Nature Lights the Way, Nurture Tells the Story

Published October 12, 2018, by Michele Brown  There’s a lot of discussion underway about the highly visible face of street homelessness in Anchorage. There’s another, more hidden and pernicious face; and that’s family homelessness. On Aug. 31 of this year, there were 87 known families with a combined 290 people on the Homeless Management Information […]

Published September 14, 2018, by Michele Brown  In 2005, the Anchorage High School graduation rate was 59 percent. Since then, the aim of 90% Graduation by 2020 has been to raise and sustain the graduation rate to 90 percent or better. By 2017, the graduation rate was 81.4 percent. We’re still waiting on 2018’s certified […]

Published August 31, 2018, by Michele Brown, excerpted from her 2018 United Way of Anchorage Campaign Kickoff speech. Thank you all for being here and for being the front-line change-agents for a better Anchorage. On behalf of the staff and Board of United Way of Anchorage, we are honored to be your partner as we, […]

While there’s no silver bullet, and no single person, organization or funder that can solve homelessness alone, the good news is that we can make headway on complex problems like homelessness through the deliberate, structured collaboration of organizations, volunteers, and community investors who agree to work toward a common agenda.

Published July 2, 2018, by Michele Brown  Smiles, selfies and families standing shoulder to shoulder marked the Anchorage School District’s summer school graduation class of 41 students on Tuesday at East High School. None stood taller than the 28 Back on Track program students who walked the stage to accept their diplomas. Rightly so; six […]

Published June 25, 2018, by Michele Brown  It’s become a truism that what we’re doing about homelessness in Anchorage isn’t working. Mayor Ethan Berkowitz, committed to ending homelessness here, has said as much. When hundreds of homeless people in Anchorage continue to cycle through emergency room visits, jail, and the hazards of street life, what […]