REACH 907 executive director honored

REACH 907 founder and executive director Rachel Olson recently received the 2025 Who’s Who In America Award for her continued effort in helping disadvantaged and at-risk youth in the Mat-Su Valley and Alaska.

While honored to receive this award, Olson attributes the success of the program to her team and hopes that her recognition will bring more awareness to the work REACH 907 is doing in the Valley.

“It’s really because of the efforts we have done in the community, to pioneer and establish these services on behalf of the population that we serve, the ongoing dedication and commitment,” Olson said.

REACH 907’s core focus is at-risk youth in foster care and those who have been adopted from the foster care system. Any youth in the community who are at-risk or come from a disadvantaged background are also welcomed in their programs and services. Most come from a past of adverse childhood experiences. Their top referral base is 50% from children’s services, 40% word of mouth and a few from other agencies and local hospitals. REACH 907 is currently working with 55 youth clinically and roughly 80 in their community programs. The families connected to each child and teen also benefit from the services and care that REACH 907 provides.

Ultimately, the program promotes and supports youth in the Valley and provides them with a deep sense “that they have value, they have potential and they belong,” according to Olson.

The program started with a single summer camp that included 60 volunteers and 37 foster children in 2014. REACH 907 has since grown to include three children’s summer camps and two weekend retreats for teenagers. REACH 907 also offers a monthly mentoring club and daily mental health services and therapy for their members. They provide assistance in case management, trauma-informed treatment, create a safe space for youth to be during the day, provide community recovery support services and therapy for individuals and families.

“I love seeing the children and the teens and the staff come alive. We have such an empowering culture here,” Olson said. “It takes them a while, it takes a few weeks of being marinated in the culture here, but they realize that we’re really here for them and they start coming alive and just begin to thrive.”

Olson acknowledged that the work that REACH 907 performs could not be possible without their amazing team. When REAH 907 started in 2014, there was no staff, no volunteers and no funding. The team now consists of 28 staff members, roughly 100 volunteers annually and an annual $1.5 million budget according to Olson.

“It really has been a team effort to make it happen,” Olson said. “[We] really couldn't do it without those that work here… to do the work and serve the mission and the vision.”

The team at REACH 907 has the knowledge and the abilities to relate and connect with the youth they interact with. Olson said she is proud of how each and every staff member and volunteer engages with the youth in their programs.

“All of them are here to just empower the kids and we also are here to empower each other,” Olson said.

One of nine children, Olson’s father was a physician and her mother was a nurse. Olson said her parents were passionate about serving others, both in the medical field and in compassionate missionary work that they conducted overseas. Two of Olson’s brothers were born with special needs and she said she was able to care for them at a young age. She attributes her compassion and her attentive care to the disadvantaged in Alaska because of her childhood experiences.

Olson worked as a teacher and worked with children after college. Her and her husband both served in missionary work overseas. In 2013, they became licensed foster parents in the state of Alaska and have fostered over 45 children and teens since then.

Realizing the amount and the need of disadvantaged youth in the Valley, Olson started REACH 907. She is a certified Trust-Based Relational Intervention practitioner and trains caregivers and professionals on trauma-informed care. Olson is completing her Master’s in Mental Health Counseling and Executive Leadership. She has also received the 2024 Top 40 Under 40 Outstanding Professionals Award by the Alaska Journal of Commerce and the 2019 First Lady's Volunteer of the Year Award for her continued work in the field.

Now over a decade in operation within the community, Olson said REACH 907 is expected to grow significantly over the coming years. They are growing out of their current location and are looking for a new home to offer even more to their members.

“Because we love what we’re doing and our families love what we’re doing,” Olson said. “We’re excited and we’re passionate and we’re just going to keep going. We’re not going to stop.”

REACH 907 has many opportunities for members of the community to volunteer. A list of volunteer options and associated paperwork can be found on their website.

The 2025 Raise Gala fundraising event for REACH 907 will be held at the Wasilla Bible Church on Friday May 2. The theme is “A Night At Summer Camp,” and will feature a live and silent auction, dinner, fellowship, games, raffles and a dessert auction. Those interested can find more information and register for the event on their website.