Even when a handful of Hood River Shelter’s contributing restaurants closed their doors in the January 12 winter storm, while layers of snow and ice accumulated in single-digit temperatures, they opened their kitchens to keep the shelter fed.

“We have a duty to help. We have a warm home and food on our table. It’s our responsibility to contribute where we can and provide for those who lack these critical things” Ben Stenn, owner of Celilo.

This ABC News story highlights the Project Turnkey program which made The Annex transitional housing and shelter possible.

MCCAC's The Annex is one of 27 Project Turnkey projects across the state which are together adding more than 1,300 shelter beds at a time when they are desperately needed.

This KATU news piece provides an in-depth look at MCCAC's The Annex transitional housing and shelter and how the wraparound services provided at The Annex by MCCAC and partner organizations are helping people navigate services so they can move from houselessness into long-term, stable housing.

The Hood River City Council received updates on housing and shelter assistance projects, including the construction of The Gloria Center in The Dalles, from the Mid-Columbia Community Action Council (MCCAC) during the Dec. 11 city council meeting.

Cookies, Cocoa and Photos with Santa organizers presented Mid-Columbia Community Action Council (MCCAC) with a check for $2,700 on Monday, Dec. 11. 146 families attended the Cookies, Cocoa and Photos with Santa event at Hood River Hotel to enjoy some holiday cheer and raise money to support programming at MCCAC.

On Oct. 12, Mid-Columbia Community Action Council celebrated the opening of The Annex, a new transitional housing and shelter facility in The Dalles.

Mid-Columbia Community Action Council (MCCAC) is pleased to announce the grand opening of The Annex Transitional Housing and Shelter, formerly the Oregon Motor Motel.

Mid-Columbia Community Action Council or MCCAC is having the Gloria Center constructed. It is a $5-plus-million project that will provide multiple services for houseless locals who are looking to transition into stable housing and working toward employment.

"The acquisition of the Oregon Motor Motel is a huge win for our communities as the site will provide critical housing and shelter capacity while also revitalizing the entry to the downtown core,” said MCCAC Executive Director, Kenny LaPoint.

On July 21, MCCAC held a Contractor and Volunteer Appreciation Lunch at The Annex in The Dalles to thank all those that have done work on The Annex over the last six months, including over 70 community volunteers and 21 local contractors.

MCCAC is making significant progress on $1.6 million in grant and weatherization funded renovations to The Oregon Motor Motel thanks to the hard work of staff, volunteers, and local contractors.

In a ceremony on Friday, March 24, Mid-Columbia Community Action Council broke ground on the Navigation Center and announced its official name: The Gloria Center.

The Gloria Center will serve as a one-stop service center for those experiencing houselessness, housing instability or poverty, containing both an emergency shelter and a host of “wrap around” services and resources. Currently, it is expected to be completed and open to the public by early 2024.

Two members of the Mid-Columbia Houseless Collaborative (MCHC) have been awarded nearly $2 million in federal grants by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Mid-Columbia Community Action Council will receive the Oregon component of the grant and will focus on operational support of “The Annex,” a newly acquired transitional housing/shelter complex that is being developed through the conversion of the Oregon Motor Motel in The Dalles.

MCCAC recently acquired the former Oregon Motor Motel located on the edge of downtown The Dalles and is beginning renovations to convert the property into transitional housing and shelter.