Washington Gorge Action Programs

Food and Nutrition WAGAP is the lead organization and distribution center for the food banks in Klickitat and Skamania counties. Low-income families are eligible for a food box once a month. The food in a box varies but generally there is enough for three to twelve nutritionally balanced meals depending on the size of the family.

Family Services This program includes crime victim services (assistance for victims of general crime), domestic violence & sexual assault client services along with community outreach and education. Within this program there are services for individuals and families that help them obtain services and supports based on individual preferences, needs, and capabilities. Also WAGAP has a youth center within this program. The youth center offers children between the ages of six and seventeen, a safe, supervised, and substance free place to hang out. It is an educational, recreational program for at-risk youth providing life skills training, interaction with positive adult role models and an opportunity to bond with the community.

Home Energy Assistance - During the winter months, low-income individuals and families can be helped with heating their homes through this program.

Pathways HealthConnect Pathways HealthConnect is a free WAGAP program that helps community members connect to the services and support they need to be healthy. Participants are paired with an experienced Community Health Worker to access medical, dental, or mental health care, transportation, substance abuse treatment, childcare and parenting education, financial help and other essential services.

Community Services & Emergency Services (listed as Block Grant/Other on the statement of functional expenses) The goals of community services programs are to reduce the negative impact of poverty on individuals, families and communities. These programs help enhance the health and vigor of our communities along with assuring a brighter future for children. Since 2005 Washington Gorge Action Programs has operated a thrift store called Second Hand Rose. The goal of Second Hand Rose is to become a community resource by providing employment training opportunities in retail sales; also to provide low and mid-income families with affordable items. This new program fills a need not previously met in the community. Emergency Services programs provide eligible individuals and families rental assistance, emergency food boxes, and emergency energy assistance. This program manages clients cash benefits to assure basic needs housing, childcare and food. Referrals to other crisis intervention and emergency service programs are also available.

WAGAPs civic engagement team works to increase community involvement in decision-making processes. The goal is to make sure that decision-making is representative ofall people who live in the Gorge, including low-income residents. WAGAPs civic engagement activities are non-political and are not associated with any political parties. Civic engagement programs include voter registration events where community members can register to vote, update their voter records, and check their voter status. WAGAP believes that having more people vote in an informed way helps communities make better decisions.