Mat Su Youth Housing

PROVIDE SAFE SHELTER FOR YOUTH EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS WITH A GOAL OF CONNECTING THEM TO A NETWORK OF CARING INDIVIDUALS AND AGENCIES ABLE TO ASSIST THEM IN BECOMING SELF SUFFICIENT.

BELOW ARE SOME OF MY HOUSE'S ACHIEVEMENTS AS OF FYE 12/31/2021: SERVED AN AVERAGE OF 110 CLIENTS PER WEEK WITH FOOD, CLOTHING, SHOWERS, LAUNDRY, CASE MANAGEMENT AND WRAP-AROUND SERVICES. INCREASED NUMBER OF TRANSITIONAL HOUSING FOR CLIENTS TO 40 BEDS BY ADDING 2 ADDITIONAL CLIENT HOUSING UNITS WITH ONE DESIGNATED FOR LGBTQ+ YOUTH AND THE OTHER DESIGNATED FOR YOUTH WHO ARE RECOVERING FROM HAVING BEEN TRAFFICKED. 100% OF CLIENTS TRAINED IN 2021 IN ONE OF MY HOUSE'S ON-SITE JOB TRAINING PROGRAMS, GATHERING GROUNDS CAFE AND/OR STEAMDRIVEN BOUTIQUE, REPORTED THEY WERE EMPLOYED, DEMONSTRATING THAT THOSE WITH JOB TRAINING CAN MAINTAIN HOUSING. YEAR OVER YEAR, WE HAD A 22% INCREASE IN CLIENTS OBTAINING THEIR HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA, WHICH IS KEY AS THEY WORK ON BECOMING STABLE & SELF-SUFFICIENT. MY HOUSE'S SUICIDE PREVENTION COORDINATOR COMPLETED AND STARTED PRESENTING OUR NEW CURRICULUM, REVISION TO YOUTH AND GROUP TRAININGS, FOCUSING ON HOPE AND COMMUNITY SUPPORT THROUGH CONNECTION. 46% OF CLIENTS IN 2021 SELF-REPORTED HAVING DEPRESSION, SUICIDAL THOUGHTS, IDEATIONS, AND/OR HAD ATTEMPTED TAKING THEIR OWN LIVES. ZERO DEATHS FROM SUICIDE IN 2021 HOWEVER, 3 CLIENTS/FORMER CLIENTS TRAGICALLY DIED FROM OVEREDOSE. THE MAT-SU OPIOID TASK FORCE, ESTABLISHED BY MY HOUSE IN 2016, WROTE KELLSIE'S LAW, WHICH IF PASSED WOULD MANDATE EDUCATION FOR YOUTH ON THE IMPACT OF DRUGS AND ADDICTION. NARCAN KITS, WHICH PREVENT OPIATE OVERDOSES AND DEATH FROM FENTANYL, ARE DISTRIBUTED OUT OF MY HOUSE WITH ONE OF OUR STAFF MEMBERS CERTIFIED TO DO THE TRAINING. 2 PEER SUPPORT CERTIFIED NAVIGATORS WERE HIRED TO BE ON-SITE DAILY TO ASSIST CLIENTS, WHICH DOVETAILS WITH OUR CASE MANAGEMENT TEAM, AND TREATMENT PARTNERS ARE READILY AVAILABLE TO HELP WITH SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER. THE ALLIANCE TO STOP HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN ALASKA (ASHTA), ESTABLISHED BY MY HOUSE IN 2020, CONDUCTED OVER 30 AWARENESS & TRAINING PRESENTATIONS ACROSS THE MAT-SU AND ANCHORAGE, AND ASHTA WAS A FORCE BEHIND THE PEOPLE FIRST INITIATIVE THAT FOCUSES ON DOMESTIC VIOLENCE & SEXUAL ASSAULT, MISSING & MURDERED INDIGENOUS PERSONS, HUMAN & SEX TRAFFICKING, FOSTER CARE, AND HOMELESSNESS. CREATED THE MY HOUSE PODCAST NETWORK INCLUDING 5 PODCASTS: MY VOICE WHERE CLIENTS TELL THEIR STORIES, DIAGNONSENSE, WHICH FOCUSES ON MENTAL HEALTH & SUICIDE PREVENTION, THE MY HOUSE PODCAST, WHERE OUR CEO TALKS ABOUT OUR HISTORY, HOMELESSNESS, RECOVERY & SOLUTIONS WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS, PARTNERS, AND DONORS, REDEMPTION, WHICH FOCUSES ON HUMAN TRAFFICKING PREVENTION & RECOVERY, AND MY HOUSE MONTHLY UPDATE, WHICH GIVES ANNOUNCEMENTS ABOUT EVENTS AND COMMUNITY RESOURCES FOR CLIENTS AND SUPPORTERS. INITIATED REDEMPTION, A NEW JOB TRAINING PROGRAM THAT SERVES TRAFFICKING SURVIVORS BY PROVIDING THEM WITH A SAFE SPACE TO TEACH CLIENTS HOW TO DESIGN, MANUFACTURE, MERCHANDISE, AND SELL LUXURY LOUNGEWEAR UTILIZING REPURPOSED LINENS DONATED BY HIGH-END ALASKA HOTELS. AT YEAR END, ON 12/31/2021, WE HAD 444 CURRENTLY ACTIVE CLIENTS AND HAD SERVED A TOTAL OF 792 CLIENTS SINCE INCEPTION. ALL OF THIS IS POSSIBLE BECAUSE MY HOUSE PROVIDES SERVICES TO, AND ADVOCATES FOR, YOUTH EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, AND YOUTH AT-RISK OF BECOMING HOMELESS, SO THEY CAN BECOME SELF-SUFFICIENT AND CONTRIBUTING MEMBERS OF THEIR COMMUNITY.