Community Roots Wellness Hub opens in White Salmon, bringing support services under one roof

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Written By Robin

White Salmon, Wash., Oct. 31, 2025 — A coalition of local agencies launched the Community Roots Wellness Hub on Wednesday, Oct. 29, with a family-friendly open house featuring DJ Charlie Kittens, kids’ activities, and free food. The hub, in central White Salmon, is designed to make it easier for Western Klickitat County residents to find help by putting health and social services in one shared space.

Here, community members can access mental-health therapy, trauma-informed care, youth support services and wrap-around wellness resources, all designed to meet families where they’re at.

Sunset in front of the new Community Roots Wellness Hub at 432 NE Tohomish St.,  White Salmon

The partners behind the effort include Washington Gorge Action Programs (WAGAP), The Next Door, Inc., Washington Therapists Collective, Education Service District 112 (ESD 112), Carelon, and One Community Health. Over the summer, they updated the building, planned services, and mapped out a collaborative approach to cut down on hand-offs and runaround for clients.

Organizers say the model answers a long-standing concern: too few resources on the west side of the county and too many barriers to getting help. Several factors aligned this year including a grant offer from SWACH (Southwest Washington Accountable Communities of Health) allowing partners to move quickly from concept to opening. (SWACH describes its work as connecting people to care through a community-based workforce and its HealthConnect Hub network across Southwest Washington. SWACH+1)

Inside the new space, agencies can see clients, share information, and walk people “across the hall” to a neighboring provider when another kind of help is needed. Project manager Paul Lindberg said the hub blends private rooms with flexible desks so visiting staff can work between appointments and coordinate warm referrals. “It’s just the right person knowing the right information at the right time,” Lindberg said.

Dj Charlie Kittens Spins records for the legendary Thor and his sidekick - kidding - during a recent open house at the Community Roots Wellness Hub .

A youth area is part of the vision as well. Jennifer Pauletta described the after-school space as “a safe place for youth after school,” with room for social connection, leadership opportunities, prevention education and healthy snacks. She emphasized that the hub’s value is as a connector that puts multiple resources within reach in a single, welcoming place.

State repesentitive 117th District of WA David Steuben talks with attendees at the event.

The new hub reflects a growing regional trend to co-locate services. In The Dalles, The Gloria Center opened last year as a multi-agency navigation center offering housing help, health and behavioral health care, utility support, veterans’ services and more under one roof — a model many Gorge residents now recognize. 

Wednesday’s open house invited neighbors to meet the partners, offer input on what services are most needed, and help shape what comes next. Organizers said that feedback will guide scheduling, on-site programming and how the groups share the space going forward.

What’s next: The coalition plans to keep refining hours, programs and referral systems as they settle in with the goal of making it simpler for White Salmon and Western Klickitat County residents to find help without traveling far or telling their story multiple times.




Robin

Robin is a filmmaker and business consultant in her day-to-day work. She’s received 2 NADO economic development awards in partnership with MCEDD, and has worked across The Mid Columbia on projects that build community health, education, and economy.

With most of her time spent working with clients and the technical aspects of CCCNews, Robin only contributes her writing occasionally.