Washington Gorge Action Programs (WAGAP) hopes to reach 300 children from families in need this holiday season through the Tree of Joy program that provides essential winter items like cold-weather coats, clothing, hats, gloves, and boots, with a special gift item or toy that brightens a child’s holiday season.

Returning for a third year, El Grito will kick off Hispanic Heritage Month on the Washington side of the Gorge on Sunday, September 15, from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at Rhinegarten Park in White Salmon. Admission is free, and the event is open to all.

In a move planned nearly two years ago, the Washington Gorge Action Programs (WAGAP) Board of Directors announced that Jennifer Pauletto will be the new executive director as of July 1, 2024. Juan Reyes has been selected to join her as the new associate director.

The Skyline Health Foundation has awarded Washington Gorge Action Programs (WAGAP) $8,000 as part of its 2024 Community Health Grant, which supports non-profit organizations within the Columbia River Gorge that work to improve the health and well-being of the community within its service area. 

The Klickitat County Childcare Committee (KCCC) is back in action after receiving grants totaling $95,000 from the Washington Department of Commerce and Southwest Accountable Community of Health (SWACH). The new funding will allow the group to expand county-wide while maintaining efforts in the Goldendale community. KCCC has also added a Spanish-speaking coordinator to assist applicants seeking to start childcare centers or home-based programs.

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.

As the winter months quickly approach, Insitu, Washington Gorge Action Programs, and The Next Door Inc. are teaming up to host a coat drive for local area youth and we need our community’s help! Now through February, you can donate new or like-new outerwear ranging in all sizes from toddlers to teens, with an urgent need for coats and boots for older kids from 12-18 years of age. 

With severe weather hitting the region, the Mid-Columbia Community Action Council and its partners are ensuring our most vulnerable community members can access shelters, emergency lodging, and street outreach resources.

This year’s season of giving campaign, Two for GivingTuesday, will kick off at Washington Gorge Action Programs (WAGAP) beginning Tuesday, November 28, 2023.  “We are inviting community members to stop by Stevenson, Bingen, and Goldendale Housing offices to say hello and pick up two free WAGAP shopping bags,” said Jennifer Pauletto, associate director.

Skamania and Klickitat County seniors can apply to receive assistance to pay their energy bills through local events held in an ongoing partnership with Washington Gorge Action Programs (WAGAP), local PUDs, and the Skamania and Klickitat County Senior Services. 

In August of 2022, Washington Gorge Action Programs (WAGAP) opened a new shelter in Klickitat County, providing temporary safe housing to those fleeing domestic violence. Managed by the team at Programs for Peaceful Living (PFPL), it was dubbed “Gina’s Place” in honor of State Representative Gina Mosbrucker, who championed the effort to bring Capital Funding to a County that had been without a domestic violence shelter for over two decades.

In an effort to bring home services to all counties in Washington State, the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) has awarded Washington Gorge Action Programs (WAGAP) a Rural Home Visitation Exploration grant for $30,000 to complete a needs assessment for Klickitat and Skamania counties.

The WAGAP Food Bank Network team is very happy to thank everyone who participated in the 2023 Food For All summer concert fundraiser held at AniChe Cellars in Underwood in August. Together, donors and sponsors raised over $32,000 to support those fighting food insecurity in Skamania and Klickitat counties.

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.

Washington Gorge Action Programs is supplying cooling kits this summer to help people in need combat extremely hot weather. The cooling kits are replacing the emergency cooling shelter, which went unused in 2022.

As summer temperatures begin to rise, Community Action Agencies in the Gorge are preparing to assist people in need of combating life-threatening weather conditions with individual Cooling Kits delivered by Houseless Outreach Coordinators.

Reaching rural communities to support families who fight food insecurity has become a mission for Anna Henschel. This big-city Chicago resident came to Klickitat County in 2022 and has taken to rural life like a fish takes to water. 

Pedro Garcia is a kind man with a big 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.

Keeping children warm in cold weather is a goal of local winter clothing drives throughout the region. Washington Gorge Action Programs (WAGAP) partners with the efforts of Coats for Kids and Skyline Health’s Winter Outerwear Drive to keep kids safe.

Ramirez's strategy for success in life is to deal with barriers head-on. “You might be scared to do something,” she said, “but if you do it, you’ll be stronger and find better opportunities.”