Family Promise Mat-Su moves into new H.O.P.E. Family Navigation Center

WASILLA — Family Promise Mat-Su’s new H.O.P.E. Family Navigation Center is officially open for business and ready to assist local clients through a range of services.

Family Promise Mat-Su Executive Director Ginger Bear said that staff and volunteers are in the process of setting up The Navigation Center and moving materials into the newly donated facility off the Parks Highway, behind Evangelo’s. She said this major milestone wouldn’t be possible without the Pioneer Christian Fellowship who generously donated their facility and gave them the chance to launch a new and expansive program long before they ever anticipated.

“I am just so excited about being here,” Bear said. “You’re looking at the results of a community coming together to have this… Just a dream come true and trusting the Lord to provide, and He did.”

The Navigation Center serves as a multifaceted resource hub offering a variety of services to individuals and families across various levels of need, including child care, computer use for job readiness, evening meals for the homeless, indoor play space during cold weather, and apartment space for disaster relief survivors.

The facility features numerous sleeping areas, a full kitchen, recreation area, music room, a space for meetings and group therapy sessions, and various other assets to offer an all-in-one experience for locals in need of assistance and a safe place to stay.

“It’s so comfortable here,” Bear said.

Bear noted that they’re open and ready to take clients, but they’re still working to get 100 percent of their services online by February. This includes hiring staff for overnight childcare and staying open to the public 24/7. She said they also plan to keep the arctic entry at the front of the building open with a closet filled with winter clothes, snacks, hand warmers, and other amenities to support locals who seeking a warm refuge for the night.

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According to Bear, the fire code allows about 100 people in the building at a time. She said they anticipate an average of 50 or so clients to cycle through their doors once they’re in full swing. There will be an onsite health professional offering counseling to those who ask.

“She wants to be that peer support,” Bear said. “We can’t do it because we’re not counselors and we would refer them to people like her. But to have somebody here on staff would benefit more people than we would ever be able to reach otherwise.”

Bear said they plan to keep operating their original facility in downtown Wasilla, near Wonderland Playground, and offering transitional housing and case management services. She added that they also plan to purchase property in Palmer to open a third facility, thus expanding their overall reach and range of services to those in need across the Valley.

Looking forward, Bear said their ultimate goal is to build up their three centers and eventually raise enough funds to be completely self-sufficient.

“That’s my five-year plan,” Bear said.

For more information about Family Promise Mat-Su, call 907-357-6160 or visit fpm-su.com.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman reporter Jacob Mann at jacob.mann@frontiersman.com