Harvest of Hope.

• Author: Anderson, Tasha
• Position: DINING - Fund raising - Brief article

Harvest of Hope is the annual dinner and auction fundraiser for Lutheran Social Services of Alaska (LSSA). Funds raised support its many community-enriching programs. "Our largest program is our food pantry--we distribute about five hundred thousand pounds of food throughout the year," LSSA Executive Director Alan Budahl says.

Other programs include direct assistance, which helps those who are un- or newly employed with drivers licenses, clothing vouchers, and birth certificates; the Association for Stranded Rural Alaskan, which provides temporary lodging and transportation to those who are medevac'd into Anchorage, Fairbanks, or regional hospitals and then are unable to return home; and separate emergency housing for single, homeless men and women with long term behavioral issues.

"Our newest program is the listening post located in Downtown, Anchorage. It's a group of thirty-five trained individuals who just listen. It's just a respite for people who are transiting to come up and have a cup of tea...