Pateros Brewster Community Resource Center officially closes

PATEROS— After nearly a decade of supporting the needs of community residents experiencing hard times, a local nonprofit provider officially closed its doors on August 1.

The Pateros Brewster Community Resource Center (PBCRC), located in the Pateros Mall, closed after nine years of operation when funding resources disappeared.

“We have had folks say some very nice things about what we have been able to do since we started,” said Executive Director Gene Dowers, “It has been really gratifying that those folks notice. It was really apparent to them that we were affecting other people.”

PBCRC was born of necessity after the 2014 Carlton Complex wildfire – then the state’s largest - devastated the county in general and Pateros in particular. 

Commenting on that disaster, Carlene Anders, Executive Director of the Okanogan County Long Term Recovery Group, which was formed to help fire victims recover, said that the Pateros School District alone lost more than 150 homes.

“We had two to four students in every single class, K-12, that lost their homes and a fifth of our staff of teachers at the school,” Anders said.

With most of the county’s community support services 30 miles away in Okanogan and Omak, the need for a south county office was urgent. PBCRC hit the ground running, providing financial help, referrals, and access to other support resources. It was also building connections to agencies located in the county hub. Last year both Okanogan County Community Action Council (OCCAC) and WorkSource established satellite offices at PBCRC to be closer to south county clients who need their help.

PBCRC Director and Board Treasurer Cecilia Williams said the office closure is one more hardship for those who are now referred to OCCAC’s Omak office.

“It’s difficult for those people and especially families with kids who now have to travel there,” said Williams. “There is bus service available but it’s hard for them.”

Mike Maltais: 360-333-8483 or michael@ward.media