Site Story: Another Successful Community Needs Drive!

By Ashton Varner, VISTA Team Leader​ '19-20

The 2019 Community Needs Drive was even bigger than 2018! We owe our success to our team and so many other community members.
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Thank you to Love In the Name of Christ of the Tanana Valley for hosting our event, even though you had only recently moved into your location. Thank you to The Salvation Army - Fairbanks Corps for providing hot drinks, bottled water and snacks for our volunteers and donors.

Thank you to our 6 VISTAs who took ownership of this project, both pre-event and day-of. Thank you to our 3 volunteers from HOPE worldwide who came in and immediately started sorting before I could even host volunteer orientation. 

Thank you to four personal friends who donated what time they had: Ellen Hughes for your encouragement, calming nature & my favorite coffee order, Sarah Seifert for bringing experience and setting an example for our new folks, Melissa Prince for tackling and wrapping up several smaller projects & Christine Charron for spur-of-the-moment deliveries. ​

Thank you to everyone who helped me promote this event: Julie Doll who passed out flyers in parts of the community that are hard for me to reach such as military bases and Salcha, Rob Prince of KFBX 970 for having us on morning radio, Cheryl Upshaw for the fantastic piece in the Daily News-Miner and Andrew Hawkins at News 11 for helping us make the 7 o’clock news.

Thank you to the donors who brought bags, boxes and totes full of items.
95% of our requests were filled and some donations came all the way from Nenana!
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Thank you to the 10 local non-profit agencies who participated and allowed us to serve them through this event. We appreciate the work you do in our community all year round.

Boys & Girls Club

The BGC requested games, sports equipment and toys for their after-school programs.
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​We received bags, boxes and totes full of sports balls, rackets, board games and puzzles!

Fairbanks Native Association
Community Services

FNA asked for shoes and winter coats
for men and women.
​
​Boy, did our donors deliver?!

Bread Line Inc.

 Bread Line needed clothes, coats, socks,
gloves and winter hats in all adult sizes
to serve over 100 people
​who stop in daily for breakfast.

At the end of the day, we had more for them than they could handle
​- a problem we don't mind having!

Fairbanks Rescue Mission

The Rescue Mission requested clothing,
​shoes & socks in all sizes
but were most excited about toiletries -
travel size toothpastes, shampoos, conditioners & lotions, deodorants, razors & toothbrushes.

We ended up making at least 4 separate runs
to FRM with donated goods.
When they reopen their clothing closet,
it will be stacked to the ceiling!

Interior Alaska Center
​for Non-Violent Living
​& Sober Living Apartments

IAC requested items for general shelter needs as well as their new sober living apartment project. The shelter asked for towels, bath toys & toiletries while Sober Living asked for
functional household items such as shower curtains, first aid kits and storage containers.

The community came through with diapers, towels, toiletries and plenty of items
​to make a house a home
such as vacuums and computer chairs.

Thrivalaska

Thrivalaska requested a ton of children's items for their Headstart Birth to 5 program, varying from clothing & toys to strollers & high chairs.

Once again, the community met this need with toys, children's clothing & baby gates galore!

Fairbanks Reentry Coalition

The Reentry Coalition asked for
professional clothing as well as homegoods
for their clients reentering the community
​post-incarceration. 

We delivered at least four times to them as well! With all those clothes, it will be much easier for their employment specialists
to outfit their clients for job interviews.

Love INC of the Tanana Valley

Like last year, Love INC asked for furniture, in particular dressers & box springs. They also requested twin sheets, household cleaning supplies and reusable shopping bags.

We received a bit of furniture, sets of pots & pans & a bunch of reusable shopping bags, which Love INC families will use
​when picking up their items.

LION's Den
​(Learning Inside Out Network)

LION requested lined paper, pencils, rulers, dictionaries & thesauruses
for their education program. 

We were able to deliver a very full, very long box full of these supplies
​to Fairbanks Correctional Center.
Thank you for valuing these members
of our community!

If you are still interested in donating, please see our list of requested items, contact the agencies directly and ask if they still need specific items.

See you next year!