Washington Gorge Action Programs (WAGAP) was pleasantly surprised by $35,000 in early annual fundraising donations this month presented by two local banks, helping the Community Action Agency jump-start its end-of-year fundraising campaign.

Preventing financial stress for rural families was a primary goal of the recent Financial Wellness Fair series put on by Community Enrichment for Klickitat County (CEKC) and Washington Gorge Action Programs (WAGAP) with the help of area partners. Over 200 people participated.

The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) recently released an analysis based on Bank Secrecy Act reports that indicate in a one-year period, from 2022 to 2023, financial institutions reported roughly $27 billion in suspicious activity related to elder financial exploitation.

2024 marks the 60th year since the Community Action Network was established to help American families and communities overcome obstacles to poverty. Over 1,000 agencies across the country are working every day to create opportunities and transform the lives of their neighbors, making communities stronger and helping families across the US thrive.

A new partnership centering around civic engagement has been formed at Washington Gorge Action Programs (WAGAP). Recently, Cristian Olivares and Ben Noble have been made co-directors on a mission to engage low-income residents as partners in building thriving communities. 

“Building Connected Communities” is the 2024 theme for Sexual Assault Awareness Month in April. The focus this year is addressing social and structural factors that are essential to improving the way people live, learn, work, and play.

Houselessness can happen to anyone at any age. Just ask Teri Hounslow.  Following a divorce, Hounslow kept houselessness at bay—well, kind of. She had been running a campsite with her husband before that job and their marriage dissolved. Then, at over 60 years old, she found herself without a place to stay.

With winter in full force, partners throughout the region have been pooling resources together to help houseless community members cope with potentially life-threatening conditions. To keep this and other efforts going, Mid-Columbia Houseless Collaborative is extending an open invitation for individuals and organizations to learn more about its members’ work over the past year and their plans for 2024 at its next quarterly meeting from 3:00 - 5:00 p.m. on February 13 via Zoom.

Ben Noble is on a mission to get people talking. His job is an important one: to get landlords and tenants to discuss matters that could potentially lead to an eviction and try to help them find common ground and resolve their issues.

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).

Preparations for operating the Skamania County Emergency Warming Shelter in Stevenson are in progress. An opening date has not yet been announced, but when it opens, it is expected to be available through mid-March. The shelter is located near the Hegewald Center and is operated by Washington Gorge Action Programs (WAGAP).

One step at a time is how Washington Gorge Action Programs (WAGAP) is ensuring a deliberate and thorough approach to its dedicated Equity and Inclusion program. Sasha Bentley is leading the charge as the new Equity and Inclusion director. She is working from the inside out, starting with bringing people together in an equitable and safe work environment.

Santa is at the top of the list for Family Holiday Night on Saturday, December 16, 2023, from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. at the Goldendale Grange Hall. The free event is open to all and will include ornament and cookie decorating and making a marshmallow snowman.

The call for donors is in high gear to meet the demand for the Tree of Joy holiday gift project in Klickitat and Skamania counties. The goal is to help families in need by providing new essential items, such as winter coats, hats, gloves, clothing, and shoes, with other gifts and toys to brighten a child’s holiday season.

Spreading holiday cheer is top of mind for Cheri Michaelson and Miki Caldwell of the "Elfing Elks," a group of ladies, members, spouses, and community members supporting the Mt. Adams Elks Lodge #1868 in White Salmon. 

As teens turn into young adults, it is their time to enter society, be independent, and make their way. How can we expect them to succeed and contribute to society if they have not had a good foundation that many of us take for granted?

The recent reaction to a Black Lives Matter mural at the Washington Gorge Action Programs office in Goldendale have some disheartened and afraid. Painters of the mural endured verbal attacks during the painting and the mural was later erased by an unknown person. Read more here.

When a system works as designed and allows someone to provide the highest level of service, it can bring immense satisfaction, especially when it enables someone to help another human being improve their quality of life.

WAGAP has recieved $20k in funding to build a shower facility and to hire a new outreach coordinator with lived experience as a houseless individual. His story reveals how the kindness of strangers keeps paying it forward.

Bipartisan legislation proposed with “Bring them home bill”