Nonprofit aids Valley’s invisible

WASILLA — Here in Mat-Su, the homeless are virtually invisible.

“There’s denial of the existence of homelessness,” said Laurie Kari, director of Family Promise Mat-Su. “In Anchorage, you see people congregating around the shelters in Anchorage. In the Valley, they’re spread out in campgrounds, couch-surfing, staying with friends.”

Family Promise Mat-Su reaches out to people who need help and places them in the shelter of one of 14 participating churches in the Valley. The churches can serve up to 15 people at a time, living for a week at one host church before moving on to a new church after 5:30 p.m. each Sunday. The average length of stay is 30 days.

The organization has assisted more than 270 people in the five years it has operated in the Valley. Today it will celebrate its fifth anniversary with basketball, volleyball, pizza and cake at a 6:30-8:30 p.m. party for alumni, current program guests and volunteers at the AT&T Sports Center.

The need for Family Promises’ service is urgent in Mat-Su, where 70 percent of the people served are under the age of 5.

“We are a children’s shelter with attached adults,” Kari said. “They’ve lost their jobs, they’ve had a medical crisis that’s caused them to lose their job, had family dissolution, moved up from the Lower 48 hoping they’d find somewhere to stay and work.”

Churches interested in participating in Family Promise’s program must have restrooms and at least four sleeping areas or a large area that can be partitioned off. Meals are delivered, Kari said, so a big kitchen isn’t necessary. Shower facilities are available at Family Promise’s day center, located at the First Presbyterian Church, 1375 East Bogard Road in Wasilla.

“It’s nice to have a sitting area, lounge area,” she said. “It’s pretty basic, easy to do. Usually a church’s insurance policies cover this program so there’s not a need for an additional insurance rider.”

Guests of the participating churches must go through a screening process to ensure the safety of guests and the program’s 300 volunteers. People who abuse alcohol or other drugs, have mental-health problems or have a history of violent or otherwise dangerous behavior are not admitted to the shelters.

“We would refer families with issues to the Office of Children’s Services,” Kari said. “Folks who get clean and are actively enrolled in treatment may reapply to Family Promise.”

Families also must work on goals detailed in a self-sufficiency plan they create with the help of Family Promise staff.

Anyone interested in helping or learning more about Family Promise Mat-Su may visit www.familypromisematsu.org.

“Community support has exploded since times are harder in the world,” Kari said. “We have 13 people now and are full, with a waiting list. It’s kind of rough with colder temperatures coming. One person staying in a church one night is one shelter night — we’ve helped with 3,000 shelter nights. There isn’t anything else in the Valley.”

Dave Rose works as the Mat-Su Borough School District’s families in transition coordinator. Last year, Rose identified 824 children who at one time in the school year experienced homelessness, which government regulations define as a lack of a fixed, regular or adequate night-time residence.

Of those children, 425 were high-school age, 132 were middle-school age, 241 were elementary-school age and 26 were preschool age, he said.

Rose helps children he serves by connecting them or their families with the services and things they need — including temporary housing, heating assistance, food banks, clothing and laundry vouchers, transportation, Denali Kid Care health-care assistance and donated backpacks filled with school supplies and hygiene products.

Family Promise serves a vital role, Rose said. “Family Promise works with us,” he said. “I can refer a family to them and within days they can find a place to stay through the Family Promise system. And they get other folks calling in, referring children to me so I can provide assistance. We work hand in hand. It’s been a very good relationship.”