Upper Valley MEND: How a dynamic team is meeting each need with dignity

LEAVENWORTH — When a community member is in need of financial assistance, housing, healthcare, food or more, Leavenworth-based nonprofit Upper Valley MEND is there to help.

“Most of our daily interactions with folks are going to be on a small scale, but if we're able to help many people in small ways, it can have a large impact,” said Upper Valley MEND Social Worker Liz Hazen.

The team behind Upper Valley MEND is small, but mighty. Through a number of different programs, the organization is able to cast a broad safety net while staying small enough to provide personalized support. This structure reflects the nonprofit’s mission: Meeting Each Need with Dignity (MEND).

“When somebody's going through immense financial crises, or really anything personal, any type of problem can just seem so cumbersome,” said Hazen. “Having somebody to talk to and talk through the problem can make a huge difference.”

This personalized support enables the dynamic team to pick up on an individual’s needs and make in-house referrals. For instance, if someone is struggling with housing, help with utilities or groceries may provide complementary support.

“I can refer people to the Cupboard. I can refer people to Liz [Hazen]. I can refer people to the free clinic…It's so good to have this system in place that can help in different areas,” said Housing Manager Kathia Wan.

Today, the nonprofit organization says it supports roughly one-quarter of the area’s population each year, serving low- and moderate-income families and individuals, seniors and children, and those facing crisis, addiction, mental illness, and homelessness. With demand for MEND's services continuing to grow, the team has worked hard to expand its capacity.

Over the past several years, Food Programs Manager Rachel Bishop has significantly expanded the Cupboard’s volunteer pool and established the mobile produce pantry, which helps get fresh food to migrant camps throughout the valley. She’s also prioritized pantry surveys to ensure that the food being offered aligns with MEND’s original mission.

“Everybody deserves to eat the food that they want and what's important to them culturally…and food that is healthy for them. Unfortunately, at the grocery store, a lot of the food that is the cheapest is often the food that's not the best for you,” said Bishop.

The organization has also expanded the number of Spanish-speaking staff, including Wan and Hazen, enabling it to reach more of the population. Recently, the Cupboard has started translating paperwork and signage for its Ukrainian and Russian clientele, who Bishop says is more frequently traveling from East Wenatchee for support.

Most notably, MEND’s housing program has significantly increased its portfolio of affordable rentals and homeownership opportunities, with more units down the pipeline.

“We are growing, but we are working harder too. I wouldn't mind if I had to manage 50 rental units instead of 31,” said Wan. “To be honest, the hardest part of this job is not having more options for more people.”

Wan says the increase in apartment stock has helped lower rental prices, particularly at the Leavenworth Haus apartments, decreasing the pressure on the rental market over the past year. However, affordability is still a major challenge in the valley, even with the help of MEND’s affordable rental program.

“[MEND’s rental program is] the cheapest option, but if you add the gas, the groceries…It's not really affordable,” said Wan.

The growing need for assistance has been felt throughout the organization. According to Hazen, the rent and mortgage assistance provided in 2026 thus far has nearly doubled compared to last year’s pace, increasing from approximately $100,900 to $193,000.

Since January, the need for rental assistance has continued to increase month by month, said Hazen. She believes that while the December 2025 floods had a lingering effect on the local workforce, the overall state of the economy has continued to have a negative impact.

However, this increase isn’t a new trend. So far this year, Upper Valley MEND has provided about $208,000 in total financial assistance, which includes rent, utilities, mortgage, fuel and shelter. When Hazen joined MEND in 2021, the total assistance for the entire year was just under $50,000.

At the Community Cupboard, Bishop has observed similar increases. When she started in 2022, the pantry was serving about 250 households a month on average, said Bishop. Now, it’s serving about 750.

“I would love it if we had a new space, which we've been working on for a long time. MEND’s mission is meeting each need with dignity, and we try our hardest to do that at the Cupboard. But we have limitations in the space that we're in,” said Bishop.