Helping the homeless this season

The month of December is a time to give and receive. Children are making their Christmas wish list that may include the new Xbox Kinect or the next hot item off the market. Shoppers are making their lists, checking it twice, and ensuring they covered every single family member to have a gift under the tree. While the hustle and bustle of the holiday season is now in full swing, some folks are not worrying about having to get so much done in so little time. These folks are not planning to attend lavish company parties or enjoy the luxury of gift-giving. They are not wasting time trying to stuff stockings or even put up a Christmas tree. These folks are trying to figure out where they will be sleeping tonight.

A record number of people will be sleeping at Brother Francis Shelter and Bean’s Café for the next coming weeks. The Anchorage Daily News reported that a total of 355 people, which is about twice the normal this time of year, will occupy both of these homeless shelters.

Bean’s Café has a capacity of sleeping 124 people. Brother Francis, the city’s largest emergency homeless shelter, can sleep about 150 people. These record numbers of homeless individuals seeking emergency shelter services can possibly be a continuing trend.

Susan Bomalaski, executive director of Catholic Social Services which oversees these shelters, told the Anchorage Daily News about the economy playing the major factor of why the number of homeless people is increasing in the community.

“The cost of housing is just not affordable for everyone,” Bomalaski said. “This is not just in Alaska but the lower 48 as well.”

Homeless shelters are not only seeking monetary donations, but also basic household items that will help sustain the new reoccurring visitors. With below freezing temperatures this time of the year, there is a dire need for blankets, sheets, towels, clothes, and especially cold-weather gear and boots.

“The correlation of cold weather and the holiday season makes the people’s response rate go up when it comes to helping out. People tend to be more generous,” Bomalaski said.

Agencies are working closely with homeless shelters to donate food, clothing, basic necessities, and even furniture to these facilities. Each person, family, and overall shelter have their own wish lists they are asking from the Anchorage community.

Catholic Social Services has a basic wish list published on their web site that can go towards any of their several housing facilities. Monetary donations received will fund towards the bare necessities.

Bean’s Café will be distributing their “Beanie Boxes” which ask for particular men’s and women’s hygienic products.

The Covenant House has published their wish list which is asking for many of the same items as other social services. They provide a transitional homeless shelter for youth ages 17 to 20.

The Safe Harbor Inn, Alaska’s only non-profit motels, allows for community members to fill up Christmas boxes for families referred staying here that will be given to them on Christmas day. There are two locations in Anchorage, one on Muldoon and one on Merrill Field, which have a total of 105 rooms occupied by families with children.

All of these emergency shelters have one major goal: to help get these individuals back on their feet. They want to be able to help these people move into permanent housing and independence. Services are provided to help them successfully transition to a self-sufficient lifestyle through gaining reliable employment.

Deborah Pope, a staff member from Safe Harbor Inn Muldoon says they constantly have an overwhelming list of referrals.

“Once we have an empty space, we will fill the spot ASAP,” said Pope. “We have a large waiting list but are working with a lot of agencies, especially Alaska Housing to help these families move on for themselves quickly.”

However, this ideal plan is not a rapid success. People who follow these plans don’t always get out of the shelter. People who work full-time are only being paid at minimum-wage and is still not enough to uphold self-sufficiency.

Pope says, “Most people don’t end up coming back here, but it’s possible. Our case workers work closely on a one-to-one basis with these families to make sure they are fully back on their feet and will be for the long run.”

Many people caught in a budget can still find numerous ways to help out the community. Giving towards homeless needs does not always require the use of funds, but giving the gift of time toward these individuals can make all the difference as well.

Kyla Brown, a mother of three sons is one of the participants in the Safe Harbor Christmas boxes this year. She says, “I’ve been making calls to different homeless shelters to see how my boys and I can volunteer and help out. I raise them to be kind and generous to others.”

Michael Scott from First National Bank of Alaska is giving his two cents by filling backpacks of gifts and necessities for children staying at these homeless shelters. This is part of the Lunchbox Program from Bean’s Café and the Anchorage Homebuilder’s Association.

Scott says, “It’s nice to contribute and make a child’s Christmas a bit more special, especially for those that cannot afford these basic things.”

The homeless trend is something that has been talked about in the Anchorage community for quite some time. Although there may not be a quick cure to reduce the number of homeless occupancy, there are several things community members can do to continue to help.

“Education is important,” Bomalaski says. “People need to be educated and understand exactly why these people are homeless and how it happens. There is a lot of publicity about it, but people need to realize how the homeless are trying to recover. This is what I feel will help alleviate the rate of homeless people over the year, and not just during this time.”

Giving thanks and giving turkeys

Anchorage community programs offer help to serve Thanksgiving dinners

Thanksgiving is just around the corner and it is usually a day spent for families to be brought together over a large feast with plenty to go around for seconds, and even an abundance of leftovers to serve over the next few days. This may not be the case for everyone.

Members of Catholic Social Services Alaska need help to provide ingredients for a hearty Thanksgiving meal for those in need on Monday, November 22nd. They are calling this drive the Thanksgiving Blessing. CSS Alaska is joining forces with Food Bank of Alaska, Congregation of Beth Shalom, Muldoon Community Assembly, and St. Patrick’s Parish to serve about 1,400 low-income families to distribute a turkey and all the fixings.

“When we mention 1,400 families, we’re only talking about East Anchorage, specifically the Muldoon site,” says Ellen Krsnak, the CSS Alaska contributor of the program.

CSS Alaska, one of the largest social service agencies in the state, serves as the main contact point for two emergency shelters, two homes for teens, a food pantry, an adoption and pregnancy support programs, and services for individuals with disabilities. These different programs focus to help men, women, and children for temporary and emergency shelter, case management services, counseling and family support, meal services, and so much more.

This year, the Muldoon Assembly Community along with St. Patrick’s Parish has joined forces with CSS Alaska to become one “mega-site” as Krsnak likes to call it.

“We are one mega-site because we are the main contact for the entire East Anchorage vicinity.” Krsnak says.

The deadline on the brochures to donate food items for the Thanksgiving Blessing was listed as November 13. However, Krsnak still assures that all programs are very much open and willing to take more donations.

“We have been working with big drives from all Catholic schools to meet our numbers,” she says. “We wanted to make sure we gave ourselves a deadline of at least 10 days to guarantee we have everything we need for Thanksgiving dinners.”

This program is open to the public and all members of the Anchorage community. There is a larger focus to help those that are identified as low-income families. There is no proof of income that is needed to obtain this type of assistance; however there is a distribution list available which lists the site families should go to. This is dependent on the zip code from where a family resides. The only necessary item to bring is proof of address which shows the zip code.

More information about this event can be food at CSS Alaska’s main website at www.cssalaska.org or Food Bank of Alaska at www.foodbankofalaska.org. The sites for donating, volunteering and assistance being requested can be found here.

Actress turned author talks about new book release

Hilary Duff appeared on last night’s showing of Jimmy Kimmel Live to talk about the release of her latest book, “Elixir”. Duff, 23, is best known for being Disney’s “Lizzie McGuire” several years ago who recently became a hockey wife. Duff struts out from back stage looking radiant in her little black dress.

Kimmel starts the interview by flipping through the last several pages of Duff’s book and reads a provocative excerpt. Duff says, “It’s a novel for young adults—its about a young girl making her way through life as a photojournalist.”

Duff explained to the audience how she turned from actress to fashion designer, and finally becoming an author. She decided to write a novel because of her “urge” to tell a story from several ideas she had. After meeting a handful of the right people her stories came to life.

Duff, who has been traveling around the nation to promote her book talks about some of the odd things she has witnessed during signings.

“One kid tattooed his arm with my signature,” Duff says. “That was my first body part. He will be absolutely mortified once he’s forty.”

Duff’s husband, Mike Comrie of the Pittsburgh Penguins was not able to join his wife on the show. She says he’s in Pittsburgh until April for the season and has to visit him most of the time. Duff’s wedding ring flashes towards Kimmel’s way.

“That’s the largest ring I’ve ever seen!” Kimmel calls out. “It’s almost bigger than a puck!”

Duff talks about marriage life and says how she and her husband are the most competitive couple. “We both just want to win when it comes to competition,” says Duff. This is in reference to the photo of the married couple go-carting during their honeymoon trip to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

Kimmel ends the interview promoting Duff’s book which is out in stores now.

Alaskans dial for relief

It’s hard to ask for help, especially when a person does not know where to go or where to start. By simply dialing the numbers 2-1-1, Alaskans are able to connect to over hundreds of programs over the state that are ready to provide assistance. The Alaska 2-1-1 program is a call-center that will route Alaskans to the correct social service or not-profit program. This emergency resource center provides precise contact information for essential services to men, women, and children of all ages.

The United Ways of Alaska created the Alaska 2-1-1 program and has been operated by the United Way of Anchorage since it started in August 2007. Callers of the line are able to obtain referrals to health and human services which include: basic human needs, physical and mental health resources, employment support services, community crisis or disaster recovery, and much more.

Karen Bitzer, director of the Alaska 2-1-1 program says the major aid to expect this winter season is for homeless and financial assistance. She describes what a caller to the 2-1-1 line experiences:

“An information referral specialist offers help to each caller, asking what sort of aid they may need. We are becoming more proactive about what assistance programs to offer individuals, such as the state’s heating assistance program. We try to provide as many referrals as possible.”

Each call specialist asks what zip code the individual resides in which helps to narrow down the service programs to what’s closest to them. There is a reassurance of no run-arounds with dealing with calls, and the goal of the 2-1-1 program is to connect Alaskans with the correct resources. Even when a person does not state what further aid is needed, the call specialists will make recommendations before a person starts plummeting in need again.

According to the Alaska 2-1-1’s website, the five most requested services are: homeless financial assistance programs, general relief, food pantries, low income and subsidized rental housing, and homeless shelters.

The data collected from the call center will provide information that wasn’t available prior to the types of services Alaskans need. This information will also serve to show which regions they are most called for. By collecting information from incoming calls, it will help policy makers determine the services that must be delivered to these identified gaps and to measure trends coming across all areas of the state.

Southcentral Alaska includes Anchorage and leads the number of calls for aid, measuring at about 51 percent of the total calls to the help line. The Mat-Su Borough leads in second taking up to 10 percent of the total calls, and finishing with other regions around the state averaging at a rate of about 4.9 percent of the total calls.

The 2009 snapshot of calls also views the call volume recorded throughout the year. From January to October 2009, there was a steady rate of about one thousand calls taken per month by trained information and referral specialists. There was a spike in the months of November and December when calls taken were more than twice the average of previous months.

“There was a streamline approach for inquiries of rent and utility (homeless) assistance where all calls were exclusively made through 2-1-1,” says Bitzer. “This started in November last year until about March 2010 when we noticed the decrease in volume.”

The call center is only open during regular business hours from 8:30 to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. The total number of calls taken last year reached 13,060. The projected numbers for 2010 are to reach about 25,000 calls. Online searches, on the other hand, totaled to about 24,713 queries on its 24/7 database.

The possibility of pushing the call center to be available 24/7 is highly likely, as Bitzer says the program staff has also been monitoring calls during off-hours.

“We are looking to expanding the center hours,” says Bitzer. “When voicemail messages are left during our off-hours, the calls will be returned the next day. We are able to find more trends through these off-hours calls as well.”

More information about the Alaska 2-1-1 program can be accessed through the official program website at www.alaska211.org. Calls can be made to the 2-1-1 program directly or by dialing 1-800-478-2221.

Uniting to increase the graduation rate

The United Way of Anchorage campaigns year-round within the community to create lasting impacts on those in need. They have held the vision of promoting assistance for members within the community by encouraging everyone to focus on education awareness, income stability, and access to health. This non-profit organization works to connect individuals to the right resources when they need a helping hand. There are several programs and projects that exist statewide. The United Way is the connection to route individuals in need to the appropriate neighborhood programs.

This year the United Way of Anchorage wants to shift their focus on an important issue that was formulated by their annual Community Assessment Project (CAP) report. These reports are released every spring which gathers data about Anchorage’s economic, education, health, natural environment, and public safety landscapes. Starting in 2006 when this report was first assessed, the United Way has been able to gather view on the quality of life from families in the city. This year’s local data collection reflects their new primary focus: increasing the graduation rate. This is also in correlation with rejecting the amount of violence and substance abuse within youth members.

Pam Scheve, the Donor and Relationship Manager of the organization, is going around to different areas of the community to promote this campaign. She likes to start her workshops by simply asking what volunteers know about the organization and what exactly it does for the community.

Scheve says, “Most people can’t answer what our organization does, but they know we’re out there. We want to educate and spread the word about The United Way and our vision.”

To increase the graduation rate, the United Way of Anchorage established Anchorage United for Youth (AUY). This diverse leadership group commits to helping youth reach their potential by following a shared community plan and focusing on strategies for youth success.

“The more youth succeeds, our community succeeds,” says Scheve during one of her presentations. This is the trend the organization wants to set forth for the long run.

In the 2007-08 school year, the high school graduation rate was 64.3%. This is nearly 2 out of every 3 high school students graduating, which is sufficiently low. After implementing a shift towards improving this graduation rate from the United Way of Anchorage, there was a noticeable increase in the following 2008-09 school year with a rate of 70.5%.

"It's wonderful to see the rates increasing," says Scheve, "but that doesn't mean we should stop. We need to strive for more."

The percentage of high school students who use alcohol has decreased significantly as well. The CAP report reflects the numbers starting in 2005: about 76% of youth admitted to alcohol consumption at least once; 41.3% of youth still currently consume alcohol; and 27.9% admit to being binge drinkers. The 2009 numbers show a decrease of several percentage points in all areas: 66.5% of youth admitted to alcohol consumption at least once; 34.9% still currently consume alcohol; and 22.6% are considered binge drinkers. This is based on a completely voluntary survey by Anchorage high school students. This reflects a positive impact on what Anchorage United for Youth can do and will continue to do.

Anchorage United for Youth has created several opportunities for young adults that help to develop more positive and supportive environments. A good example is the Step-Up program which kept 29 at-risk teens off the streets and in the classroom during the 2009-10 school year. Through United Way partners, 313 youth were able to receive clinical substance use and mental health intervention and treatment. These numbers are from the recent CAP report.

Giving time and acting as positive mentors towards youth is the biggest help the United Way is asking for from volunteers and advocates of the community. Scheve recommends visiting www.liveunitedanchorage.org to learn more about how to help and how to get more information on the various community partners.

PFD recipients Pick. Click. Give and receive

Alaskans waiting anxiously for the month of October is equivalent to that exact feeling when its nearing Christmas time. Alaskan citizens having their permanent fund dividends, or PFD, either mailed or deposited to their bank accounts this month look forward to the various ways extra money in their pocket will stretch for themselves.

A down payment towards a new vehicle, a month’s worth of rent, or even paying off a credit card is a rewarding feeling itself. Being able to have the choice of donating it is even better. Through the PFD Charitable Contributions Program Alaskans have the choice to “Pick. Click. Give” to participating non-profit organizations of their choice.

This is the second year for the Pick. Click. Give program. Throughout the campaign months from January 2010 to May 2010, a total of nearly $1 million dollars coming from more than 9,500 Alaskans have been made towards the program. This is nearly twice the amount from last year’s contributions. 100 percent of proceeds go straight to the organization of choice.

The purpose of this program is to support eligible non-profit organizations in a reliable way. Donors are able to donate at least $25 up to their entire dividend through the PFD application process, which is filed in the beginning of a new year.

The first year of Pick Click. Give. Was already a success on its own. Preliminary figures from the Alaska Department of Revenue estimated about 5,163 Alaskans filing online selected the option to donate towards a non-profit. The approximate donation totaled to $545,000.

Although donations through the Pick. Click. Give program are only filed online, it is still encouraged for donors to make a direct contribution to the specific non-profit serving the community. A list of all participating organizations can be found on the official PFD Charitable Contributions Program website, www.PickClickGive.org.

The program would not be successful without the generous contributions made from the Rasmuson Foundation. They helped to fully establish the Pick. Click. Give. program and will be paying for the majority of the operating costs for the first three years, including any costs incurred by the state of Alaska to process donations. Other organizations worth recognizing for the tremendous success are: the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority, ConocoPhillips, BP, the Mat-Su Health Foundation, the Foraker Group, and the United Way of Anchorage. The Nerland Agency has been an integral part of marketing who helped spread the message about the power of individual giving.

Editorial | An Epic journey for Providence Health Systems

When people hear the word “epic”, it connotes a sense of greatness or heroism. To overcome reoccurring obstacles is epic, as well as finishing a long-awaited journey. Several folks at Providence Alaska Medical Center would have to disagree. The journey of Epic at the large hospital campus was sure a long-awaited journey. It was also a big obstacle to overcome. To hear this word, however, makes several employees at Providence nervous and anxious—maybe even cringe.

Epic is the term that has been thrown around the past 12 months and is here to stay. It is software that integrates the healthcare organizations’ databases which span from clinic, access, and revenue functions into one system. This electronic medical record and charting system will steer clear from the use of paper trails that some clinics still rely on. This software will streamline the work of clinical providers, hospital staff, and patients to ensure a patient’s visit is admitted, charted, discharged, and billed correctly. It puts patient care at the utmost front. Indeed, it is epic to have such advanced technology to hold all mediums in one system, however its greatness does not ware off on individuals who have been a part of the hospital system for years.

The problem many individuals feel about switching over to Epic is how reliant the hospital will be with electronic systems. Many healthcare providers and workers at Providence are not used to the advanced technology medium. Comments heard here and there express how concerned and frightening this transition actually is. Many people in the healthcare organization have been working there for years, even decades. There have already been many changes along the way with the latest system implementation in 2005 when the hospital implemented a system called McKesson. They are not ready for another switch.

People shouldn’t be scared of technology, because we live in its generation. As systems and products are constantly advancing with new discoveries, so should an organization’s workflows. People need to be ready to adapt to something that will benefit a larger population. I’ve heard people confessing they are not ready for change, yet change is inevitable. We live in a society where being efficient is expected. Being able to incorporate all of the miniscule workflows and constant bounce from system A to system B will save a tremendous amount of time and work. Epic will synchronize all of these tasks.

Working in a hospital organization has one primary concern: care for the patient. Being able to work in a system that integrates all different systems that Providence formerly adopted will ensure patient care is top notch. Employees and staff of the organization need to learn to utilize all their resources available to them—and Epic is willing to provide that.

The system is looking to streamline many of the overlapping workflows that departments within the hospital may either tend to overlook or have conflicting issues with. Epic will provide organized and reliable modules to straighten these cranks out. For example: a patient missing registration information when being admitted will have the precise information on file for greater accuracy due to Epic having “stops” in the system that inform a staff member what information is necessary. A patient will have the correct coding and billing of procedures being done at a visit because of constant confirmations built into the Epic system that will ensure defined checks are met. A patient will also be fully-aware of their encounter visit information being charted by soon having access to their own records from the comfort of their own home.

Providence Alaska Medical Center contracted with Epic in October 2009 and signed on for an 18-month implementation phase to end in May 2011. They were the guinea pigs of the product which brought great interest to the Providence Health & Services Board of directors towards the Providence Health Systems organization as a whole. This will now be brought to Providence Region systems located in Washington, Oregon, California, and Montana.

The entire region implementing this new product will benefit patients across all hospitals and clinics. It is foreseen to develop long-term relationships to patients and to provide the best care possible.

Celebrating Cyrano's

Cyrano’s Theatre Company, located in downtown Anchorage, is hosting its Friend-Raiser on Wednesday, September 29 to help raise funds for its upcoming 2011 season at Cyrano’s Off-Center Playhouse.

The Friend-Raiser will be a time to debut the playhouse where attendees will get to view an intimate back stage tour of the theater. Suggested donations are $30. Sandy Harper, the lively owner of Cyrano’s, assures that this event will please the theater-lovers’ appetite. She is very passionate about her theater and wants to open this season with a bang.

All proceeds not only pay for the viewing of the dress rehearsal, but also for the overall theater. Refreshments of wine and hors d'oeuvres will be offered. Harper and her husband, Jerry, also plan on honoring two outstanding volunteers for their work devoted to the company. This is a new tradition to start this season.

There will be a teaser dress rehearsal of the theater’s first show of this season, “The Seafarer” written by Conor McPherson, the top Irish playwright. Harper says how this show will feature five juicy male roles as a way to entice the viewers to come and see the play.

The nonprofit company operates year-round with a different play every month. Other upcoming events to look for the rest of this fall season are “Winter Bear” by Anne Hanley and “Assimilation” by Jack Dalton, both Alaska writers. These will premiere at the playhouse between Oct. 29 and Nov. 21. “This is Where We Came In” by Alan Ayckbourn will be a winter play premiering Dec. 3 through 22, just in time for the holidays with families that would like to attend.

Cyrano’s Theatre Company is located on Fourth Avenue and D Street downtown. Tickets to upcoming shows can be purchased by calling (907)-263-ARTS or by visiting CenterTix.net. Harper suggests asking for 10 Play Punchcards by directly calling Cyrano’s at (907)-274-2599 where viewers can obtain punch cards to see 10 different shows while directly supporting the theater.

Supporters walk it out downtown

Neighborhoods surrounding the Delaney Park Strip have been getting a lot of traffic lately. On Saturday, September 18, two major organizations celebrated their individual walks early in the morning. The American Heart Association held their annual Heart Walk at the east-end of the Delaney Park Strip while the National Down Syndrome Society held their Buddy Walk at the west-end of the park. Gloomy weather and low clouds which formulated light fog in the morning didn't stop these participants from supporting their loved ones.

Festivities for members who participated in the Heart Walk started at 9 a.m with the actual walk beginning promptly at 10. Advocates from the American Heart Association promoted individuals and encouraged all attendees to lead healthier lifestyles while raising dollars needed to life-saving research. Posters attached to the back of walkers signified those in remembrance who suffered heart-related illnesses.

The Buddy Walk, which started one-hour later at 11 a.m, had supporters in bright neon green shirts that were not hard to miss. Celebrating its 14th year in Anchorage, the event was designed to spread awareness about Down syndrome. The walk being its sole fund raiser for the year focuses on promoting knowledge to the community about the organization and persons with Down syndrome, versus collecting donations. It was encouraged for a team of "buddies" to form representing someone with Down syndrome that came up with the exact name of this event.

Going casual for kids

Members of the Providence Alaska Medical Center community sported something a little different than the usual office attire and scrubs that make up the image of the institution: jeans. On September 15 it was Miracle Jeans Day to support the Children's Miracle Hospital, in which Providence's very own Children's Hospital participates in. For a minimum donation of $5, workers across the campus were allowed to wear their favorite denim. It was a benefit that's well worth-it, since these casual days are rare to find in a major hospital environment. All funds raised go directly towards the community hospital, with over 170 nationwide. The stickers, as shown above, was a requirement for all employees to make visible which shows great recognition of those who participated in this great cause.

The Alaskan sun Lights the Night

Participants in the 2010 Light the Night Walk not only got to show their love and support for patients dealing with blood cancer, they also got to enjoy the long-overdue Alaskan sunshine that came at a perfect time over this past weekend.

Hundreds of community members gathered at Delaney Park Strip, located downtown between 10th and L Street this past Saturday evening, September 11. Vendors such as Kaladi Brother's Coffee Company and Subway of Alaska, along with participating organization Providence Alaska Medical Center offered freebies to those who were giving their time in towards this annual event. A colorful array of illuminated balloons floated across the field as participants held them high while wearing their red t-shirts. A live band started things up when registration opened at 5:30, followed by family-friendly festivities until the start-time of the walk at 7 pm. This event was funded by the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, who's mission is to fund blood cancer research for: leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease, and myeloma.

Many family members and friends of those suffering these different types of blood cancer received overwhelming support for the cause. One team in particular, Team Michael, stood out from the rest of the crowd. There were over 60 individuals, adults and children, sporting their black t-shirts labelled "Team Michael" in bright green logos across the back. They were scattered throughout the the entire walk and were highly distinguishable. Gail Rust, who is the team captain and mother of Michael Rust, participated in this benefit last year while her son Michael was said to be in remission from suffering lymphoma. On April 15 earlier this year, Michael lost his battle to this cancer at being 24-years-old. Gail has pushed for community members to join Team Michael so that "no mom should have to say goodbye to her son, no wife to her husband, and kids to their father because of lymphoma." Team Michael has raised over $1700 this year in donations to go towards this research.

The Light the Night Walk is an annual event that occurs once every fall. Supporters are encouraged to visit the website at www.lightthenight.org for more information and announcements. Donations are accepted throughout the year.