Why there will be no cooling centers for unhoused people in the Gorge this summer

Last month, two service providers announced they would not open cooling shelters this summer for people experiencing homelessness in the Columbia Gorge. The shelters used to open only for day use when the National Weather Service issued an excessive heat warning for the region, and other air-conditioned facilities, like libraries, were not available. Washington Gorge Action Programs, which operates in Klickitat and Skamania counties, made the decision to close its Emergency Cooling Center in Stevenson after it found that not a single person visited the facility last summer. Instead, the organization has been distributing “cooling kits” which contain items like a battery-operated fan, water and sunscreen. The kits are being distributed at its offices, a thrift store it operates and through partnerships and outreach events with community organizations. Mid-Columbia Community Action Council is distributing cooling kits throughout its service area of Hood River, Sherman and Wasco Counties. Jennifer Pauletto, associate director of WAGAP, and Kenny LaPoint, executive director of MCCAC, share with us how this effort is going so far, and the impact it’s having for their clients.