Complex Care is the first of its kind, the result of decades of experience and learning
Complex Care provides the chance to demonstrate the benefits of smaller, specialized shelters, thanks to our partners: Calista Corporation, Chugach Alaska Corporation, Doyon, Limited, the Municipality of Anchorage, Providence Health & Services, Rasmuson Foundation, and Weidner Apartment Homes. In the 55 years that Catholic Social Services has served our community, we’ve learned a lot about…
Anchorage is in the midst of a humanitarian crisis
Robin Dempsey, Executive Director | July 2022 | Anchorage Daily News With the closure of the Sullivan Arena, this is the first time in decades our city has not had a low-barrier, walk-up shelter option. Most of the shelters in our city are referral based and are operating at or close to capacity. Right now,…
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 ,…
Anchorage leaders combine their efforts in the Healthcare and Homelessness Partnership
Homelessness is a public health issue. That’s why in April 2017 we formed the Healthcare and Homelessness Partnership, a collaboration between Catholic Social Services dedicated partners: Providence Health & Services Alaska , Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, Alaska Regional Hospital, Southcentral Foundation , Anchorage Neighborhood Health Center, and the Municipality of Anchorage With funding and…
Your gift helps veterans like Kamal find justice, support, and stability
Kamal grew up in a tough neighborhood in Harlem and joined the Army when he was only 17, serving in the Vietnam War as a paratrooper. Although Kamal lived and worked all over the country, his military service left him with several chronic injuries—paratroopers often sustain long-term injuries to their feet, knees, and backs. Large…
Conversations with Case Managers: Mercy Pulou
For Mercy Pulou, case management is more than a day job. It’s part of her calling. “I believe in being a good steward. When you are given opportunities, share the truth and make an impact.” Mercy has been working at Catholic Social Services for almost two years, and cares deeply about her clients and making…
Conversations with Case Managers: Ian Colbert
The support of a case manager in the path toward permanent stability Homelessness. A stark, lonely, scary sounding word. A word so heavy that its solutions seem too ambiguous to comprehend. Homelessness is a complex issue, and these complexities cause some to shy away from working toward a solution. Finding a solution to homelessness requires…
A letter to our Alaska community
We are reaching out to you in faith and solidarity, because the values we share as a community, and as Alaskans, bond us together. Only together can we find a solution to the situation we are all in now.
Investing in homeless services makes sense
Author: Gary FergusonOpinion: Michael FredericksPublished May 3 by the Anchorage Daily News Homelessness is a shared problem in our communities across the state of Alaska. Together, we need to support and expand on solutions that work, to invest in the future of our state.
Making a difference on homelessness begins with how we see people
Driving through Anchorage it’s possible not to see people. Not all people, of course — we’d still see our siblings or our neighbors. But through practice and repetition, we’ve attained a lamentable talent of clouding our vision. It acts as a buffer to our conscience: We see not a person, but a category: “the homeless.”