MCCAC Finding Housing For Those Displaced By Rowena Fire
Mid-Columbia Today’s Mark Bailey interviews Leslie Naramore, MCCAC Executive Director about ongoing Rowena Wildfire recovery.
Mid-Columbia Community Action has been working to help get those displaced by the Rowena Fire rehoused. MCCAC Executive Director Leslie Naramore says they have helped fourteen households find rental housing, and gotten hotel stays arranged for others. She adds they are trying to help in other ways as well, helping to acquire household items for the displaced. If you have been affected by the Rowena Fire and need help, you can go to mccac.com for information, or go to the Gloria Center at 2505 West 7th in The Dalles. If you are interested in helping fire victims with their needs, watch the Mid-Columbia Community Action Facebook page where the organization has been posting information on items that are being requested.
‘Pretty devastating’: Rowena Fire victims struggle to find housing
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Nearly two months since the Rowena Fire tore through Wasco County, destroying 56 homes and 91 other structures, local residents are still figuring out a way forward.
“People know our region because they like to come here and have fun, but people live here too,” said Mid-Columbia Community Action Council Executive Director Leslie Naramore. “And we need to do everything that we can to get our people back into their homes as quickly as possible.”
New Mural Unveiled at The Annex Celebrates Residents Voices and Creativity
THE DALLES, Ore. A vibrant new mural now greets residents and visitors at The Annex Transitional Housing and Shelter following an unveiling ceremony on July 31st, attended by about 50 community members and organizational partners. Mid-Columbia Community Action Council (MCCAC) Executive Director Leslie Naramore joined artists Chris Pothier and Dylan McManus and MCCAC Community Engagement Coordinator Miriam Starrett to celebrate the installation outside The Annex’s west facade.
MCCAC Hires Leslie Naramore as Executive Director
The Dalles, Oregon – Mid-Columbia Community Action Council (MCCAC) is pleased to announce that Leslie Naramore has been hired as the agency’s Executive Director. Leslie will officially begin her new role on August 1 after serving as Interim Executive Director since February of this year.
SBA Offers Relief to Oregon Small Businesses, Private Nonprofits and Residents Affected by the Rowena Wildfire: Low interest disaster loans now available
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced the availability of low interest federal disaster loans to Oregon small businesses, private nonprofits and residents to offset physical and economic losses from the Rowena Wildfire occurring June 11-19. The SBA issued a disaster declaration in response to a request received from Gov. Tina Kotek on July 14.
Representing through art: The Annex receives a new mural
THE DALLES — The Annex Transitional Housing and Shelter is receiving an eye-catching new feature in the form of a mural on the west side of the building. Created by The Dalles artists Chris Pothier and Dylan McManus, the mural features a colorful combination of shapes that together create the image of an outstretched arm with a child its palm.
MCCAC Newsletter 2025 Spring Recap
Greetings from Mid-Columbia Community Action Council! Here are some key highlights from MCCAC from the past few months.
Neighbor Impact to Provide Weatherization Services for Mid-Columbia Region
Effective July 1, 2025, Mid-Columbia Community Action Council (MCCAC) will refer qualifying low-income community members from Hood River, Wasco, and Sherman counties who are seeking home weatherization services to NeighborImpact, a private not-for-profit organization based out of Redmond, Oregon.
Governor Kotek Visits Rowena, Surveys Fire Damage
Governor Tina Kotek visited Wasco County to discuss the response and recovery efforts related to the Rowena Fire, which sparked June 11 and burned over 3,700 acres, including 56 homes and 91 other structures.
As the flames die down, Rowena residents determine what’s next
As wildfires continue to trigger evacuations across Oregon, residents of a small community along the Columbia River are assessing what remains of their homes after the Rowena Fire.
Last week, the fire destroyed 56 homes in the unincorporated community of Rowena, outside The Dalles. The flames skipped and jumped between homes, leaving some untouched while reducing others to rubble.
Medicaid is on the Line: What This Could Mean for Gorge Communities
In recent current events, we have all been hearing about funding cuts that the U.S. (or federal) government is making. It is hard to understand what is being cut and how it will impact all of us because we are getting so much information. One service that we are worried about is Medicaid.
For this reason, members involved in a volunteer group of service providers called the Gorge Health Equity Collaborative have written this letter to help explain what cuts to Medicaid in Oregon and Washington may mean to us.
Master Blaster: Mad man in Mural-dome
Artist Chris Pothier washes the west wall of the Annex in downtown The Dalles this afternoon, May 15. He was at the intersection of Thai food and Copper West Properties - the very gut of TD - as he and Dylan McManus prepare for the latest mural in Little Art City on Lincoln Street.
Naramore named Mid-Columbia Community Action Council interim executive director
Last week, the Mid-Columbia Community Action Council (MCCAC) announced the hiring of Leslie Naramore as its interim executive director. Naramore joins MCCAC after more than 11 years working with its counterpart, Washington Gorge Action Programs (WAGAP).
Leslie Naramore Hired as MCCAC’s Interim Executive Director
Mid-Columbia Community Action Council (MCCAC), the region’s leading homeless services provider, announced that Leslie Naramore will join the organization as Interim Executive Director. Leslie begins her new role after more than seven years of serving as the Executive Director of the MCCAC’s counterpart in Klickitat and Skamania Counties, Washington Gorge Action Programs (WAGAP).
Life-threatening temps, east wind turn heat up at local warming shelters
Staff of the Mid-Columbia Community Action Council were at the ready on West Seventh Street in The Dalles this morning, Feb. 10. The Gloria Center activated the Emergency Shelter due to freezing temperatures.
How nonprofits count the houseless
Last Wednesday, about 50 social workers started their day with the same goal: Find and survey all the unhoused people in Hood River, Wasco, Sherman, Skamania and Klickitat counties within 24 hours. Part of a federally mandated Point in Time (PIT) Count, Johnson and others dove into liminal spaces, looking for those that society prefers to keep invisible.
Pivotal player in fight against houselessness takes leave; LaPoint impact immense in past 4 years
The Dalles, Ore., Jan. 24, 2025 — After four years serving at the helm of Mid-Columbia Community Action Council (MCCAC), Kenny LaPoint announced his intention to resign as the organization’s Executive Director on Jan. 21.
Houseless Collaborative invites partners, public to meeting
The bi-state Mid-Columbia Houseless Collaborative (MCHC) invites partners and interested public members to its third quarter meeting on July 9, 2024, from 3-4 p.m. via Zoom or in person at the Gloria Center at 2505 W. Seventh St., The Dalles.
Cooling Shelters open today, July 5 as temps crest 100 ; cooling supply bundles ready
As temperatures soar and an Excessive Heat Warning grips the region, Mid-Columbia Community Action Council (MCCAC) announces critical initiatives to support local residents. MCCAC is launching a Cooling Shelter at The Gloria Center and distributing essential cooling supply bundles to ensure community well-being during this heatwave.
MCCAC Celebrates Gloria Center Grand Opening
Mid-Columbia Community Action Council (MCCAC) celebrated the grand opening of the Gloria Center with a ribbon-cutting ceremony in front of the new building on May 31. The Gloria Center, a support services navigation center, is a social service center aiming to provide social and health services for the areas of Wasco, Hood River and Sherman counties.