Hope Has a New Clean Home
Contributed by Kathleen Yerbich
Many of you may be familiar with Family Promise. It is a national organization that helps homeless families. The Mat-Su chapter recently received a gift of a house.
“We are giving you this house to continue your work with the homeless community.” These words were spoken by a church leader that had occupied the home for several years. It was used for their church services and a few other community events. Now the house has been given to Family Promise. Ginger Bear, executive director for Mat-Su Family Promise, was surprised and extremely grateful. However there was a concern. The church leader was forthright with the troubling circumstance of the house. There was a major problem that had to be dealt with immediately. A diesel tank in the backyard had been vandalized and fuel had leaked into the ground. The clean-up would probably cost $50,000. The Family Promise Board went through the data and received an education on oil spills and the process of cleaning the dirt. After many weeks of reading and listening to several experts, the Board voted to accept the home. The clean-up cost ended up being double, $100,000. The company was very efficient and no one is to blame for the cost. There was no way of knowing how much dirt was contaminated.
The space is now clean, the Family Promise Board and staff have commenced adjusting the space to best serve the Mat-Su community.
First the name: it was decided to call the structure Hope House. Hope is at the heart of the philosophy of Family Promise. With the help of several churches in the valley, Family Promise provides food, shelter, clothes, and education to families in need. They guide the families to obtain jobs and then secure housing. The process can take a few weeks to a few months. Throughout the journey, Family Promise staff stays by the families’ side until independence is achieved. Hope is the last thought as the family leaves the safety net of Family Promise. Hope that they will sustain their independence; hope that the children will do well; hope that they will become a working part of the community; hope that they will be okay and live a good life. Many success stories continue to bolster this sentiment of hope. The program works.
Hope House continues to grow with services. There are businesses that have moved in to utilize some of the empty spaces and help pay for some of Hope House expenses. Primal Martial Arts, owned by Steven McConarty, a well established Valley business now occupies the bottom floor of Hope House. Also, Headquarters Custom Embroidery owned by Lisa McConarty, has moved to Hope House. Both businesses have been a staple in the Valley for many years. Lisa and Steven have strong connections to helping the community through their businesses and volunteer ventures. Hope House was a perfect fit.
Also, By Your Side Tutoring assists children with their academics. Kathleen Yerbich is the lead teacher. “My goal is to offer affordable tutoring for all children. There is a great need to teach kids that have fallen behind due to several circumstances from Covid to the bus situation last year. Everyone should have the opportunity to improve their understanding of the world; whether that means learning how to read better; understand fractions; or locating Scotland on a map; I hope to help the community and fill in some of the academic gaps that exist for kids in the Mat-Su Valley.”
Primal Martial Arts, Headquarters Custom Embroidery, and By Your Side Tutoring are a wonderful addition to Hope House and to the community.
Next steps are to continue to improve the structure. Small projects are checked off weekly. It is a bustling environment. The small hardworking staff of Ginger, Nancy, Jen, and Pam, work tirelessly. They are in constant motion of caring for the families; writing grants; organizing fundraisers; and a thousand other tasks.
They do it with a smile on their face and hope in their heart.
Hope House is located at 2700 Broadview Dr, Wasilla, 99654. If you have questions or would like to donate, contact Ginger Bear 907-357-6160 If you are interested in Primal Martial Arts, contact Steven 907-357-5588 If you are interested in Headquarters Custom Embroidery, contact Lisa 907-357-8133. If you are interested in tutoring, contact Kathleen at 907-354-0514.
Upcoming Events for Family Promise
● June 10th. Colony Days Tag Sale-downtown Palmer. Look for us in the parade too.
● July 12th. Cardboard City. Grab a group of friends and spend the night at the FairGrounds. There will be cardboard to build a structure or you may sleep in your car. It is an event to bring awareness to the homeless situation in the Mat-Su Valley.