Systems Change Begins From Within
At The Next Door (TNDI), we understand that true systemic change begins from within. While we work to help other individuals, businesses, and organizations see their blind spots and address barriers to success, we also embrace those same initiatives to enhance our own services. Creating a diverse workforce with lived work experience is one of the many ways we incorporate systems change within our own organization to strengthen our team and amplify our impact on the people and communities we serve.
The Columbia River Gorge is home to hundreds of Native Americans belonging to several different tribes. Yet, prior to 2018, there were no established social service programs working with Native American community members to breakdown social determinants of health and inequities. In an effort to address this barrier, TNDI formed a group called Natives Along the Big River, also known as NABR, as a way of bringing Native Americans together to create a sense of community. What began as a coalition with only 3 members has now grown to an average of 30 Native Americans regularly attending NABR meetings. But over the years, TNDI realized Native American community members needed and deserved more support services.
In 2021, we set out to establish a program that could provide culturally sensitive services to Native Americans in Oregon and Washington. We were fortunate enough to find Dawn LeMieux, our Native Supports (NS) Program Manager who’s been with TNDI since the inception of our NS program, to lead a team of Native American Community Health Workers (CHWs). Dawn’s wealth of knowledge about the systems Native Americans navigate, and the types of oppression they experience along the way, has helped form the best team to understand, support, and advocate for our Native neighbors. Dawn and her team work tirelessly each and every day to provide services on both sides of the Columbia River to overcome as many barriers as possible, grow community partnerships and collaborations to provide better support services, and create lasting systems change in our community.
In only 3 years, the NS team has engaged with more than 500 Native American community members through events, outreach, and NS programs. Annual events such as Trunk-or-Treat, Native American Youth Culture Camp, and the Columbia River Round Dance provide safe spaces for Native American youth, individuals, and families to connect with one another, celebrate their culture, and heal.
As families prepare for the school year, NS and Gorge Native American Collaborative (GNAC) partners including the One Community Health Native Wellness team, host a back-to-school event. Community partners and providers come together in one place to offer hundreds of backpacks, shoes, health services like physicals for youth, food, and more to local Native American families. In 2024, an estimated 175 youth attended the back-to-school event where 21 community partner organizations gave out supplies, saving families around $200 per youth.
During the frigid Pacific Northwest months, NS and GNAC partners like Washington Gorge Action Programs and Mid-Columbia Community Action Council step up each year to help meet the needs of Native American community members. Without NS and GNAC partners, many would be left without propane for cooking, heating, and electricity in their homes as there are currently limited supports with weatherization of unconventional homes and propane access.
Each year, the NS team and GNAC also work together to host INDFEAST, or Indigenous Nations' Delicious Food Celebrations, delivering holiday meals to rural communities, local in-lieu/treaty fishing access sites, and villages. INDFEAST provides individual pre-cooked meals and food boxes with uncooked items to community members living in unconventional and conventional homes. In 2023 alone, NS and GNAC served 145 households, delivering 600 pre-cooked meals and 266 food boxes to Native American individuals and families.
Native support services have come a long way, but our work has only just begun. Your support helps the NS team continue to be the coordinator of all the different service providers in the Gorge to provide equitable and accessible services to all Native Americans. Now through December 31st, your gift will be matched up to $45,000! Visit nextdoorinc.org/donate to double your impact today.
