Where Hope Finds a Home
From Hood River News, April 1994: "Child Celebration - Last Wednesday's Week of the Young Child parade attracted hundreds of area youngsters, and some of their elders, to Hood River's Heights for a procession to Jackson Park...Nancy Paul (left) of New Parent Services and Dottie Langston carry a message adopted by the community to nurture the county's youth." (Photo by Mike Doke)
After fleeing domestic violence, Josie was left no choice but to endure houselessness on the streets of Portland. Six months pregnant and a mom to four children under the age of 9, she arrived in the Gorge with nowhere to call home. Every day became about survival, and Josie’s mental health struggles were weighing heavily on her ability to envision a better life for herself and her children. But she kept moving forward, taking life one day at a time until she found our Family Support & Connections program at The Next Door (TNDI).
One of our Family Support Specialists began meeting regularly with Josie, connecting her to other programs at TNDI such as Bridges to Health, Gorge Youth Mentoring, and mental health counseling, along with community resources such as activities at the library, thrift stores, local food banks, financial assistance programs through Parks and Rec sports, and more. With support from Mid-Columbia Community Action Council and the Department of Human Services, Josie and her children moved into their very own apartment. Now, the mom who couldn't imagine tomorrow has a safe place to live with her family, is excitedly awaiting her new baby’s arrival, and has found joy, possibility, and a sense of community.
Since 1989, The Next Door has been helping provide this kind of hope, stability, and support to countless families like Josie’s. In its early years, this program was known as New Parent Services in Hood River and Families First in The Dalles. It began with parent volunteers checking in with families regularly, sometimes visiting their homes, to teach them about healthy communication skills, healthcare, infant development, parenting skills, and personal skills. Over the years, these volunteers, including a Hispanic services coordinator, would receive referrals from local hospitals, doctors, childbirth classes, and community agencies. Parents would then be matched with a volunteer who would connect them to play groups, childcare, other community services, or lend a listening ear.
From Hood River News: "Kim Larson, a volunteer for New Parent Services, pays a visit to Laurie Holmes and her infant son, Matthew Eric, at Hood River Memorial Hospital." (Photo by Greg Paul)
What began as a small, volunteer-led effort steadily grew in response to the changing needs of local families.
In 2015, an organizational rebrand at TNDI led to this program becoming an entire department of its own called Family Services (FS). Today, our FS team includes 9 full-time staff offering a wide range of support to local children and families in Hood River, Wasco, Gilliam, Sherman, and Wheeler counties.
October 2025: The Family Services team enjoyed a coastal retreat in Manzanita, Oregon, focused on strategic planning, creative collaboration, and team building.
Our team has not only grown in size but also in the depth of support we can offer families. Through the nationally-accredited Healthy Families Oregon program, our knowledgeable and caring team of trained home visitors provides free, in-home support to parents who are pregnant or caring for a newborn. Our team helps promote close bonding, information on baby care and fun family activities, and teaches positive parenting skills. The majority of our FS team is bilingual and Spanish-speaking staff often take the extra step of intentionally exploring Latino-serving community resources themselves before sending families to them to ensure every recommendation is meaningful, trusted, and a good fit.
Additional Family Services programs include Welcome Baby Packets, a free community closet, and an early literacy resource.
Any new parent who is expecting or has given birth in the last 3 months can receive a free Welcome Baby Packet that includes community resources, parenting information, and a small gift from our team.
A community closet located at The Next Door office in The Dalles is open to families who would like to give or take gently used baby clothing, toys, and baby equipment at no cost. And through our partnership with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, children from birth to age 5 receive free, age-appropriate books mailed to their homes each month.
While New Parent Services has evolved, its foundational work still continues in living rooms, at kitchen tables, with every Welcome Baby Packet, and in everyday moments in our Family Services programs at The Next Door.
With your support, we can continue providing more stability, more connection, and more hope for families in our community. Now through June 30th, your gift will be matched up to $25,000! Double your impact today at nextdoorinc.org/donate.
