of Housing Stabilization with a trunk full of street outreach supplies. Photo Credit: MCCAC

WAGAP is expanding Mobile Food Bank operations further east in Klickitat County with a new route to Roosevelt on the 4th Thursday of the month, beginning in January 2023. Click for PDF in English / Click for PDF in Spanish

Parents are invited to register for Guiding Good Choices, a free and confidential series designed around promoting healthy development and reducing risky behavior for children as they enter their teenage years. The program will be offered weekly on Tuesdays in Goldendale beginning in February.

January is National Slavery and Human Trafficking Awareness Month and January 11 is the official day of observance.

But is one day of observance enough? Is one month of awareness enough? 

Skamania County Emergency Warming Shelter in Stevenson is now open Thursdays - Mondays with nightly check-in between 6 - 8 pm. In Klickitat County, warming services are coordinated through the WAGAP housing offices during regular business hours.

In a surprise announcement this week, WAGAP learned that effective immediately, Second Harvest is discontinuing service to food assistance programs across rural communities in Washington.

Use it or lose it. That may happen if business and volunteerism don’t pick up at the Second Hand Rose thrift store in Bingen, Washington.

GivingTuesday reimagines a world built upon shared humanity and generosity. Whether it is spreading joy, sharing our talents, donating to a cause, helping a neighbor, or showing up for an issue you care about, on GivingTuesday we transform the way we think about and act on giving all year long.

Coats for Kids is underway! Support local youth with the donation of a new winter coat, hat, scarf, gloves, or winter boots and help keep them warm and safe in the cold weather.

Join Insitu, WAGAP, and The Next Door to fill the need!