From New York to Alaska: Couple Drives Almost 5,000 Miles to Volunteer in Anchorage

Kerry Reifel Volunteer Stories

By: Kris Johnson Sherry and Ted Hersey have always made it a point to volunteer in their communities. When the onset of COVID-19 led to lockdown, in-person interactions came to a screeching halt, so showing up to give back was no longer a possibility. The couple got online in search of a way to continue helping others.  “Covenant House Alaska …

Covenant House Alaska Welcomes New Board Members

Kerry Reifel Events

Covenant House Alaska is thrilled to introduce several exceptional individuals who have joined our board of directors during this past year. With a shared commitment to addressing youth homelessness and providing support, these dynamic leaders bring a wealth of experience and a diverse range of backgrounds to further our mission, enriching our board with their unique perspectives and adding to …

Volunteer Spotlight: Nate Ward

coveyhouse Events, Mentor, Volunteer Stories

By Angela Weiland The Music Room  For Covenant House youth, having volunteers that consistently show up is immensely important, regardless of the skill or activity at hand. As a volunteer in the music room, Nate can attest to this fact! Each week, without fail, Nate shows up to the music room in order to provide a relaxing experience for youth to …

Volunteer Spotlight: Grace Blouin

coveyhouse Volunteer Stories

Aug. 12, 2022 By Sam Buisman – Covenant House Alaska Staff Writer Most people are excellent at a few things or can do well at a lot of things. However, Grace Blouin is not like most people, with seemingly no limit to her excellence. For years upon years, Grace has served at Covenant House Alaska with an unmatched enthusiasm for …

Volunteer Spotlight: Theresa Rodgers

coveyhouse Volunteer Stories

By M. Main – Covenant House Volunteer Blogger Theresa Rodgers is a long-standing volunteer who has been with Covenant House Alaska since they opened their doors.  Originally from the Northeast United States and currently a nurse with the Alaska Native Medical Center, Theresa moved to Alaska on a two-year work contract in 1986 and never left. Upon arrival, she quickly …

Volunteer Spotlight: Andrew Dahlin

coveyhouse Mentor, Volunteer Stories

July 11, 2022 By Sam Buisman, Covenant House Alaska Staff Writer It’s well known that seven is a lucky number, and we at Covenant House Alaska feel both lucky and humbled to have had Andrew Dahlin as a volunteer for the past seven years! As a volunteer for five years and a mentor for the past two, Andrew has given …

What is person-first language, and why do we use it at Covey?

coveyhouse Awareness

May 27, 2022 By Sam Buisman – Covenant House Alaska Staff Writer Eagle-eyed readers of our blog and social media pages may have noticed that we use the phrase “youth experiencing homelessness” rather than “homeless youth” — what’s up with that? When reading or hearing “youth experiencing homelessness,” it sounds clunky and awkward compared to the sleeker “homeless youth.” It …

Volunteer Spotlight: Heidi and Mike Valantas

coveyhouse Volunteer Stories

May 20, 2022 By Sam Buisman – Covenant House Alaska Staff Writer One of the greatest perks of Covenant House Alaska is getting to see exceptional people rise up to do exceptional things. But when the husband-and-wife duo Heidi and Mike Valantas come in to volunteer, we get to see not just one, but two of such people! While Heidi …

Volunteer Spotlight Hayley Chronkhite

Volunteer Spotlight: Hayley Cronkhite

coveyhouse Volunteer Stories

Apr. 20, 2022 By Sam Buisman – Covenant House Alaska Staff Writer With this month’s Volunteer Spotlight falling within National Volunteer Week, we want to celebrate our volunteer Hayley Cronkhite, who was Covenant House Alaska’s honoree at Anchorage’s Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon.  For over two years, Hayley has opened up the Art Room at our Youth Engagement Center for our youth …

Volunteer Spotlight: Activities with Amelia

coveyhouse Volunteer Stories

Mar. 24, 2022 By Sam Buisman – Covenant House Alaska Staff Writer Our volunteers breathe joy into Covenant House Alaska, and no one exemplifies this better than Amelia Jeffries, whose weekly activity series remains highly anticipated and thoroughly loved by our youth.  After Amelia moved from Australia and began volunteering at Covenant House Alaska, her weekly “Activities with Amelia” has …