Thank You, Wells Fargo!
Today, we received $100,000 from Wells Fargo. We are grateful to have been selected as one of the 50 nonprofits Wells Fargo chose as recipients of their Housing Foundation’s Priority Markets Program. Because of Wells Fargo’s generous support along with the generous support of Weidner Apartment Homes, The Rasmuson Foundation, and Cook Inlet Housing Authority,…
Medical Respite Gets People Back on Their Feet
Medical Respite is a wing in Brother Francis Shelter that has five rooms. Each room stays full. Between April 1 and July 31, 2018, occupancy in Medical Respite was 94%. The small percent of vacancy reflects the time required to clean the room for the next guest and transition the guests there. Each room has…
Changing Her Future
Walking into a shelter for the first time can be intimidating. At Clare House, our case managers make it easier, though. They connect clients to services and help hem navigate the path moving forward. One of the best things our case managers offer is employment assistance. They work with clients to find jobs that enable…
Charlie Elder House Transition
We are honored and excited to announce that as of October 15, 2018, Charlie Elder House will be transitioned to our partner, Covenant House Alaska. As partners dedicated to serving people who are vulnerable in our community, Catholic Social Services believes Covenant House Alaska will be a wonderful partner to lead Charlie Elder House –…
Stephanie’s Resilience
Just because something is cliché does not mean it’s false. Stephanie, a former AmeriCorps Homelessness Housing Coordinator, has a smile that lights up a room. It’s no wonder her clients loved working with her. Stephanie joined Catholic Social Services’ team in October 2017, serving out her year in AmeriCorps with us. Although she’s a Cordon Bleu…
Instinctual Kindess
St. Francis House is always buzzing with people. Volunteers stock the warehouse. Clients shop the food pantry. Combined, more than 150 people come into St. Francis House each day. No matter how they’re connected to the food pantry, their lives are changed. In the summer of 2018, a woman named Joy joined the volunteer crew…
Haircuts and Hope
On August 31, I had the opportunity to meet Jierum, an amazing volunteer and a client at Anchorage Community Mental Health Services. Jierum was at Brother Francis Shelter, giving haircuts to people in the shelter. He was with his friend, Ret. Judge Stephanie Rhoades, who is a Board Member of Anchorage Community Mental Health. They…
Honoring Patrick “Jack” Cooper
On June 18, 2017, Patrick “Jack” Cooper became a name people across Alaska knew. The 16-year-old boy had been hiking down Bird Ridge, after completing a mountain race. But he got separated from other people and ended up off the trail. Two hours later, searchers discovered an aggressive black bear had killed him. His family,…
National Volunteer Week 2018
Happy National Volunteer Week! We want to send out a huge thank you to the countless volunteers who spend their time, resources and skills to help make Anchorage a better place by volunteering with Catholic Social Services.
Community Partnerships
A Safety Net for Alaskans in Need Partners and supporters like you make it possible for more than 23,000 people to receive services from Catholic Social Services every year.