The Gloria Center

The Gloria Center | Frequently Asked Questions

Jump to topic;
What is a Navigation Center / The MCCAC Gloria Center?
What is The Gloria Center and shelter staffing structure?
What services are provided to shelter clients?
What other services and resources will be offered at the Center?
Who will The Gloria Center serve?
What rules must shelter clients follow?
How does MCCAC ensure site security?
What experience does MCCAC have in operating shelters?
How successful has MCCAC been in moving houseless clients from shelter into permanent housing?
Will there be managed camping on the site?
Will the MCCAC Gloria Center replace St. Vincent DePaul’s Bread and Blessings, Community Meals, and Warming Shelter programs?
What services WILL NOT be provided at The Gloria Center?

What is a Navigation Center / The MCCAC Gloria Center?

House Bill 2006, from the 2021 Oregon Legislative Session, defines a Navigation Center as a low-barrier emergency shelter that connects individuals and families with health services, permanent housing and public benefits. 
In addition to its 36-bed, non-congregate shelter, the MCCAC Gloria Center will house multiple agencies that will provide services to houseless clients as well as the greater community. 

The agencies that will be co-located on the site include:

• Oregon Human Development Corporation

• Mid-Columbia Center for Living (MCCFL)

• One Community Health

• Nch’I Wana Housing

• Columbia Gorge Health Council/Bridges to Health

What is The Gloria Center and shelter staffing structure?

The Gloria Center emergency shelter will be open during winter weather and summer heat-related and air quality events. The shelter staff provide support and oversight of those accessing the shelter services. The shelter staff communicates closely with other community services such as law enforcement or crisis services when things don’t go as planned. 

The Gloria Center services themselves will be staffed 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday-Friday by anywhere between 25-50 total staff. These staff will provide the wide array of services previously noted.

MCCAC will also operate The Annex at 200 West 2nd, The Dalles. The Annex will be staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and will provide longer term shelter and transitional housing options for those experiencing houselessness.

What services are provided to shelter clients?

Clients of the MCCAC shelter are provided with a range of services as previously mentioned.
To elaborate on specific service practices,

• MCCAC Housing Team works with each client to develop a personalized plan for reintegration into permanent housing.

• The MCCAC Housing and Shelter staff meet weekly to triage the individual needs of each shelter client and ensure those needs are being met and the clients are working towards accessing permanent housing. 

• Mid-Columbia Center for Living offers behavioral health and crisis support services for families and individuals. 

• Bridges to Health brings Community Health Workers to help translate people to systems and systems to people. This means they help people understand how to navigate complicated systems and they help systems understand how to better serve the individuals they work with.

• One Community Health offers health services to people experiencing poverty. 

• And so much more…

What rules must shelter clients follow? 

MCCAC shelter staff have shown leaps and bounds of progression from former community facilities in Oregon and our region partially due to our adherence to the following rules based on best practices. 

• While the MCCAC shelter is a “low-barrier” shelter, we do not serve individuals who are under sex offender registration requirements or who have been convicted of arson.  

• MCCAC does not allow the use of drugs or alcohol at its shelters or offices and strictly prohibits weapons and violence of any kind. In addition, shelter units are inspected daily to ensure units are kept clean, safe, and healthy.

• Shelter clients must be on shelter premises between the hours of 10pm-6:30am. This applies to both emergency and transitional shelter. Exceptions may be granted for curfew hours if shelter guests have received approval from shelter management for employment-based reasons for not being on-site during these hours. Employment-based reasons require a letter from the employer stating the work schedule of the shelter client.

The Gloria Center and/or shelter clients will be trespassed from the site for non-compliance with site rules.

What other services and resources will be offered at The Gloria Center?

Below is a list of services that The Gloria Center and its partner agencies will continuously review and update to ensure the services offered are effectively serving the community.

Housing and Utility assistance services will include:

• Rent assistance

• Eviction prevention

• Housing placement services, 

• Native and Tribal member-specific housing services

• Housing services for agricultural workers

• Veteran housing assistance

• Home weatherization

• Home utility bill payment assistance

• Emergency shelter

Health and Wellness services will include

• Physical health services

• Behavioral health services

• Healthcare benefits access

• Food access

Employment services will include

• Resume and job application assistance

• Career connections

• Employment placement services

Additional services will include

• Case management

• Latinx specific services (provided through bilingual staff)

• Youth and family services

Who will The Gloria Center serve?

The Gloria Center will serve community members in need of resources that provide household stability. This includes seniors, people with disabilities, Veterans, Teens, families, LGBTQ+, Native, Latinx, and community members of color.

How does MCCAC ensure site security?

The Gloria Center staffing practices, layout, and infrastructure is being designed with safety and security at the forefront. 

• MCCAC’s shelter is staffed 24 hours a day when it is in operation.

• Shelter staff will operate the shelter from an office located within the shelter portion of the site. 

• The MCCAC shelter staff conduct daily unit inspections and also inspect areas around its site to ensure the neighborhood is well taken care of. 

• In addition, MCCAC monitors its site utilizing full site video surveillance. 

• Additionally, the site will be fenced on the sides and at the rear with the only unfenced side being the front portion where entry access is gained for staff and the public. 

MCCAC also has a strong working relationship with local law enforcement and behavioral health providers to ensure the safety of shelter clients, the general public, and Gloria Center staff. 

It is important to note that MCCAC’s current operations have proven to be effective and successful, having a minimal impact on other public services. This is in part due to the ongoing communication and mutual respect between MCCAC staff, community providers, and shelter guests. As rapport is built and maintained, the mutual respect for the site and its guests grows and creates a strong motivation for guests to follow the rules and ensure their own safety.

What experience does MCCAC have in operating shelters?

MCCAC has been operating scattered-site shelters for more than a decade and has been the operator of the non-congregate shelter site located on Terminal and Bargeway since January 2021. MCCAC also partners with Hood River Shelter Services to operate a 26-bed non-congregate shelter in Hood River.

How successful has MCCAC been in moving houseless clients from shelter into permanent housing? 

In 2021, MCCAC was able to place 21, of the 81 people who were served at the shelter, into permanent housing. 

Strong case manager and client relationships increase opportunities for the people we serve. Our case managers are trained in best practices, work hard, and connect with our clients in a timely manner so that clients can have the maximum amount of opportunities available to them. The work of our case managers is vital to supporting clients on their path to success.

The Gloria Center will be a central place for this support work to take place and will benefit both the service providers and the clients being served. The MCCAC teams and their partners expect more consistent outcomes once there are consistent spaces in which support can be provided. 

Will there be managed camping on the site?

No. The Gloria Center is not a managed campground. RV, vehicle and/or tent camping will not be allowed anywhere on the property. Any and all client and staff parking is included on the site as part of the site design and MCCAC is working with the City of The Dalles to prohibit street parking.

Will the MCCAC Gloria Center replace St. Vincent DePaul’s Bread and Blessings, Community Meals and Warming Shelter programs?

St. Vincent DePaul is its own independent non-profit organization and not affiliated with MCCAC. St. Vincent DePaul, will continue to operate its services in the community. More information on St. Vincent DePaul’s programs and services can be found by visiting www.svdpthedalles.org
*(Last updated 3/8/21)

What services WILL NOT be provided at The Gloria Center?

The Gloria Center WILL NOT have a managed campground and will not be a place for an overnight vehicle, RV or tent camping. The only shelter available at The Gloria Center is in the 18 micro-shelters (36 beds) located on the site. The shelter is managed 24/7 by onsite staff when it is in operation.

While The Gloria Center will provide some meals to clients staying in the onsite micro-shelters, there WILL NOT be a soup kitchen that provides food service to the greater community. However, other independent agencies that offer this service such as St. Vincent DePaul will continue to serve food at their site through their Bread and Blessings and Community Meals programs. More information on St. Vincent DePaul’s programs and services can be found by visiting www.svdpthedalles.org