From Refugees to Restauranteurs: Naw Naw and Lu at The Ramen House
A decade ago, Na Na and Lu arrived in Anchorage from Burma, unfamiliar with the language, the culture, or the cold harsh winters. Ten years later, they’re experienced restaurant owners giving back to our community, raising their family together. In January 2011, Naw Naw and Lu landed in Anchorage for the first time, forced to…
Meet Elizabeth Chase, Program Director at RAIS
RAIS’ new program director, Elizabeth Chase has worked with RAIS for more than a decade and brings experience at every level of the program, from case management to funding to program leadership. For many years, RAIS has had two positions combined into one—RAIS Program Director and Alaska State Refugee Coordinator. With RAIS continuing to grow…
Introducing Complex Care at 303 West Fireweed Lane
When COVID began, Brother Francis Shelter recognized the need to reduce capacity to keep our guests safe and socially distanced. To meet the needs of our community, BFS became more specialized in our care—serving elderly and medically fragile guests who needed individualized care. We recognized the need and, given our Healthcare and Homelessness Partnership ,…
Embracing Growth: Looking Back on FY2021
Over the last year, you helped Catholic Social Services to grow, provide more programming, and blaze new trails in the services we provide, serving more than 13,000 people. New challenges for our neighbors pushed us to break new ground in the ways we serve our clients, our partners, and our community, all made possible by your commitment to…
Thank You for Your Support Through Charity Ball
This year’s 31st Annual Wilma Carr Charity Ball was an incredible success, thanks to all of our generous donors and supporters. On Saturday, May 7th, we were thrilled to join 350 supporters at The Hotel Captain Cook for a night of supporting the moms and kids at Clare House. This year’s theme was Together We…
Reflecting on the Crisis in Ukraine
The recent events in Eastern Europe weigh heavy on all our hearts. We grieve with the people of Ukraine who have lost so much, and the people of Russia, as many must now also flee their homeland. RAIS has been serving Ukrainian refugees for more than 40 years, and we continue to help Ukrainian families…
We Are Thrilled to Announce Our New Chief Executive Officer
Catholic Social Services welcomes Robin Dempsey as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) effective today. Robin Dempsey will be responsible for leading the agency and its seven programs with over 190 staff. Dempsey will lead Catholic Social Services in fulfilling its mission of serving those in need, strengthening individuals, and advocating for social justice. Dempsey…
Sharing the joy of the holidays with more than 100 families
Each December, we invite our supporters to sponsor clients and their families through our Helping Holidays program. This past December, our community sponsored more than 100 families! That means that hundreds of our neighbors in need received holiday gifts and a little extra cheer, all thanks to your generosity. For families working with tight budgets,…
Lisa Aquino: Reflecting on Lessons Learned
Homelessness in Anchorage. Say that simple phrase out loud and it will certainly elicit passionate responses. While homelessness has always been a challenge in our community, it has recently come to a head.Catholic Social Services has been serving the poor and those experiencing homelessness in Anchorage for more than 40 years. In addition to providing…
At Clare House, taking care of moms and kids is a community-wide effort
Every day of the year, Meals Team volunteers make and deliver meals to Clare House for the moms and kids staying there. All of those meals and deliveries take a lot of coordinating, which is why we are so grateful for Marlana. As a pre-med student, Marlana used to regularly volunteer with Brother Francis Shelter…