Faith-based nonprofit that served thousands in Tri-Cities to close
A faith-driven nonprofit that helped thousands of Tri-Citians over the past decade with basic needs and social services is shutting down.
Jennifer Felicitas, found and executive director of Impact! Compassion Center, said in a statement on Facebook that she made the decision after her health took a “huge, unexpected and significant” turn in recent months.
“I could not do what I had been able to easily do most of my life,” Felicitas wrote. “God also has more plans for my journey with him in ministry. Many of you will see these things as I share them. And, yes, even if that is while in pain, on my couch.”
The center at 220 W. Kennewick Ave. has been a staple of downtown Kennewick. It employed about eight individuals and had a volunteer base of about 50, according to its most recent tax filing.
It’s not clear when the center plans to close up shop. Phone calls and an email to the nonprofit went unanswered this week. The office appeared closed Tuesday afternoon.
Impact! Compassion Center helped people in need to “sort through challenges and maximize the effectiveness of community resources,” according to its website. Its mission was to respond to unmet community needs.
It offers children, teen and adult mental health counseling; basic health, hygiene and nutritional supplies for those who cannot afford them; connections to social programs and agency resources; and coordinates responses to “real-time needs and hardships” through its Facebook group.
The Herald profiled Felicitas in December 2017 a year after she got Impact! Compassion Center off the ground. A mental health counselor then with 25 years of social services experience, she saw firsthand the barriers that prevented people from accessing needed help.
In her statement announcing the closure, Felicitas gave thanks and blessings to their staff and volunteers, as well as the hands-on community that has come together over the years to provide their services.
She called on those reading the post to “keep spreading love, kindness, and compassion, near and far, and make this world a better place.”
“My heart overflows with love for everyone,” Felicitas wrote. “So much, it is hard to contain it. I want nothing but the best for you and pray (for) God’s blessings upon every aspect of your lives.”
This story was originally published April 14, 2026 at 4:57 PM.
