The Next Door Inc. (TNDI) and Burgerville in The Dalles are teaming up for a community fundraiser in July! From 4-8 p.m. on Wednesday, July 17th. Twenty percent of proceeds will go toward schools tailor-made for local kids.

The Next Door Inc. (TNDI) recently marked a significant milestone with the first two student graduations of 2024 at its alternative high schools, Klahre House and Kelly Avenue School. These schools serve as beacons of hope for at-risk and disenfranchised youth who have struggled within the traditional public education system.

May is National Foster Care Month, a time to acknowledge and appreciate the work of the families and parents who provide support, safety, and stability to youth in foster care. On May 14, The Next Door Inc. (TNDI) will host a special event to honor these incredible individuals who open their hearts and their homes to youth in our Therapeutic Foster Care (TFC) program.

Like many who immigrated to the United States, Guillermo left Mexico in search of a better life for himself and his family. Given his dire circumstances, there wasn't time to obtain the resources needed to cross the border legally and Guillermo had to leave his wife and three children behind.

On Saturday, April 27th, Senator Jeff Merkley held his annual Town Hall in Wasco County. At each of his town halls, Senator Merkley presents a flag that was flown at the capital in Washington, D.C. to an organization that he feels has gone above and beyond to serve their community.

In honor of National Volunteer Month, The Next Door Inc. (TNDI) is pleased to announce our 2023 Volunteers of the Year, John Fine and Colleen Ballinger.

Natalia’s life was on track to becoming everything she’d hoped for. She was happily married, living in Hood River with her new husband and kids, and had another baby on the way. Little did she know, her entire world would soon come crashing down around her.  

Gorge Youth Mentoring, also known as GYM, is a community-based program of The Next Door Inc. (TNDI) serving Wasco, Hood River, and Klickitat Counties. GYM pairs local youth, or mentees, ages 6-21 in need of positive role modeling with an adult volunteer mentor based on similar interests, personalities, and needs.

For the last several months, The Next Door Inc.’s (TNDI) Marketing and Development team has been working on redesigning our organization’s website. The team embarked on this much-needed project at the end of Summer 2023 to rethink the structure of our site and improve its accessibility to the people we serve, our partners, and our community.

“New this year, we’re excited to present the workshop, “An Introduction to Popular Education”. This is a 4-hour overview of the history of Popular Education. Come see why The Next Door has adopted this teaching method and learn facilitation skills you can use in your meetings, classroom, community events, and more. As an added bonus, our September workshop will be held in-person at our TNDI office!” said TNDI.

This holiday season, The Next Door Inc.'s (TNDI) Native Supports team has been joined by community partners, Gorge Native American Collaborative (GNAC) and Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS), to bring comfort and joy to Native American community members in the Mid-Columbia region.

Esperanza came to the United States as a young child and was eventually granted temporary permission to live and work legally in the US through the Deferred Action Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Every two years, she's required to renew her DACA application to maintain her eligibility. And every renewal period, she faces several financial burdens.  

In Oregon, there are 5,386 kids in the foster care system and counting. Despite such a tremendous need for foster homes, there is an ongoing shortage of foster families in our communities, our state, and nationwide. This year, The Next Door, Inc. (TNDI) has returned to our roots and stepped up to fill our local need by purchasing a home in The Dalles to provide a safe, nurturing home for displaced youth.

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. 

Start your holiday off the right way and join Columbia Gorge Toyota and Honda’s Third Annual Turkey Trot Benefit Run in support of The Next Door, Inc.! Not up for running? No problem! Participants are welcome to run, walk, or trot their way through this all-ages, family-friendly event on Thanksgiving morning.

At the heart of The Next Door, Inc. (TNDI) is our Therapeutic Schooling program. Our two alternative schools in Hood River and The Dalles are staffed by incredible, empathetic, and hard-working educators, led by a phenomenal School Administrator, who collectively make the success of our therapeutic schooling program possible.

The Next Door Inc. (TNDI) is excited to invite the community to our upcoming Open House for Youth Services at our Drop-In Center located at 1113 Kelly Avenue in The Dalles! Join us on Monday, September 25th from 5-7 p.m. to learn more about TNDI’s programs and services offered to local area youth including community-based mentoring, outreach in schools, life skills training, native supports, and more.

On Friday, September 15th, 2023, Dutch Bros in Hood River and The Dalles will donate $1 for every drink sold to The Next Door Inc. as part of their Buck for Kids Day fundraiser! Each year, Dutch Bros Coffee franchises hand-select one local organization committed to supporting youth as one of the ways the beloved coffee chain gives back to their communities.

This investment reflects our continued commitment to supporting children and families in the Gorge and improving the communities we serve. The new home’s purchase also allows us to expand our capacity to care for youth in need by providing a safe and nurturing home, staffed by dedicated professionals.

For over two decades, The Next Door Inc. (TNDI) has housed the Oregon Trail Transitional Living (OT) program, providing transitional living services to hundreds of houseless youth in the Gorge. Now, partnering agencies are pleased to announce that the Oregon Trail Transitional Living program will be operated by the Youth Empowerment Shelter in The Dalles as of July 1, 2023.