Year in review: My top stories of good deeds from 2020

WASILLA — The year 2020 is going to be one of the most memorable years of history. While the damage is still being dealt and there’s still no visible “end” in sight for the pandemic, the year 2020 will always be remembered as the year the global crisis crisis took off, creating story after story that covered the trials and tribulations, the heroes and heartache, and the long lasting effects that have yet to be revealed at this point in time.

Below is my list for the top five stories of 2020. I’ve chosen five of my favorite examples of good deeds making a positive impact on our community since the outbreak.

Capstone offering coronavirus testing for Valley residentsIt’s going to be nearly impossible to mention the Mat-Su Valley and COVID-19 without the Capstone Clinic coming to mind during the conversation.

Odds are, when this is all said and done, if you ask someone in the Valley where they got screened for COVID, they’ll more than likely say “at Capstone.”

Capstone’s groundbreaking efforts have steadily expanded in scope and scale since the onset of the pandemic. Their efforts reach well beyond the Mat-Su Valley and they continue to be at the forefront of testing at the local level.

Mat-Su Food Coalition reports double demand for food assistance in Valley amid COVID-19 pandemicThe Mat-Su Food Coalition is a network of all the local food pantries like the Mat-Su Food Bank and Frontline Mission, churches, and other partners across the Valley that maintain a continuous line of communication to better coordinate local efforts and support one another.

As more people continue to feel the financial strain of COVID-19, food pantries are serving more new clients who’ve never asked for assistance before, all while working with their existing base that’s been in need long before the pandemic and will continue to be there long after. All the grassroots efforts being done by pantries large and small are making a huge difference across the community.

‘Tonight, dinner’s on us’ Iditarod Elementary shares free pizza and bittersweet exchanges with students

During the summer, Iditarod Elementary School staff and teachers gave their students’ families free pizza during a heartfelt and socially distant drive thru this summer. It was clear many of the teachers missed their students and visa versa.

This was just one of many local examples of people on the ground trying to maintain social connections and try to make life a little better for those around them.

Mat-Su Career Tech students creating face shields for communityAs the school year was first getting underway, several Mat-Su Career and Technical High School robotics students crafted over 500 face shields that were directly donated to people across the Valley.

This was a time where parents everywhere were trying to figure out how they would navigate their children through the historic school year. Mat-Su Career Tech science teacher Chad Finch and his students’ efforts helped a lot of people stay that much safer.

‘Santa’s still coming’: Mat-Su Special Santa starts early so every Valley kid has a Merry Christmas

Many could venture to say that the culmination of a year almost has to revolve around the holidays. Seeing Santa hats across town is a good way to know the year is coming to a close. Seeing presents under the Christmas tree is many parent’s way of showing their children that they’re loved and thought about.

This year was one of the most important years to date for the Mat-Su Special Santa to keep their widespread support intact, providing gifts to about 4,000 families in need. The Mat-Su Special Santa program is the main hub for family gift assistance in the community, with organizations as big as the national Toys for Tots program and small as the grassroots Biker Elves Toy Drive collating their donations to that hub in time for jolly, old Saint Nick to make his rounds across the globe.

The Mat-Su Special Santa program’s staff and volunteers did everything they could to ensure every child celebrating Christmas has presents to open with their families.

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