The Gloria Center
Addressing the shelter and service needs of our most vulnerable and at-risk community members, together.
The Gloria Center is a multi-agency social service center that provides a regional hub of services for low-income community members from Hood River, Wasco, and Sherman counties.
Services provided at The Gloria Center include:
Behavioral health
Physical health
Housing
Utility assistance
Weatherization
Veterans services
Employment
Shelter
Location
2505 West 7th Street, The Dalles
North of downtown, close to services, shops, and transportationThe Gloria Center
Multi-use space and offices for MCCAC, partner, and direct service providers
Services
Service navigators, healthcare, behavioral healthcare, jobs, and employment resources, housing services, communal dining, parking, and bike storage for shelter guests.
Emergency Shelter
Non-congregate free-standing emergency shelter with office and sanitation facilities
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The agencies co-located at The Gloria Center site include:
Are you looking for support?
I’m looking for Housing Assistance or Shelter
I’m looking for Utility Assitance or Weatherization
I’m a Veteran looking for supportive services
I’m a Houseless Person looking for help
I’m a Housless Person looking for a Medical Clinic
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 rules must shelter clients follow?
What other services and resources are offered at The Gloria Center?
Who does The Gloria Center serve?
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?
Is camping allowed on site?
Does The Gloria Center replace St. Vincent DePaul’s Bread and Blessings, Community Meals, and Warming Shelter programs?
What services are NOT 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. MCCAC’s The Gloria Center provides a hub of services for multiple agencies as well as a 36-bed non-congregate emergency shelter.
Services provided at The Gloria Center include:
Housing
Utility assistance
Weatherization
Veterans services
Employment
Behavioral health
Physical health
Shelter
…And other services that assist with mitigating the impacts of poverty and creating pathways to self-sufficiency. It is important to note that not all these services are specific to those experiencing houselessness. And placing all these services in one central location, and under one roof, benefits everyone utilizing those services regardless of housing status due to the often overlapping nature of assistance needs.
The Shelter On The Gloria Center Site
36-bed, non-congregate emergency shelter for those experiencing houselessness to provide safety from winter weather and summer heat and air quality events.
Agencies co-located at The Gloria Center include:
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 and emergency shelter operations are supported by community volunteers.
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 also operates The Annex at 200 West 2nd, The Dalles. The Annex is open and staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and provides 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 including:
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 operations include 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 are offered at The Gloria Center?
Housing and Utility assistance:
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:
Physical health services
Behavioral health services
Healthcare benefits access
Food access
Employment services:
Resume and job application assistance
Career connections
Employment placement services
Additional services:
Case management
Latinx specific services (provided through bilingual staff)
Youth and family services
Who does 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 operate the shelter from an office located on 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 is 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 currently operates the Hood River winter warming shelter and The Annex transitional housing and shelter facility.
How successful has MCCAC been in moving houseless clients from shelter into permanent housing?
In 2023, MCCAC was able to support 149 people to transition from houselessness into long-term, stable housing, including 41 children and 12 seniors.
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 is a centralized hub for this work to take place and will benefit both the service providers and the clients being served.
Is camping allowed on site?
No. The Gloria Center is not a managed campground. RV, vehicle and/or tent camping is not be allowed anywhere on the property.
Does 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.
What services are NOT be provided at The Gloria Center?
The Gloria Center does NOT have a managed campground and is not a place for 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 food to clients during emergency shelter operations, there is not a soup kitchen that provides food service to the greater community. However, other independent agencies offering meals services include St. Vincent DePaul, Bread and Blessings, and Community Meals programs.
MCCAC Team at The Gloria Center