THANK YOU, BRYNN!

Brynn wrapped up her service year on August 17, 2020. She ​served at Fairbanks Reentry Coalition as their Reentry Program Associate. In her role, she organized a relationship with the Fairbanks Wellness Court to facilitate a location for those in their program to come and fulfill their community work service obligations and facilitated sustainability by putting together a complete "box kit" of supplies and materials needed to organize and run a Reentry Simulation. As the pandemic affected our community, Brynn stepped up immediately as a front-line worker to run a Warming Center for the homeless community, providing them with a place to warm up and eat while other agencies were closed. 

She will remain in Fairbanks and work at the Interior Alaska Center for Non-Violent Living as their Administrative Assistant to three of their programs. 

It has been my privilege to work with Brynn for the last year. She had obstacles to overcome and did overcome them. In telling her story, she told us that she would no longer let anyone write her story for her, she would write her own story. In many ways working with us in setting up a new program, she has not only charted her own way but helped us write the story of the Reentry Coalition in Fairbanks. Her authenticity and ability to share her life with us has made us more trauma-informed and sensitive to the re-entrants that we serve.

In October last year, we had the first Reentry Simulation with the US Department of Justice United States Attorney’s Office with the help of the Anchorage Reentry Coalition. Brynn was a participant in the first simulation. When we planned our second one with a UAF Social Work student, we found we would need our own materials. Brynn worked tirelessly to make the participant materials, phony money and help station materials used in creating the Reentry Simulation. In March, we held our second simulation at UAF with Justice and Social Work students. These materials are something that will be used over and over again in the days to come.
 
Our offices closed temporarily in March and life as we know it ended as a co-worker was exposed and possibly had COVID19. All groups, events and face-to-face halted due to COVID19 precautions. Our Reentry Coalition was presented with an emergency situation as the Warming Center was not able to serve all the homeless individuals coming for services. Brynn helped open a second Warming Center at the JP Jones Center with our Encampment Outreach program and staff from various IACNLV programs and volunteers from the community. Brynn was the friendly face at the door as we served over 126 different homeless individuals for two months. 
 
These are two unexpected highlights of the past year that Brynn was an integral part of making happen. She has been flexible, moved work stations at least 5 times, been challenged in ways that show her determined heart. All of us are better for the many ways she served and interacted with our staff and program participants. We are grateful for her year of service and look forward to her continuing to work with our agency."

- Linda Setterberg: Fairbanks Reentry Coalition Coordinator ​

Brynn, thank you for your service to our community. You helped our local program with your perspective, hard work and dedication. We are excited to continue seeing your good work in Fairbanks!