MyHouse celebrates building acquisition with ribbon cutting ceremony

WASILLA— MyHouse Mat-Su Homeless Youth Center staff, volunteers, and clients celebrated the recent acquisition of the building they’ve been operating out of for the last decade with a ribbon cutting ceremony Wednesday, July 7 at the Gathering Grounds Cafe in downtown Wasilla.

“It was wonderful. Everyone just spoke kindly of our services and our community was so proud,” MyHouse founder and Executive Director, Michelle Overstreet said.

The MyHouse team was able to mark the occasion with the community and guest speakers such as Governor Mike Dunleavy, Congressman Don Young, and Wasilla Mayor Glenda Ledford.

“It was a full house at MyHouse,” MyHouse Vice Chairman and Recovery Specialist, Michael Carson said.

The total savings from owning the building helps MyHosue save about $5,000 a month.

Overstreet said that half of the money saved will go to a savings account for maintenance and repairs, and the other half will go directly toward their ongoing efforts helping local homeless youth to take control of their lives and find employment, housing, and connection to their community.

“It’s a tremendous honor and a huge relief to not have that $60,000 a year going out the door for rent,” Overstreet said.

Overstreet said the additional funds will help them hire new staff, add new services, and grow existing job training and other wrap-around programs. She said they’ll continue offering these services as a “hand up, not a handout.”

“We’re so grateful for the welcome that we’ve had in the community, for all the people who’ve taken their time and energy when no one thought this would work, to keep believing, and help us helping homeless youth feel like assets,” Overstreet said.

“Hands up, not a hand out” was a phrase that several speakers, including former Wasilla Mayor Bert Cottle, likened to over the years, a mantra that speaks for itself by looking at the results. Cottle has been an avid supporter of MyHouse since its inception.

“This works but it has to be in-house. It has to be MyHouse. It has to be about us taking care of our own people,” Cottle said.

MyHouse was able to purchase the building through a number of donors including Kristin Cole, who donated $50,000 through a recent fundraising campaign with her real estate company. She said all the work was worth it to see MyHouse thrive because she’s seen how much of a difference it makes, believing wholeheartedly in the investment with so much proof in its success.

“Money is good for the good money can do, and you’re doing great work,” Cole said.

Governor Dunleavy said it was a somber honor to be at the ribbon-cutting, especially as a former teacher and principal. He said MyHouse has proven to be very effective at reaching youth at crucial crossroads moments and helping them help themselves before it’s too late.

“That one little moment of time makes all the difference in the world, that when they need help the most they know that they have somebody to turn to. For me, that’s what this building is all about,” Dunleavy said. “There are a number of kids that I’ve known, that you’ve known, that just missed that opportunity of intervention. If it was just a day later or a week later, it could have made a huge difference in the outcome of their lives… I think we should all be very grateful that we know this place, MyHouse intervenes and changes the lives of many, many of our kids who become adults… There’s no ‘them,’ there’s only ‘us.’”

Overstreet said several communities across the state have expressed interest in replicating the MyHouse model, and it was put a lot of extra fuel in their tank to hear Congressman Young and Governor Dunleavy share their sentiments about seeing this come to fruition.

She said that representatives from Valdez will be visiting their facility next week.

“It’s very exciting and kind of gives us the opportunity to start looking at satellite locations,”

Carson said the growing amount of support and overall recognition for the life-changing stories that come through their doors every day is very encouraging.

“We’ve got a little traction here and people are starting to take notice,” Carson said.

For more information about MyHouse, call 907-373-4357 or visit myhousematsu.org.

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