AL ASK A | 2016 COMMUNIT Y BENEFIT REPORT

Health care is changing, yet Providence’s commitment to our communities remains constant. In these times of uncertainty, the importance of serving all, especially those most vulnerable, is as crucial as ever.

Since the Sisters of Providence brought health care to Alaska in 1902, we have continued their tradition to identify and fulfill the most urgent community needs. Today, this is called community benefit.

We give back by supporting efforts that improve the health of our communities. Much of this work is done in collaboration with community partners who share in our commitment to address the critical needs of Alaskans.

In many communities we serve, the most basic elements of good health – food and shelter – are not available for everyone. Without these basic needs met, people are more likely to experience poor health outcomes. Research indicates that those who struggle with homelessness are more likely to become ill than those with a safe place to call home. And

without healthy food, the impact on children’s health and well-being can last a lifetime.

Our Mission calls us to contribute to a solution. In 2016, Providence served as convener, bringing together community partners to address homelessness in Anchorage. And in all the communities we serve, Providence continues to provide nourishment to those who need it most.

We are humbled to continue the work of the Sisters of Providence who arrived in Nome 115 years ago. Their vision continues today thanks to our donors, caregivers, volunteers and others throughout the state who share in our Mission of compassionate service to all, especially the poor and vulnerable.

Sincerely,

BRUCE LAMOUREUX, CHIEF EXECUTIVE PROVIDENCE HEALTH & SERVICES ALASKA

SERVING THE POOR AND VULNERABLE CONTINUES TO BE A CRITICAL NEED

In 2016, Providence Health & Services Alaska provided more than $16.2 million in free and discounted care so that the uninsured and underinsured could receive health care. This charity care is only part of Providence’s total community benefit in Alaska, which totaled $71 million.

CaresProvidence

Pictured above: Downtown Soup Kitchen workers: Top Row (L-R): Adelia Gutierrez, Audriana Foss, Sherrie Laurie, Daja Scroggs, Chef Tom Christensen, Patricia McGuire Bottom Row (L-R): MaryJane Mosquito, Jeanné Lingley, Frances Stevenson, D’Brianne Friemering See story on Page 7.

CREATING HEALTHIER COMMUNITIES, TOGETHERWORKING WITH LOCAL PARTNERS TO END HOMELESSNESS

The Providence Mission reaches beyond the walls of care settings to touch lives in places where relief, comfort and care are needed. Our community benefit spending is about more than just providing care to individuals, it’s about contributing to the overall health of the community. These efforts are guided by an assessment of the needs of our community (read a summary of our community needs assessments at alaska.providence.org).

We collaborate with many organizations to identify the greatest needs in our communities and create solutions together. Providence partners with social service and government agencies, charitable foundations, community organizations, universities and many others.

In 2016, Providence provided $71 million in community benefit in Alaska, strengthening the underlying health of our communities and opening doors for our neighbors in need.

As a not-for-profit Catholic health care ministry, we embrace our responsibility to provide for the needs of the communities we serve – especially for those who are poor and vulnerable. Providing care to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay, is at the core of the Providence Mission.

In 2016, Providence provided $16.2 million in free and discounted care so the uninsured and underserved could access health care.

The 2016 Community Benefit Report includes many stories focused on a similar topic: addressing homelessness. In 2016, Providence Health & Services Alaska provided $975,000 to community partners who share our commitment to ending homelessness. This investment focused on five primary areas: coordinated entry; client-focused navigation services; critical safety net investment; rapid rehousing; and landlord liaison services.

Our community partners represent a broad spectrum of organizations that share our commitment to serve the most vulnerable in our community and have the expertise to make a difference in this effort. Among those joining us are United Way of Alaska, Catholic Social Services, NeighborWorks, Lutheran Social Service of Alaska, Christian Health Associates, Salvation Army, Alaska 2-1-1, and Abused Women’s Aid in Crisis (AWAIC). On the following pages, you’ll learn more about four additional partners: Bean’s Cafe, Downtown Soup Kitchen, Covenant House Alaska, and RurAL CAP.

UNFUNDED PORTION OF GOVERNMENT-SPONSORED MEDICAL CARE: Difference between the cost of care and what is paid by state and federal government – does not include Medicare

FREE AND DISCOUNTED CARE FOR PATIENTS IN NEED: Financial assistance for those who are uninsured or underinsured or otherwise unable to pay for their health care

COMMUNITY HEALTH, GRANTS AND DONATIONS:

Free and discounted services, such as patient education, health screenings, immunizations and support groups, as well as donations to community partners

EDUCATION AND RESEARCH PROGRAMS:

Subsidies for medical residency programs, nursing and other education, and medical research

SUBSIDIZED SERVICES:

Clinical and social services provided despite a financial loss because it meets an identified need that is not met elsewhere in the community

2016 COMMUNITY BENEFIT SPENDING

GIVING TO OUR COMMUNITIESUnfunded portion of

government-sponsored

medical care

Free and discounted care for patients in

need

Community health, grants and donations

Education and research

programs

Subsidized services

Total cost of care & services donated in 2016

Providence Health & Services Alaska

$23,485,131 $16,262,729 $11,617,172 $10,732,796 $8,965,799 $71,063,627

As a not-for-profit organization, Providence Health & Services Alaska received $64 million in federal, state and local tax exemptions in 2016. However, we provided $71 million back to the community, or $7.36 million in excess of our exemptions. In addition, there are taxes from which we are not exempt and must pay in the normal course of operations, just as any business in the community would. These totaled $23 million in 2016 and included taxes on non-exempt properties and payroll taxes.

O U R C O R E VA L U E S : R E S P E C T | C O M PA S S I O N | J U S T I C E | E X C E L L E N C E | S T E W A R D S H I P

TAX STATUS BENEFIT

$80M

$60M

$40M

$20M

$0M Total

Community BenefitTax PaidTax Benefit

$71M

$23M

$64M

16%

15%

13%

33%

23%

$71 million

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WHERE WE SERVE • Anchorage

Seward •

• Valdez

• Kodiak

Palmer • •

Eagle River

Key Health care campus

Freestanding long-term care facility

Housing and assisted living

Physician services

Behavioral health services

Child day care centers

Home health and hospice services

Medical laboratory services

Freestanding outpatient services

Providence Health & Services Alaska continues a tradition of caring started by the Sisters of Providence more than 115 years ago during the Nome Gold Rush. Today the care and services Providence delivers spans from birth to end of life, to care for the whole person. Our comprehensive scope of services includes acute care, physician clinics, long-term and assisted living, palliative and hospice care, and home health. Our ministries are in Anchorage, Eagle River, Kodiak, Palmer, Seward and Valdez.

TRAINING FOR REDEMPTION BEAN’S CAFE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM TEACHES EMPLOYABLE SKILLS

“ You can get your Food Handler’s Card, which makes you employable.”

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L-R Aaron Dollison, kitchen supervisor; Mike LaCroix and James Brown, Workforce Development Pilot Project participants; Sherrie Plaster, kitchen supervisor; and Lisa Sauder, executive director.

Mike La Croix likes to stay busy and likes things to be done right. When he stays busy, and when he feels like a job is well done, he also feels productive. And feeling productive makes him feel good about himself.

That’s why he’s an ideal candidate for Bean’s Cafe’s newly formed Workforce Development Pilot Project, which teaches the skills necessary for gainful employment. During the busy lunchtime rush, La Croix is a whirl of activity in the kitchen. He washes massive pots and pans, mixes dough for homemade pizza and slices pepperoni logs on an industrial-size meat slicer. He will slow down to talk if you ask him, but the minute the questions stop, he is back at work, intent on squeezing productivity out of every second of his day.

“I come in at 6 a.m. and stay until late in the night,” said La Croix, who has worked on and off in the commercial fishing industry and is no stranger to physical labor. “It keeps me busy and keeps me from being out there.”

He nods his head in the direction to “out there,” an overflowing dining room of homeless men and women coming inside from a cold February snowstorm. La Croix is talking about being away from the crowds; staying in, so he’s not out in the cold; and perhaps most important, avoiding the perils of drinking, drugs and fighting that often accompany homelessness.

The Workforce Development Pilot Project helps qualified participants focus on a future, said Lisa Sauder, executive director of Bean’s Cafe. It is a program made possible by a $50,000 contribution from Providence Health & Services Alaska, as part of its annual Community Benefit giving. Both Providence and Bean’s Cafe have similar missions – serving the poor and vulnerable – and a program that lifts people up in their time of need is an investment toward ending homelessness and hunger.

“What we’re really trying to do is create a solution,” Sauder said. “We’ve taken our regular volunteer jobs like cleaning bathrooms, mopping floors and preparing foods and turned them into on-the-job

training. You can get your Food Handler’s Card, which makes you employable.”

The program also comes with required workplace education, Sauder said, including coursework in expectations of employers, the importance of showing up on time, showing up sober and building a resume. A screening process determines the most eligible participants in an effort to achieve long-term success, she added.

“We’ve had 17 clients earn their Food Handler’s Card since the program started,” Sauder said.

“We’re really focused on giving people skills that will allow them to get jobs and find homes.”

Aaron Dollison is one of two Bean’s Cafe kitchen supervisors who oversee the students. He said the program has been a success thus far because he has participants who see beyond the immediate gratification of a free meal. They are looking toward a future that does not include homelessness. Students follow a protocol of the National Restaurant Association called ServSafe, which makes them uniquely qualified to work in the industry. Often, this experience alone can give them a leg up on the competition.

“It’s working really well,” Dollison said. “Some of these guys, like Mike, can almost run a kitchen on their own.”

Seasonal fisherman James Brown said his job as a food-supply stocker has helped him stay focused and gain experience for future work. He is thankful that Bean’s Cafe, with the help of Providence, has invested in those experiencing tight times.

“I’m down between seasons and I like doing this,” Brown said. “We go to the Food Bank, pick up the food, weigh it in, and stock the shelves. I have work to do and I just keep coming back because I think working saves you.”

James Brown stocks shelves at Bean's Cafe in downtown Anchorage.

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THE SENIOR STRUGGLECATHOLIC SOCIAL SERVICES SERVES INCREASING ELDERLY POPULATION

A few years ago, administrators at Catholic Social Services were looking over the many statistics they use to track the number of people they serve. As a charitable nonprofit tasked with helping Alaska’s most vulnerable populations, what they saw shocked them.

“What we found is that since 2005, we have seen a 266 percent growth in clients 65 and older,” said Lisa Aquino, CSS executive director. “This is happening in Alaska, and it is a trend that is happening in the Lower 48 as well. It’s a special population, and they need help.”

Indeed, this aging population faces more and more challenges making ends meet. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the numbers of aging Americans has increased from nearly 35 million in 2000 to 50 million today. By the year 2030, that number is expected to climb to 71.5 million.

On a more local level, the statistics are similar. In 2005, CSS’s Brother Francis Shelter provided

a warm bed for 44 guests age 65 or older. In 2010, that number climbed to 86, and in 2015 it nearly doubled, to 166. Other programs also see the impact of aging. At the CSS St. Francis House Food Pantry, demand for federal food assistance for seniors has climbed, too. This year, the Food Pantry went from handing out 300 federal senior

food boxes per month to 400. As a result, the Food Bank of Alaska has increased case-loads to serve this growing population.

“Statewide, there are 900 more boxes being delivered,” said program director David Rittenberg. “So it’s everywhere.”

To help meet the needs of this rapidly growing population, Catholic Social Services is depending upon a nearly $1 million contribution from Providence Health & Services Alaska to combat homelessness and hunger in Alaska. The funds Providence provides have helped CSS support older Alaskans who just need a little extra help.

Patty Jacobus is one of them. She and her husband live on a fixed income and often she must choose between basic necessities.

“My husband and I go to the Southcentral Foundation elder program every day to eat if we

can,” she said. “And I care for my sister, who has lung cancer. We can pay for most things, but we still struggle. Gas and food are the main things we struggle with.”

So Jacobus and her husband come to St. Francis House Food Pantry. There, they are able to pick

out enough food for a family of two to help supplement their weekly grocery needs. It’s not a lot: One serving of breakfast foods, one can of canned protein or bag of beans, two frozen chicken breasts, one package of fresh vegetables, one can of vegetables, one can of fruit, and two loaves of bread. A federal program provides a larger meat or additional breakfast items, but for the most part, the Jacobus family can leave the Pantry with one shopping bag of groceries.

Still, it has an impact.

“Physically and emotionally, I’m run down,” Jacobus said. “But this helps and we appreciate it. Every bit helps.”

Rittenberg said Providence’s donation has helped him and his staff keep up with the growing demand for food. On any given day, the Pantry distributes 2 tons of food to roughly 100 clients, ranging from one person to 11-member families.

“We have lost a lot of jobs in the state, and it’s difficult to relocate when you get older,” Rittenberg said. “So people are here, and they struggle to get by.”

Aquino said Providence’s assistance has been key to Catholic Social Service’s ability to serve the community.

“These are people who are on fixed incomes,” Aquino said. “They are a special population. We could not do this without Providence’s support.”

THREE WAYS TO THRIVEBOYS & GIRLS CLUB PROGRAM TEACHES HEALTHY LIFELONG LESSONS TO SEWARD YOUTH

One of the best ways to adopt good habits is to practice, practice, practice. And one of the best ways to teach good habits is to model positive behaviors. At the Boys & Girls Club of the Kenai Peninsula, both of these things are happening, thanks to a $68,000 grant from Providence Health & Services Alaska.

Called the Triple Play program, this nationally recognized curriculum teaches children the value of eating healthily, getting plenty of exercise and learning positive social behaviors. These “mind, body and soul” attributes come together in the form of engaging lessons and fun activities that seem more like play than anything else. Providence’s grant has helped the Boys & Girls Clubs on the Kenai adopt the program locally. So far it’s been a hit.

“The program has been an incredible addition to the Boys & Girls Club’s programming,” said Maggie Wilkins, director of the Seward unit of the Boys and Girls Club of the Kenai Peninsula. The club has some 60 members and 30-45 active participants daily. “The additional staffing, especially of Triple Play,” said coordinator Stephanie Wright, “has allowed for richer programming leading to better attendance and participation.”

In the program’s “mind” unit, for instance, kids take cooking lessons twice weekly.

“They learn basic cooking skills, nutrition fundamentals and have come to learn that eating healthy doesn’t have to be boring or bland,” she said.

Before adopting the Triple Play program, Wilkins said the kids were accustomed to cheaper, less-nutritious snacks – “Which seems to equate to ‘better tasting‘ in the American diet,” she added. At first there was resistance to fresh fruit replacing fruit chews, but slowly a change began to take root.

“Now there is general excitement surrounding snack time every day,” she said. “The cooking units are wildly popular as well. Kids never know prior what’s on the menu for the week, but we always fill each unit. We often hear from parents that the kids have shown more interest in helping with meal prep at home.”

For the “body” aspect of Triple Play, the kids are introduced to more challenging varieties of games and activities. To encourage them to push their

“ We have lost a lot of jobs in the state, and it's difficult to relocate when you get older.”

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Patty Jacobus of Anchorage depends on the St. Francis House Food Pantry to help her and her husband make ends meet. With rising fuel and and food costs, she said the extra boost is an incredible help. Photo by Russ Slaten.

Lisa Aquino, CSS executive director, and David Rittenberg, program director at St. Francis House Food Pantry.

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bodies, they play longer and harder through a variety of games and activities, Wilkins said. The new Walk Across America, for instance, rewards children for every 20 minutes they walk, three times a week as part of a group.

To give the kids’ perspective on their activity, the walks are recorded on a giant map, which translates into real-life locations on an Alaska map.

“We have a route around Alaska: Seward to Eagle to Utqiagvik (Barrow) to Nome to Dillingham back to Seward,” she said. “The winner receives a new pair of sneakers from a local vendor.”

Finally, there is the “soul” component of Triple Play. In a world plagued by violence and bullying, this aspect is invaluable, Wilkins said. The club offers a space in which kids can interact with age-appropriate games, spend time talking with staff and simply have “down time” in which they can relax. Kids with less stress are simply happier, Wilkins said.

“This is a great time for staff to mentor youth and teach them how to work together,” she added. “Club youth are able to develop and sustain positive relationships with others, acquire a healthy self-concept and a strong belief in their own self-worth and cope well with positive and adverse situations.”

Wilkins said she is thrilled with the success of the Triple Play program in her community and can see first hand that it is paying off.

“Without Providence’s generous contribution this program would not thrive,” she added.

“This program is a great foundation for healthy living. Lifelong habits are born in our youth. If we arm them now with the right knowledge, skills,

tools and attitudes for healthy lifestyles, we are setting them up for success for a healthy, fulfilling future.”

HALTING HUNGERVALDEZ FOOD BANK EXPANSION COULD HELP MORE PEOPLE, MORE EFFICIENTLY

It’s no secret that the cost of living in Alaska is higher than it is in most of the Lower 48. Among Alaskans, it’s also well known that the further away you travel from the state’s largest cities the more that cost of living soars. So, in a place like Valdez, where milk costs one-fourth more than it does in Fairbanks or Anchorage, it can be especially difficult to make ends meet.

“Expenses are higher, and we are serving more people,” said Paula Mountjoy, vice president of the Valdez Food Bank. “This winter we’ve seen such a marked increase … maybe it’s the downturn of the economy.”

Mountjoy said whereas in past years the food bank would serve 25-30 families a month, this year it served 176 in January and 190 in February. Those numbers translate to approximately 466 and 506 people, respectively. With this increased need comes the necessity of purchasing and storing food for distribution – a challenging feat in the Food Bank’s current tiny location.

To help with the logistical challenges, Providence Health & Services Alaska has stepped in. Providence partners with Valdez to provide health care services, but it supports the broader communities’ needs as well. It provided Valdez with $30,000 in funding last year to help keep its all-volunteer organization running smoothly – and that means an adequate facility might soon be in the food bank’s future.

Valdez Food Bank’s board president Sue Reiss said Providence’s generous $30,000 contribution is allowing the board to consider expansion. With its growing clientele comes a desperate need for more space. In the winter, food can be stored in local fish processing plants, but come summer, that space is lost to fishing.

“Our clients actually have to wait outside because we are so crowded,” she said “We do have cover, but it is cold and we don’t have enough storage for our food.”

Reiss said food delivery is also a challenge. When loading donated or purchased food into the current building, boxes and cartons must be walked to a fencelike barrier and physically handed over it because a drive-up delivery platform is not available. What should be a quick task turns into an all-day affair. Food deliveries are a multi-person job that could be condensed into one simple step with the right structural modifications.

Reiss and Mountjoy agree an expanded, or new, building will help them best serve their community. They are working with the City of Valdez on design options and know that without Providence’s donations, this dream would never become reality. Providence is not paying for the actual construction, but its donation has allowed the Food Bank to set money aside for the project.

“When they called us and said they had a donation they wanted to bring over, they almost had to pick me up off the floor,” Reiss said. “It put me to my knees. It is that appreciated and that important.”

“ Our clients actually have to wait outside because we are so crowded.”

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L-R Rileigh Aquisto, Emma Luedecke, Denali Woods and Marcedes Taylor of Valdez Girl Scout Junior Troop 243 hand out holiday cookies to visitors at the Valdez Food Bank. Photo by Megan Woods.

Justin Wardlow slices apples for a unit on how to make applesauce at the Boys & Girls Club in Seward. Photo by Stephanie Wright, Triple Play coordinator.

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THE RIPPLE EFFECTON REMOTE KODIAK ISLAND, ONE OPERATION TAKES CARE OF ITS OWN

When economies take a downturn, there is a very real impact on workers in Alaska’s key job markets. Whether it’s the oil industry, fisheries, tourism or health care, what happens on a national level matters here in Alaska.

Monte Hawver has been the backbone of Kodiak Island’s Brother Francis Shelter for the past 25-plus years and has monitored the health of the economy based on the numbers of struggling people who come through the shelter’s doors.

“Right now, Kodiak is undergoing a transformation in its fisheries and its housing,” said Hawver, director of the shelter. He is the creator of a homeless prevention program that helps struggling families with anything from past due rent to paying their heating or electric bill.

“With a mega processor purchasing a large apartment building and the closure of Kodiak's largest mobile home park, we’ve lost hundreds of units of housing. This along with fishing income in decline has made it even harder for families to make a living.”

Providence Health & Services Alaska has

recognized the growing need in Kodiak and provided assistance. Last year, it donated $30,000 to help Hawver keep the shelter and homeless prevention program afloat.

“We would be out of funds for our homeless prevention program if not for Providence’s help,” Hawver said. “The primary purpose of this program is to keep people from being evicted from their home for a myriad of reasons. If they can’t pay their rent we help them, or if they can’t pay their heat or electric, we help them. We strive to prevent homelessness before it happens.”

On a sunny spring day in Kodiak, Hawver's team prepares for the dinner crowd at Brother Francis, where clients can find a hot meal for the evening and a warm bed for the night. The shelter can sleep up to 35 individuals per night, and it feeds 30-50 people every day: “We feed three meals every day of the week, every day of the year,” he said.

It’s a busy day and he and his staff are juggling several duties, foremost among them helping others living right on the edge eke out another month’s survival.

“We just had a single mom with two young children contact us last week,” he said. “She didn’t have enough fuel and ran out of heat. We’ve had mild winters in Kodiak the last few years, but this year it’s been cold. It’s still cold even now. We made sure she had a portable heater and a working smoke detector, and explained to her how to open her cupboards under the sink so her pipes wouldn't freeze.”

The next day, Hawver said, he was able to contact the oil company and have fuel delivered to the client, thus helping another family make ends meet.

“I can remember when we helped 50 families a year and I thought, ‘This is insane,’ ” Hawver said.

“Now we help 300 families a year. There’s that much need.”

Half of Providence’s donation is keeping the homeless prevention program running and half goes to the sheltering and feeding program, Hawver said.

“We would have exhausted our homeless prevention funds for this fiscal year,” Hawver said.

“The need is so much greater than the grant funds we’ve had for the last few years, we would have shut down the program by February.”

Hawver said both the shelter and the homeless prevention program have come a long way since they began back in the early ’90s. It’s unfortunate, too, because nothing would make him happier than being put out of a job. That means no family would be in need, no individual would be without a home.

“The key to dealing with homelessness is the prevention portion,” he said. “You catch it before they end up homeless. The prevention part not only has an impact on the direct family, but the schools, the community as a whole. Family is the core of a community and society. Any time you can keep a family whole, or make a family whole, you are positively impacting society as well.”

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FAITH IN THE FUTUREHOUSING PROGRAM HELPS FAMILIES FIND STABILITY, INDEPENDENCE

Growing up in Anchorage, Elana Cranston experienced the things most Alaskan kids usually do – a trip to the Alaska State Fair, watching the Iditarod race take off from downtown, taking part in the Fur Rendezvous carnival and more. So, after moving back to the area last year, she wanted the same thing for her own kids, 7-year-old Jazlene and 5-year-old Giana.

“I was taking them to do everything I did growing up,” said Cranston, who moved back home after struggling to create a life in Juneau and wanted to give her daughters a glimpse of her own childhood. Her life until then, she said, had had its share of downs, but it's now looking up thanks to help from

a consortium of agencies working to prevent homelessness in Anchorage.

Cranston is one of a growing group of recipients of a program called Rapid Rehousing. She, like many people struggling to make ends meet, has a full-time job. But she’s made some poor life choices, she acknowledges, and is working to get ahead now that she’s grown up and matured a bit.

“Things weren’t panning out,” said Cranston from the kitchen of her newly acquired, sparsely furnished apartment in East Anchorage. “My sister called, and said, ‘Dad’s not doing well.’ He was battling cancer, and I said, ‘That’s alright, I’m on my way.’ I knew I needed to be here.”

The problem was finding affordable housing, providing stability for her children and landing a job.

That’s where Providence Health & Services Alaska stepped in. As part of its own mission to assist vulnerable populations, Providence contributed approximately $300,000 to Catholic Social Services, Covenant House and Salvation Army for the Rapid Rehousing Program, and $60,000 to RurAL CAP to help rapidly rehouse clients. Anchorage’s Rapid Rehousing, like the national program of the same name, helps those just on the edge of homelessness get back on their feet.

“Rapid Rehousing, for families, is a really important piece to solving the homelessness puzzle,” said Lisa Aquino, executive director at Catholic Social Services. “The two fastest-growing populations for homelessness are seniors and children, and we want to end that.”

“ We would be out of funds for our homeless prevention program if not for Providence’s help.”

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LEFT Monte Hawver, Executive Director of the Brother Francis Shelter in Kodiak. MIDDLE A member of Kodiak's homeless community serves himself the free dinner offered at the Brother Francis Shelter. RIGHT Volunteer Aaron Cook prepares food at the Brother Francis Shelter.

Elana Cranston and her daughters, Jazlene and Giana, in their new East Anchorage apartment, received help from the Rapid Rehousing program to get a new start in Anchorage.

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Cranston said without Rapid Rehousing she is not sure where she would have ended up. Back in Anchorage, jobless and with no place to live, she stayed with friends for as long as possible, but when those options dried up, she turned to RurAL CAP for help. RurAL CAP received $75,000 from Providence, $60,000 of which funds Rapid Rehousing. RurAL CAP case workers work with local landlords to get families into immediate housing, and they follow up with visits to ease families into a more stable existence. Cranston was one of their first placements.

“She was already working and wanted to get her girls in a better place,” said RurAL CAP case worker Marcia Morel-Lay, who worked with Cranston to find an apartment in early February.

“I tell my clients, ‘I am not going to move you into a place where you don’t feel safe.’ I engage them in the search so they feel more empowered over their future.”

Corrine O'Neill, supportive housing division director for RurAL CAP, said without Providence’s funds, Rapid Rehousing would not have been launched in Anchorage. Case managers are needed to follow through with clients, and a bulk of the money goes to funding those positions.

“Nationally, the outcomes are very good for Rapid Rehousing, and we hope to see the same success here,” O’Neill said. “People are much more invested in solving their problems and finding a permanent solution when they have a place to live.”

Aquino couldn’t agree more.

“As a parent, your life is so full with just your child, but to be homeless on top of it is just so much to bear,” she said. “To have a roof over your head … it’s life changing. To have Providence willing to take a chance like this shows that they really value families.”

BAKING AS THERAPYDOWNTOWN SOUP KITCHEN’S FEED ME HOPE CULINARY PROGRAMS HELP THOSE STRUGGLING TO RISE OUT OF HOMELESSNESS

One of Daja Scroggs’ most vivid memories from her days of hunger and homelessness involved a trashcan and a hamburger. Wandering the streets of Anchorage, she spotted a foam to-go box, perched atop an overflowing pile of garbage. The former Valley resident, who struggles with drug addiction and a personality disorder, did a double take.

“I stopped, and looked inside and there was a perfectly untouched burger and fries, still warm,” said Scroggs. “I picked it up, carried it with me, found a place to sit and enjoyed every bite.”

For Scroggs, those desperate days are a thing of the past. Scroggs has been able to get her life back on track with the help of the Downtown Soup Kitchen Hope Center. Now she has a wide grin and open, affable personality. She is taking medication to help with her mental health issues. She is staying away from drugs and alcohol. Most important: She has a job and a home.

In 2016, Providence Health & Services Alaska made a total of $40,000 in donations to the Downtown Soup Kitchen Hope Center to help it eradicate homelessness. The Soup Kitchen’s mission mirrors that of Providence’s – to serve the poor and vulnerable – and the money is making a tremendous difference.

Executive director Sherrie Laurie said $25,000 has allowed the shelter to provide beds for up to 50 guests a night, and the original $15,000 helped launch the Soup Kitchen’s work readiness training program – the Feed Me Hope Bakery and Culinary School.

“That money from Providence was truly a godsend,” Laurie said. “In all honesty, there were some times I thought I wouldn’t be able to make payroll. Now we can make a difference every single day.”

Scroggs is living proof of such a difference.

“I was married. I had a life,” she said. “Then on Feb. 16, 2010, we had an apartment fire and we lost everything. We bounced around places, lived in motels, lived in our car. It just went downhill from there.”

Scroggs said the stress of the loss, paired with her mental health problems and slow slide into drug

use, eventually put her on the streets. She lived in a camp in the woods, slept outside in the dead of winter and struggled each day to find enough food to eat.

She’d hit rock bottom on the rainy, cold day she walked into the Downtown Soup Kitchen, where she met Laurie for the first time.

“She was a mess,” Laurie said. “She was soaked through and emotional. There was something about her that made me stop and pause.”

“She happened to be the first female staff member I saw,” Scroggs said of Laurie. “At that time I wasn’t in living mode, I was in survival mode. (Laurie) let me wash my clothes and get cleaned up. That was the biggest gift to be given on that day.”

From there, a relationship blossomed, Laurie said. With Providence’s donation, the Soup Kitchen was just launching its Feed Me Hope Bakery program, which teaches homeless women baking skills that can translate into a profession, thus getting them off the streets and living self sufficiently. Scroggs was the first student.

“I decided I wanted to be happy again,” said Scroggs, who now works part time for the bakery.

“I learned about my disorders and learned how to get my life back.”

Laurie said Providence continues to support the Soup Kitchen’s work. It has 10 female student bakers who live on-site full time and a free culinary vocational school for homeless people, both male and female. Graduates of the program earn their food safety and sanitation cards and are assisted in job placement.

In the end, Laurie said, the goal is to lift those who are struggling, such as Scroggs, to a better place.

“I’ve found my home,” Scroggs said. “I’m right here and I’m making ground. Now I live life.”

FAITH IN THE FUTURE (continued from page 6)

“ I decided I wanted to be happy again.”

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Workers prepare bread dough at the Downtown Soup Kitchen. The Feed Me Hope Bakery program teaches homeless women baking skills that can translate into a profession.

Corrine O'Neill, supportive housing division director with RurAL CAP, said the Rapid Rehousing program would not have gotten off the ground in Anchorage without Providence's financial assistance.

L-R Mary Jane Mosquito, Daja Scroggs, and Audriana Foss, Feed Me Hope Bakery students, make bread dough at the Downtown Soup Kitchen.

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2016 PROVIDENCE BOARDS AND COUNCILS

©2017 Providence Health & Services. All rights reserved.

AK-1010

Providence Health & Services Alaska 3760 Piper St., Suite 2021 Anchorage, AK 99508

alaska.providence.org

PROVIDENCE ALASKA COMMUNITY MINISTRY BOARDJohn (Chris) Swalling, Chair Sarah Barton, Vice Chair Pamela Shirrell, RN, Secretary Kathy J. Anderson, PhD Timothy Bateman, M.D. Estrada Bernard, Jr., M.D., FACS Pat Branson, Chair, PKIMC Advisory Board Douglas Capra Joseph Faulhaber Alice Galvin Kathy Hurlburt, M.D. Christine (Potter) Kramer, ANP Bruce Lamoureux, CE/SVP, PH&SA T. Noah Laufer, M.D. Ryan M. McGhan, M.D., Chief, PAMC Medical Staff Stewart G. Osgood, P.E. Archbishop Emeritus Roger L. Schwietz, OMI Steven Smith, M.D., PKIMC Chief of Staff Lon Wilson

PROVIDENCE ALASKA FOUNDATION BOARDGreg Pearce, ChairDonna Logan, Vice ChairTom Falskow, TreasurerScott Habberstad, SecretaryGrace GreeneBruce Lamoureux, SVP/CEO, PH&SAMardella Lower, RNSteve Neilson Martin Parsons V. RaeSuzanne Rudolph, Foundation President Stacy SchubertJack Sedwick, M.D.Casey Sullivan, Past ChairRyan WagnerScott Wellmann, M.D.

PROVIDENCE ANCHORAGE ADVISORY COUNCILRichard Baird, PhDTerriLee BartlettCheryl Bowers Claire Chan Robert Dickson Susan DiMaggio Sezy Gerow-Hanson, Vice ChairPatricia HamiltonMike Humphrey, ChairKaren Hunt Richard Mandsager, M.D., Chief Executive, PAMCDebra MorseTracy Morris Madelyn Schlansker

SECOND CHANCESCOVENANT HOUSE HELPS YOUTH SEE BRIGHT FUTURES AHEAD

Growing up with his sister in Anchorage, Chazz Shincke said his family always got by. Times would be tight, but they’d manage.

After his mother died, though, it got more difficult.

“Four years ago, we hit a rough patch where my father couldn’t sustain a job,” Shincke said.

“I was in and out of OCS (Alaska Department of Health & Social Services’ Office of Children’s Services) for a while and then I heard of Covenant House. I came here, and it was awkward at first, but then I realized they really cared.”

For many teens like 18-year-old Shincke, Covenant House offers a lifeline. The nonprofit offers emergency shelter, street outreach and

transitional living for homeless youth ages 13 to 19. Without a $438,000 donation from Providence Health & Services Alaska, those programs would be in jeopardy.

“We lost two grants last year,” said program coordinator Josh Louwerse. “One was for the basic shelter and one for street outreach. Providence stepped in to pick up those two grants, and what they gave us saved those programs.”

The donation is in line with Providence’s mission to serve poor and vulnerable populations within its community. According to the Alaska Coalition on Housing and Homelessness, 1 in 5 people

experiencing homelessness are under the age of 18. Covenant House helps that population through programs such as the shelter and street outreach. It also offers counseling, education and employment help, youth enrichment, pastoral ministry and a wellness center.

“Coming here was rough at first because you’re with a lot of people you don’t know,” Shincke said. “But they help you find a job here. They nurture your creativity. You can practice your religious beliefs. We’re all in the same situation here so we have that in common.”

Louwerse said Shincke is one of Covenant’s success stories. Tired of couch surfing at friends’ houses and bouncing from one temporary situation to another, he came to Covenant House to get his life back on track.

“I like helping people, so one day I’d like to work at a job like this, offering services to help,” Shincke said. “I hope to one day have my own place and my own car so I can be independent.”

With the financial help from Providence, the Covenant House Shelter now has 60 beds to offer homeless teens as the need arises. They are at near capacity most of the time.

“When we lose grants, we have to find money elsewhere,” Louwerse said. “In a very real way, we would have had to cut staff, we would have had to cut programming if Providence had not helped out with its donation.”

“It’s not like it’s an art class that we can cancel for a quarter or two,” said development director Wendy Shem. “These are very real, basic needs – food and shelter. Providence came through in a big way.”

The funding that provides street outreach is equally as important, Louwerse said. Many times, at-risk youth are not willing to seek help, so Covenant House staff will come to them – on foot, by bike, driving in their van, whatever it takes – to let them know they care.

“It takes time to build those relationships,” Louwerse said. “We let them know we are going to stick with them, we are going to find out why the system failed them and help them fix their situation so they don’t come back again and again.”

For Shincke, Covenant House is indeed the place that has finally helped fix his problems. He now has a job, he is close to attaining his GED, and is on his way to transitional living. He sees a future that no longer includes homelessness and is thankful every day.

“They really care here, and they want you to be helped,” he said. “I’m glad I found Covenant House.”

“ It’s not like it’s an art class that we can cancel for a quarter or two. These are very real, basic needs – food and shelter.”

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Covenant House program coordinator Josh Louwerse has helped Anchorage youth Chazz Shincke find work, finish his education and find a place to live as part of Covenant House's mission to help at-risk young people.

Chazz Shincke likes to utilize Covenant House’s weight room to stay fit.

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