New grassroots movement collects 150 winter coats for locals of all ages during first major community project

WASILLA— A newly formed grassroots movement, Mat-Su Moms for Social Justice, recently collected 150 winter coats for local men, women and children in need.

“It went really good. It was an awesome show from the community,” said Mat-Su Moms for Social Justice founding member Meghan Aube-Trammell.

This was the group’s first major project in the community, partnering with Family Promise Mat-Su and the Mat-Su Coalition on Housing and Homelessness.

Mat-Su Moms for Social Justice held the drive from Nov. 5 through the 19th with local businesses and organizations across the Valley featuring collection sites.

Participating establishments include Fireside Books, 203 Kombucha, the Sutton Public Library, Bistro Red Beet, Valley Country Store, Sarah Brooks Country Financial, Wytchwood Herbal Shoppe and Oddities, and The Houston Firehouse.

In addition to coats, community members donated numerous hats, gloves, scarves and boots during the drive. Aube-Trammell said that one of their members, Crystal Howard, came up with the idea for the drive.

Family Promise received most of the donated items with some allocated to the Big Lake Community Clothing Closet. Both will distribute the winter clothing to locals in need for free.

“I think it was kind of a good first step to make way for future projects,” Aube-Trammell said.

According to Aube-Trammell, the group is just a grassroots effort started by local mothers seeking to promote positive social change in the community, and to support disenfranchised groups like women, minorities and the homeless population.

She said that she worked with Janelle Gagnon and Andrea Hackbarth to get the group off the ground, starting humbly as a Facebook page and growing to a full-fledged movement with the membership growing by the day.

Aube-Trammell said their group isn’t an official nonprofit, but they plan to keep working with existing groups and nonprofits — like the Mat-Su Homeless Coalition and Family Promise — to further reach and advocate for those who need support throughout the community.

Prior to the coat drive, Mat-Su Women held a March for Justice in downtown Palmer in October.

“I feel really proud of what we’ve done so far, and just the kind of presence we’ve been able to establish in the community, and the outreach we’ve done. I feel proud of the women who stepped up to volunteer and their willingness to be a part of the community, and try to always make things better for everybody,” Aube-Trammell said.

Looking forward, Mat-Su Moms for Social Justice aims to communicate with local experts on social matters like their current focus, homelessness, so they can better inform their next steps of action.

Aube-Trammell said they plan to work with No More Mat-Su to help raise donations for a feminine hygiene and diaper drive in the Spring of 2021.

“The biggest focus we have right now is just that we want to help with issues of homelessness,” Aube-Trammell said.

For more information about Mat-Su Moms for Social Justice, visit their Facebook page.

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