Improvements Coming to Community Action Reentry Services
Salem, OR — Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action Agency (MWVCAA) is excited to announce the relocation of Community Action Reentry Services (CARS), formerly the De Muniz Resource Center, to 2085 Commercial Street NE in Salem.
This move marks a significant step forward in our mission to provide comprehensive reentry services and support for individuals transitioning from incarceration.
Community Action has operated CARS since 2010, when Marion County requested we host a resource center specific to the Marion County Reentry Initiative. From 2010 through 2021, CARS served 7,377 unduplicated clients, totaling over 10,000 unduplicated clients to this day. Every year, thousands of individuals are released from incarceration in Marion County, with many more released across our full-service district. According to data since 2023, a significant 82% of these serviced individuals are homeless or subject to housing instability, exacerbating the region’s homelessness crisis. As a critical response to this issue, MWVCAA remains dedicated to supporting this vulnerable population.
On Thursday, July 18th, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) informed MWVCAA of the closure of the MCSO Transition Center, effective August 9th. In response to this development, MWVCAA is relocating our reentry project off-site and expanding our services. Services will continue in the new location as early as August 20, 2024. We are honored to continue to serve formerly incarcerated individuals who deserve our help as they transition back into public life. The relocation of services will allow us to pursue additional state and foundation grants focusing on housing justice and restorative justice models consistent with our values, to meet the growing need in our community. The new location at 2085 Commercial Street NE will be the hub for these expanded services.
We are grateful for our quarter-century-long partnership with the MCSO and anticipate future collaborations on reentry models that benefit our community.