Summer camps focus on improving life for at-risk kids

The second decade of camps for at-risk youth recovering from family trauma are set to launch this summer.

Mat-Su nonprofit organization REACH 907 got its start as the local chapter of Royal Family Kids Camp. Since then, REACH 907 has cared for more than 1,000 youth in the community and helped them overcome negative belief systems that change the trajectory of their lives.

REACH 907 is more than just a youth camp now. Executive Director Rachel Olsen, who founded the organization, said in its 11 years of existence, REACH 907 has expanded its menu of behavioral health services offered to families with deep levels of trauma from substance abuse, mental illness, and poverty.

“We see youth with depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem,” she said. “These youth and their families need as much positive intervention as possible to improve their lives.”

The “trauma-informed” camps still play a large role in the healing process. Focused largely on foster children, kids in kinship care, or facing significant life challenges, the camp program got a significant boost recently with a $10,000 grant from the Mat-Su Health Foundation.

The funding will support staffing, supplies, and therapeutic activities at the camps and will directly benefit more than 60 Mat-Su children and their caregivers.

“These camps focus on creating safe, supportive environments where children can build trust, develop coping skills, and begin to heal from past trauma,” Olson said. “Support from organizations like the Mat-Su Health Foundation is vital because it enables frontline organizations to meet urgent needs, bridge service gaps, and foster long-term resilience in Alaska’s communities.” The nonprofit Mat-Su Health Foundation has been making this kind of investment in community health and wellness since its inception in 2007, when it became part owner of the Mat-Su Regional Medical Center. Since that time, the Health Foundation has returned more than $138 million to the community in the form of scholarships, sponsorships, and grants to nonprofits across the Valley.

Much of REACH 907’s growth over the years has been fueled by grants. Last year, the organization received nearly $200,000 from the Health Foundation.

That funding supported three new hires for REACH’s Resilience Behavioral Health program for children and adolescents. Olson said that helps the organization meet a growing need in the community for services for at-risk youth and their families.

“You can’t isolate the children. Parents and caregivers need to be taken care of, too,” she said. “Our impact has expanded so much because of the great support of the Mat-Su Health Foundation over the entirety of our existence. The partnership with the health foundation strengthens us to strengthen community members in need.”

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www.reach907ak.org