No Hope for Heroes?

WASILLA — A local nonprofit for veterans that lost its original office in a February fire has had to close its doors at a second location.

Instead, the existing board members of the 501(c)3 organization Hope for Heroes say they will open their homes for veterans and military families in need this holiday season

Hope for Heroes, Inc. board members vacated their Lucille Street headquarters last week due to financial reasons, according to board president Barbara Montagne.

Montagne said via Facebook message on Friday, Oct. 23 that the nonprofit had been subleasing part of the space to another organization that “cut out” in June, leaving Hope for Heroes to cover the whole cost of the office. Montagne said the group’s operating budget only allowed for half.

Montagne said the board was unable to find another tenant, and various fundraisers ultimately proved fruitless for the nonprofit. An online attempt raised just $590 of a $5,000 goal on GoFundMe.com, with just five supporters. Diversified Tire gave the largest sum, a donation of $500.

Though the organization is essentially on hiatus with no money for programs, Montagne said the group is still looking to coordinate the Christmas “Adopt a Family” program it implemented last year. The program pairs military families with donors who are able to purchase the fixings for a complete Christmas dinner, gifts for each family member, or both. “Adoptees” are kept private, so donors bring purchases to Hope For Heroes for distribution.

Interested donors are encouraged to contact the organization through Facebook, as the board members are not advertising their personal addresses or phone numbers, nor do they have a functional website.

The gofundme.com page will remain open for monetary donations to get additional programs going again and potentially move the fledgling group (which was founded in 2011) back into a permanent office space.

“HFH is going to continue our mission to assist Alaska’s military families and veterans in need,” Montagne wrote.

Contact reporter Caitlin Skvorc at 352-2266 or caitlin.skvorc@frontiersman.com.