Rooted in Community at The Next Door Inc.
March 1988 - Some of the staff at Next Door, Inc., in Hood River include (from left): Michael Mehling, director; Derryll Dexter, administrative assistant; John Koehn, treatment coordinator; and Tim Bolles, one of Next Door's counselors.
From The Next Door Inc.:
By Jordan Flores
The Dalles, Ore., April 28, 2026 — In the early days of TNDI, our work was centered around three programs that met children and families where they were to build something better alongside them. What we learned from those early programs has guided us for the last 55 years.
In 1971, a house on May Street housed 12 teens in need of a safe place to land with structure, stability, and someone who wouldn’t give up on them. Doing what we could to keep families together in the hardest of times, we also provided counseling and support through a program called Project Preservation. Caring, trained adults opened their homes for our JAM (Jail Alternative Measure) program to provide emergency shelter, 24-hour specialized care, and support services that helped keep youth out of state-run prison facilities.
Over time, as the needs of youth and families changed, The Next Door adapted to meet them. Services for foster youth shifted from a residential treatment facility to a therapeutic foster care program, with community-based education and mental health treatment.
The residential program that began in the house on May Street has since evolved into the Klahre House, a therapeutic schooling program offering education, counseling, life skills, and creative opportunities like beekeeping, culinary arts, and music. At the Klahre House, youth aren’t just fulfilling program requirements; they’re rebuilding confidence, developing coping skills, working towards a better future for themselves, and building lifelong relationships.
When needs shifted again in 2023, we responded. Amid a growing shortage of foster parents locally, across the state, and nationally, too many youth in foster care were left without a place to go. So we returned to our roots and opened a residential home in The Dalles that could house youth in our Klahre House program. The purchase of this home was a step forward and, at its core, a return to what we've always done best.
In many ways, our work looks different today than it did in that house on May Street in the 70s. But in the ways that matter most, the heart of it is exactly the same.
We still believe in showing up, in meeting people where they are, and in creating a safe and supportive community where children and families are safe, healthy, and valued.
This spring, as we celebrate 55 years of being rooted in community, we invite you to be part of what comes next. Now through June 30th, your gift will be matched up to $25,000! Visit nextdoorinc.org/donate to make your one-time or monthly donation and double your impact today!
About The Next Door.
The Next Door Inc., (TNDI) the largest social service agency in the Gorge, was founded in 1971 to address the unmet need of support services for youth. Today, TNDI’s employees facilitate over 35 programs that strive to fulfill our mission of opening doors to new possibilities by strengthening children and families and improving communities in Oregon and Washington. For more information, please visit https://nextdoorinc.org/
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