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Located at 609 F Street across from the
Alaska
Center for the Performing Arts in
downtown
Anchorage
Our
shelter provides a safe place to sleep, food, clothing, counseling
and medical care to kids ages 13 to 20. We are open 365 days
a year, 24 hours a day and all of our services are free of
charge.
We
have been serving homeless and runaway youth at the Crisis
Center for over 14 years. Our staff is well trained and have
experience with nearly every situation imaginable. Our primary
goal is to work with youth and their families, hopefully returning
them home safely. If returning home is not an option, we work
with the family to find a safe alternative placement.
We
also focus on helping older youth (ages 18 to 20) with education,
employment and finding stable living arrangements. We work
closely with other Covenant House Programs, such as Job Development
and the Transitional Living Program to address their needs.
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“
Unconditional love and total acceptance is the heart of
what we do
at Covenant House Alaska.
No
matter what situation brought our kids to Covenant House,
we
welcome them and try to help.”
~Connie
Morgan
Read more. |
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Open
Intake Policy
The hallmark of Covenant House Alaska’s Crisis Center
is our “Open Intake” policy. This means our door
is always open. We never tell kids we have no room. We never
tell them to come back later. If they want to be here, they
are welcome. We provide hot food, a shower, clean clothes,
a warm bed, and any immediate medical attention they might
need. Just as the door is always open for them to enter, the
door is always open for them to leave. It is their choice
to participate in our programs.
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Choice
is fundamental in our philosophy and it works hand in hand
with our open intake policy. The choice to come to Covenant
House Alaska and enter our program belongs to the kids. No
one can force them. Staff members work with them, developing
a relationship of trust that builds on their desire to make
positive changes in their life.
Health
Services Because life on the streets makes kids
highly susceptible to a variety of illnesses and injuries,
the Crisis Center provides health services. Our nurse practitioner
is on call 24 hours a day. Kids may also receive free walk-in
medical services Monday through Friday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
at our Youth Resource Center. |
Arts
& Recreation
Kids need healthy outlets for their energy and creativity. Our full-time
recreational staff work with the kids to engage them in fun activities
and provide an outlet for physical and emotional energy. Whether
it is walking the Coastal Trail, swimming, making keepsake boxes,
creative writing or riding bikes, we show kids that there are many
healthy ways to have fun and express themselves.
For
more information or to learn more involved please contact:
Connie
Morgan, Crisis Center Program Coordinator
(907) 272-1255
cmorgan@covenanthouseak.org
Connie
Morgan, Crisis Center Program Coordinator. With CHA since 1988.
Unconditional
love and total acceptance is the heart of what we do at Covenant
House Alaska. No matter what situation brought our kids to Covenant
House, we welcome them and try to help. We do not hold their past
against them, which is a unique and wonderful thing. Staff at Covenant
House have learned to look beyond the mask of clothes, hair and
language to see the suffering and pain inside our kids. The youth
can be challenging sometimes but their resilience is a wonderful
reminder of why we are here.
I learn
new things from our kids all the time. I have learned what true
courage is by witnessing their courage in going on regardless of
how many times they are knocked down by life. I have also learned
to admire their adaptability in accepting the rules and structure
we impose upon them.
The fashions
change, but the kids remain the same. I believe growing up has gotten
much harder in our changing world, and kids need something stable
in their lives. Covenant House provides that stability, if only
for a little while, and I want to be a part of that.
My message to our kids is this:
"Value yourself. You are a unique and special person, who has
the ability to do anything you choose."
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