Community Action Program of East Central Oregon (CAPECO) Moves to the East Oregonian

Photo: CAPECO

CAPECO's Paula Hall, CEO, and George Murdock, Board Chair, announced to staff, in a recent meeting, plans to move the main office and food bank warehouse to CAPECO's newly purchased site in Pendleton's downtown area, the East Oregonian property.

CAPECO has purchased the East Oregonian property at 211 SE Byers Ave, in Pendleton, for $2.15 million and will take ownership on December 29.  The property includes a 23,000 square foot building along with two houses.

The new location is a turning point for CAPECO.  Since the purchase of their current location, in 2012, at the John Murray annex building (721 SE 3rd), CAPECO has grown and expended in many areas of community service.  The new location allows CAPECO to provide services in ways that are more conducive to to the well-being of its clients and employees with  easy access in the downtown area and by having all services in one place, on one level in a more modern building.

CAPECO's current food bank warehouse is a leased property near the airport.  The monthly rates along with utilities makes it cost-prohibitive to increase staff capacity.  This move combines the main office and food bank warehouse into one location.  "It made sense that we invested in our own building, our own facility," said Hall.

Helping Hand, in the John Murray location, and ALTRUSA's backpacks, in the food warehouse, two local community services that CAPECO currently provides space for, will also be given space in the new location. 

"We're poised to move our entire Pendleton staff into the building.  It's such a bonus to be able to have wonderful new office facilities.  I know the building well. It has conference rooms, educational areas, and whatever we need to to conduct the business of CAPECO," Murdock said.  "I think it's a wonderful thing for the community because we're going to take a very highly prized social agency and put them in downtown Pendleton."

CAPECO, a community action agency in seven Oregon counties, helps communities throughout east central Oregon with rent, food assistance, weatherization, money management, aging in place, and utilities.  Along with the main office headquarters in Pendleton CAPECO also has offices in Hermiston and The Dalles.