In Latino culture, mental health is rarely talked about. It's not that Latino men and women don't struggle with their mental and emotional health; it's that culturally, there’s a stigma surrounding the topic and a lot of feelings are suppressed as a result. So, when Diego heard about Valle Verde (or Green Valley), a program of The Next Door Inc. (TNDI) that works to reduce the negative feelings people have about mental health issues, he knew he needed to sign up for the 12-week course.

In honor of National Volunteer Month, The Next Door Inc. (TNDI) is pleased to announce our 2023 Volunteers of the Year, John Fine and Colleen Ballinger.

When Alex was 12, he made a mistake that would change his life forever. Convicted of a crime, he was sentenced to three years at a youth correctional facility hundreds of miles from his home where he felt lost, alone, and afraid. However, fate had a different plan in store for Alex.

Natalia’s life was on track to becoming everything she’d hoped for. She was happily married, living in Hood River with her new husband and kids, and had another baby on the way. Little did she know, her entire world would soon come crashing down around her.

There are currently 41 Gorge Youth Mentoring matches across three counties. However, we still have over 30 mentees on our waitlist, waiting for a consistent, positive relationship with a mentor they can depend on.