SNAP began serving the Spokane community in the summer of 1966, with a goal of assisting the poor in meeting their emergency needs and to provide services in their own communities.

Father Frank Bach, the director of Catholic Charities, with the assistance of the St. Vincent DePaul Society, established three community-based centers. Initially, the three centers were located in the Hillyard, East Central and West Central areas in the city of Spokane. A rural center in Elk, Washington, followed sometime later.

The community-based programs were so successful that the Community Action Agency took over the administration of the neighborhood centers until the summer of 1973. Unfortunately, the Spokane Community Action Agency lost their funding and would have been lost were it not for the intervention of a number of community leaders. Funding was secured and Catholic Charities agreed to administer the program.

By 1985, the Neighborhood Centers had developed a budget in excess of $4 million annually and had outpaced the remainder of Catholic Charities programs. It was at this point when Catholic Charities decided to place the Neighborhood Centers program on its own. On September 12, 1985, with Tom Pleas as Director, the centers became Spokane Neighborhood Centers, Inc. The incorporators were: P.J. Grabicki, Thelma Pugh, Robert Huckabay, Sheri Barnard, Clarence (Bud) Barnes, Nora Beggs, Ed Stevens and Bill Fearn. The corporation adopted bylaws on December 10, 1985.

Five years following incorporation, a shift in leadership occurred with the announced retirement of Director Pleas. The agencyÕs associate director, Larry Stuckart, filled the post of Interim Director until formally named the agencyÕs Executive Director in July 1992.

From 1985 through the present, the agency has expanded services to meet the needs of a growing population. Through this continuing expansion it had become apparent the agency was more than just Òcenters.Ó It was a variety of programs that sought to provide long-term solutions for the people they served.

In December of 1991, the official papers were submitted to the State of Washington, allowing the agency to conduct business as the Spokane Neighborhood Action Programs. This name reflects the broadness of the agencyÕs current operations. In the Mayoral Proclamation concerning the name change, signed by Sheri S. Barnard, Mayor of the City of Spokane, the agency pledged to the citizens of this community to continue to provide quality services, with a committed staff, to ensure that Spokane remains a place that cares about its citizens.

As it does now, SNAP will continue to be responsive to individual and community needs by providing a range of opportunities to provide stability for our vulnerable neighbors and to encourage economic self-sufficiency for those who are able.