Fishing for Support reels in great yield

What a night at the VFW! Together we matched our $5,000 grant not once, not twice, but three times over! This incredible surge of generosity has netted us over $20,000, which will be instrumental in preparing us for the winter and alleviating the $1,200 monthly rent burden.

Excitement is in the air as we progress forward, marking a three-year journey to this point. Our heartfelt thanks go to our allies, the Kenai Peninsula Food Bank and the Food Bank of Alaska, as we unite in the battle against food insecurity on the lower peninsula. We are indebted to businesses from Soldotna to Homer for their generous donations. Our gratitude extends to the individuals who so graciously overwhelmed us with their support.

The auction items were exceptional, the food was delightful, and the company was splendid. John Cox made an exceptional auctioneer. The VFW’s setup, complete with tablecloths, was beautiful.

A special thank you to all the volunteers whose countless hours made such a wonderful event possible. What a huge blessing to our community — THANK YOU!

As we move forward this spring, our building will soon be in place, there’s a list of tasks to tackle: plumbing, electrical, constructing a deck, and skirting the unit. Additionally, we require a cistern, a dedicated room for it, and a septic system. We’re eagerly seeking bids for these essential projects. We appreciate your continued support as we complete this project in 2024!

Missy Martin

Anchor Point Food Pantry President

Hope Rising

I believe we are born with natural gifts and are called to share our gifts with others through acts of service. On April 6, South Peninsula Haven House honored four Women of Distinction that exemplify extraordinary service to our community and beyond. While their gifts vary (lighting up the stage as a performing artist, offering a school setting for children fleeing violence, teaching mathematics in Singapore and Malaysia, creating the “cookie chronicles” storytelling project as an incentive for students to excel) they also share a characteristic ­— each woman inspires hope by graciously giving their gifts to others.

Thank you Nina, Flo, Ireland and Keri for your service. Thank you to our generous community for supporting Haven House and our nonviolent mission.

With love,

Maria Walker

Haven House Board Member

Thoughts on education appreciated

Thank you, Jason Davis, for your excellent review of the state educational funding situation. I too went to religious schools from first grade until partway through college. All of this was paid for my parents resources and my hard work for tuition. I was taught that this is a free country with choice and no special religious considerations. Now in my very old age I am saddened and disheartened at the tyranny of the minority to foist their own religious preferences, as law! onto everybody.

Kay Curtis

Homer, Kachemak City

Celebrating Homer theater arts

Growing up in Homer in the ‘60s and ‘70s, there were a few opportunities to perform and be involved in the arts. The Country Western Jamboree, the Cabin Fever Variety Show and school musicals and performances to name a few. Homer has always been known as an “Arts” community; but moving back after several decades, I am blown away with the level of talent that has both grown up and moved here to enrich our community.

If you were raised in Homer with artistic ambitions, you typically dreamed of the big city and bright lights. You often don’t appreciate your hometown as much as others who discover it as an adult. I couldn’t wait to move away after high school graduation and lived in Los Angeles and New York City, studying acting and voice and dance. Eventually, the lure of Alaska and my roots lured me back and I am so glad to have returned.

This past week, I was fortunate to be involved in a production directed by another Homer High graduate who left to study in New York City and brought her knowledge and talents back to Homer to share with the community who raised her. Breezy Berryman, along with an amazing team of collaborators and supporters, presented her production of “Swan Lake” over three performances at the Mariner theater.

Apples don’t fall far from the tree; and Breezy comes by her love of dance naturally from her talented mother, Jill Berryman. Breezy’s training in ballet technique and her love and passion for teaching dance shined bright this past weekend as her students put on a show that made Homer and everyone proud.

It’s hard work being an artist full of passion and dreams; and sharing that passion with hopes of inspiring others. There is so much talent in our community and as we continue to support the arts, not just by attending performances; but by getting involved (through tech or performance or funding) we ensure the survival of a rich cultural heritage that has been passed down over the decades.

I was captivated watching Breezy dance on stage as her brother worked the rigging in the wings and her uncle called cues on headset, as her mother rushed between dressing rooms and the wings, giving attention to details, and her father and aunt sat in the audience beaming with pride.

Thank God for artists who work tirelessly to share their talents with all of us so that we can FEEL and HEAL and come together as a community and celebrate what it means to be HUMAN! BRAVO to the cast and crew of “Swan Lake” and to Breezy for sharing her talents; and may we all rise with the tide in our community and share our talents and work more closely together to bring JOY to the lives around us.

Jim Anderson

Homer

Stamp out hunger

Saturday, May 11 marks the 32nd anniversary of one of America’s great days of giving — the National Association of Letter Carriers Stamp Out Hunger Food drive.

Letter carriers walk through the community every day, often coming face to face with a sad reality for too many, hunger. So, each year on the second Saturday in May, letter carriers across the country collect non-perishable food donations from our customers. These donations go directly to local food pantries to provide food to people in Alaska who need our help.

Over the course of its 32-year history, the drive has collected well over 1.9 billion pounds of food, thanks to a postal service universal delivery network that spans the entire nation, including Puerto Rico, Guam and U.S. Virgin Islands.

The need for food donations is great. Currently, more than 44 million Americans are unsure where their next meal is coming from. More than 13 million are children who feel hunger’s impact on their overall health and ability to perform in school. And nearly 5.5 million seniors over age 60 are food insecure, with many who live on fixed incomes often too embarrassed to ask for help.

Our food drive’s timing is crucial. Food banks and pantries often receive the majority of their donations during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday seasons. By springtime, many pantries are depleted, entering the summer low on supplies at a time when many school breakfast and lunch programs are not available to children in need.

Participating in this year’s Letter Carrier Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive is simple. Just leave a nonperishable food donation in a bag by your mailbox Saturday, May 11 and your letter carrier will do the rest.

With your help, letter carriers and the U.S. Postal Service have collected over 1.9 billion pounds of food in the United States over the 32 years as a national food drive. Please help us in our fight to end hunger, as we celebrate our 32nd anniversary year in America’s great day of giving. Participating locations are Kenai, Soldotna and Homer.

Tommy Devros, president

National Association of Letter Carriers Branch 4319, Anchorage