Q&A with WASI Assistant Executive Director discussing latest efforts

WASILLA— Wasilla Area Seniors Assistant Executive Director Marlene Munsell recently participated in a question and answer interview to discuss their latest efforts through the holidays and plans for next year.

How did things go this holiday season?“We just got done with our holiday gifting. That went really well. We had volunteers help us out. We did a blanket drive with other gifts so seniors were able to enjoy Christmas. We had a huge Christmas party and everything. I collected over 400 blankets. Out of those, about 275 went out to people that are homebound.”

Were you encouraged by all the people coming together to support local seniors over the holidays?“The community support was amazing. People brought us blankets, stocking stuffers, pet treats, hats, gloves, socks, candy… Cottonwood Elementary students raised money so they could buy 50 blankets for us. That was awesome. We’re blessed and we’re thankful for all the community support. We feel the love.”

What are your current projects?“We are staying busy. Now, we’re just winding down the year. Right now, we’re planning our February event. It’s going to be called Paint Your Heart Out. Hopefully, we’ll be getting at least six teachers that would like to teach to paint and inviting seniors and community members to come over and paint with us that day… We’re also having a short presentation about heart health. February is Heart Health Month. So, kind of marrying those two things together. You know, painting with your friends but also learning about what things you can do to have a healthy heart.”

Are you currently looking for community donations or volunteers?“Being a nonprofit, we’re always looking for funds to support the programs we have or volunteer work.”

For more information about WASI, call 907-206-8800 or visit wasillaseniors.com.

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