A SAFE PLACE TO SLEEP & RESOURCES FOR HOUSING STABILITY
ABOUT
US
“I have seen that in any great undertaking, it is not enough for a man to depend
simply upon himself."
Lone Man (Isna-la-wica),
Teton Sioux
The Mission:
To provide a safe, warm, welcoming environment where any member of our community in need
can find shelter, support, and pathways
to housing stability
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RTRC is fiscally sponsored by Northeast Oregon Network (NEON). NEON is the employer of current staff providing supervision, financial management, and mentorship.
The History:
Right Track Resource Center (RTRC) was incorporated as a 501(c)3 nonprofit in the 2023-2024 winter season, but our organizational history started long before.
In the winter of 2017-2018, an informal group of concerned citizens came to recognize a serious unmet need of their community: with no other options, people were sleeping outside in the sub-zero temperatures of a Union County winter. With the support and minimal funding for supplies from the Union County Local County Advisory Committee for the Eastern Coordinated Care Organization, the group of concerned citizens began to facilitate free, emergency overnight shelter out of the Zion Lutheran church fellowship hall.
By the next winter, it was clear the warming station needed a larger facility, and the organization—which at that point was beginning to consider becoming an official 501(c)3 nonprofit—moved into a small, privately owned house on Willow Road. Union County Warming Station (UCWS), as it was called at the time, continued to grow, even as the operational headquarters changed as needed and moved locations again to 2008 3rd Street Suite B. By the winter of 2020-2021, a team of volunteer board members and volunteer workers had successfully provided emergency shelter and housing resource connection to hundreds of guests.
In doing so, it was becoming increasingly clear that offering emergency shelter was a good place to start, but it wasn’t enough to interrupt the cycle of housing insecurity.
Finally, in the 2022-2023 winter, the warming station found its current home at 501 Third Street. Funding was eventually secured for two full-time staff positions through a combination of grant funding and donations, with promising momentum to fund a third.
As the community came to depend on the vital service provided by the warming station, the agency continued to grow. In addition to the flagship emergency shelter program, the organization began to offer daytime direct services and resource connection. It was becoming increasingly clear that the name of the organization no longer suited the mission of the organization, and Right Track Resource Center was born. RTRC now operates the warming station as a service, as well as a variety of other programs, including showers, laundry, daytime hot weather and poor air quality shelter as needed, and connection to resources and services vital to help folks with housing instability stabilize.
Where to Find Us & Hours of Operation
Contact Information
Maggie Mayhem, program lead
541-910-3056
​
RTRC landline: 541-962-7994
(Response times to landline calls may be slow; please contact staff directly for time sensitive issues.)
Address
501 Third Street
La Grande, OR 97850
Resource Center Hours​
Monday & Wednesday
9am - 3pm
No appointment necessary
Meet the Team
RTRC Board of Directors and Staff:
Maggie Mayhem, Program Lead
Maggie, originally from rural Eastern Iowa, has overcome houselessness and embarked on a transformative recovery journey before finding her passion in Eastern Oregon. From volunteering at the Union County Warming Station to becoming the Program Lead for Right Track Resource Center, she has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to advocacy and empathy. Her person-centered approach and adept program leadership skills have greatly impacted the lives of individuals in need, leading to numerous successful housing outcomes. Beyond her professional achievements, Maggie's adventurous spirit, academic pursuits, and passion for the outdoors highlight her dedication to personal growth and community support. In her free time, she enjoys indulging in her love for coffee, creating art, and hiking with her brindle companions.
Evelyn Wallace, Board Chair & Secretary
Evelyn has lived in La Grande since 2013 and is currently earning her Masters in Social Work from Howard University (remote program). She is passionate about community-building, economic vitality, and self-sustaining systems. She is an active member in the Sustainability Simplified community and works closely with Joshua Spodek. Using direct action as an antidote to disempowerment, Evelyn joined the RTRC team as a volunteer in 2021 and has served on the board since 2022.
Lisa Ladendorff, Board Treasurer
Lisa Ladendorff has been a resident of La Grande for the last 33 years. She is a clinical social worker and has worked at Northeast Oregon Network for the last 15 years focusing on supporting community health in Union County, Noreast Oregon , and rural regions through out the state. She currently works training health care workers on leadership, organizational development, self-care, community and public health, and behavioral health topics. She has been involved supporting the Right Track Resource Center since its inception as a volunteer and has served on the board since 2020. She enjoys supporting nonprofits, and has served as a member of several local and side wide boards. She believes strongly in the power of local communities to work together to improve the health of all of their members. In her spare time, she gardens, knits and plays with her Newfoundland dogs.
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Haylee Swiger, Board Member
Haylee Swiger has been a member of the RTRC board since March 2023, and has been volunteering since December 2021. Originally from the Spokane Reservation in North East Washington, she spent roughly 5 years from 2018 to 2023 in La Grande while attending Eastern Oregon University. She graduated from EOU in 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and currently resides in Seattle, pursuing a PhD in social psychology at the University of Washington.
Glenda Moyer, Board Member
Glenda Moyer is the Eastern Oregon Education and Outreach Coordinator and responds to the Housing Providers and Landlord Hotline for the Fair Housing Council of Oregon. Glenda grew up in La Grande and raised her three children in La Grande. She attended Eastern Oregon University where she obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology/Anthropology with an emphasis in social welfare and criminal justice. Glenda has spent over 20 years working with people who have barriers that limit their access to obtaining safe and affordable housing. She understands the importance of equal access to housing and how vital housing is to stabilize those who have barriers.
Josie Boggs, Board Member
Josie Boggs is a career social worker who has worked with a wide variety of adults, with a focus on severe and persistent mental illness.. Currently employed by the Veterans Health Administration, she worked as the social worker for the local VA Clinic before transferring to her current job as the homeless services social worker for Veterans in Northeast Oregon. Josie and her husband moved to La Grande from Boise four and a half years ago after living all over the West. The Grande Ronde Valley was their dream location after years of annual mushroom hunts in the area, and they look forward to many more years in the community of La Grande.