There will be no Stevenson emergency warming shelter this winter due to minimal use over the past few years. Skamania County Homeless Housing Task Force and Washington Gorge Action Programs (WAGAP) have adjusted the units near the Hegewald Center to serve instead as temporary housing for families.

Community members are invited to contribute to a Community Voting Zine, a unique project put together by Washington Gorge Action Programs (WAGAP) to capture the stories, reflections, and artwork of local individuals around the themes of voting, health equity, and civic engagement.

Free cooling kits are available at all WAGAP offices in Stevenson, Bingen, and Goldendale. They are also available at Second Hand Rose WAGAP’s community thrift store in Bingen.

Nearly 80 individuals joined a Mid-Columbia Houseless Collaborative meeting on February 13 to learn about progress made toward its goals during 2023, review strategic plan updates, and get an overview of key activities and projects planned for 2024. One highlight was the connections the group is making in the region.

The Skamania County Emergency Warming Shelter in Stevenson opens on January 11, 2023. It is expected to be available through mid to late March, depending on weather conditions. The shelter is located near the Hegewald Center and is operated by Washington Gorge Action Programs (WAGAP).

When a family struggles to make ends meet, the small things taken for granted can make a huge difference in their quality of life. The Family Resource Center in Goldendale helps to stabilize families with children under age 18 in Klickitat County to prevent child abuse and future houselessness.

Our Klickitat Prevention Coalition members are celebrating that their youth prevention work will continue to be funded by the federal Drug-Free Communities (DFC) grant for another five years. The announcement came out of Senator Maria Cantwell’s office last month, just after the school year started. 

Imagine your first month at a new job and finding out that you are unexpectedly pregnant and about to lose your home. Two years ago, this was Kristi Packer’s reality.

A recent block grant of $7.3 million will help fund Washington State’s 30 Community Action Agencies - including the Washington Gorge Action Program serving Klickitat and Skamania counties - to stabilize and equip families and individuals to exit poverty for good through a network of local organizations.

Following months of anticipation, Washington Gorge Action Programs (WAGAP) will begin operations of a new Mobile Food Bank in Klickitat County in September, with plans to expand to Skamania County in October.

It can be easy to overlook some of these signs, and this month, and the annual day of recognition, reminds us how important it is to look out for elders and vulnerable adults in our communities. Respect, compassion, and attention are what our seniors deserve every day of the year. If you see something of concern, contact Adult Protective Services at 1-877-734-6277.

Five kits are available to help reduce startup costs and to inspire people thinking about starting a childcare operation. Kits offer new providers various supplies for caring for children. The kit includes essentials like diapers, wipes, a bottle warmer, child-safe silverware, plates, and bowls.

Comunidades and NorthShore Medical Group welcome all community members in the Gorge to receive COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters free of cost at a Fiesta of Health on Saturday, March 5, 2022, from 2:30 - 5:30 p.m. at the NorthShore Medical Group office in White Salmon.

"We also see an opportunity to expand service to other locations such as Dallesport, Wishram, Trout Lake, and perhaps at In Lieu sites to serve our Native communities," aid Leslie Naramore, WAGAP Executive Director. "A Mobile Food Pantry will allow us to do this."

Abby Brandt Whalin was chosen to head the team of Community Health Workers in White Salmon, helping locals find a path to a more healthy life. “I think working with people on their worst days makes you appreciate the rest of the days that you have. I feel privileged that people are willing to call an organization like WAGAP and share when things are really hard because that can be the hardest time to open up about your struggles,” Whalin said.

The idea was to encourage a culturally sensitive approach for the immigrant community to come together with medical professionals to access free vaccinations and booster shots. Guess what? It worked.

Comunidades, Northshore Medical Group, Columbia Riverkeeper, and WAGAP invite you to a free COVID-19 vaccination event that will take place on December 18 from 2:30 to 5:30 in the afternoon. This will be a fiesta for health, where there will be tamales, atole, and also gift cards for those who get vaccinated.

The WAGAP warming shelter in Stevenson, Wa., is open.

McReath is taking a leadership role in creating a coalition of youth and adults to create effective strategies that positively impact young people to make healthy choices in their lives.

Goldendale, WA (September 16, 2021) - Sunday Sutton has been named the new coordinator for the Coalition for Preventing Abuse in Klickitat County (CPAKC) following the announcement in August that she now serves as the new grant director for the Community Prevention and Wellness Initiative (CPWI).