Thanks Sen. Mike Dunleavy for support of seniors

To the editor:

It is no secret that the senior population is growing in Alaska. I am part of the trend. I arrived in Alaska in 2011 to be close to my daughter and her family. Although I am still able to take care of myself, many of my fellow seniors are not. Last year we learned that there would be a shortfall in the funding for the program that provides meals at home to many of our seniors. We learned that this shortfall would impact seniors not just in the Valley, but throughout the state. While this may seem like a small issue to some, for thousands of our seniors, having a meal prepared and delivered on a regular basis allows many to remain in their homes and remain independent.

Our local program for the Meals On Wheels was underfunded and folks in true need were going to suffer. We approached Sen. Mike Dunleavy with our dilemma and he took on the challenge, but not just for seniors in the Valley. Instead, Sen. Dunleavy asked what level of funding would be necessary to insure the continued existence of that program statewide. To our surprise he championed that expanded statewide funding suggestion to ensure all seniors eligible statewide would not have to worry where their next meal would come from. This is truly a fresh approach that demonstrates Sen. Dunleavy’s personal and political commitment to serve those in our society that may otherwise fall through the cracks. He wasn’t after “votes”, he was trying his best to service “needs”. Some of us may feel from time to time that our voices are not being heard in Juneau but my experience with Sen. Dunleavy is that he is indeed listening.

We have also heard that he was instrumental in getting the funding to do necessary structural work at Homesteaders in the city of Houston as well as a healthy start to construction of the Upper Susitna Seniors Inc., facility which will attract private leaseholders that will make that new complex self sustaining in the near future. These are the kinds of “thinking outside the box” approaches that we need in our leaders.

While there are much larger issues for politicians to grapple over such as oil taxes or gas pipelines, it’s nice to know at least one legislator is looking our for those whose voices often get lost in the drone of politics. Next time you run into Sen. Mike Dunleavy here in the Valley, please thank him for his commitment to our seniors, and on November 4, let’s send him back to Juneau with our support.

Jane Soeten

Wasilla