Q1. Why did you choose to volunteer with ALSC?
I love ALSC’s mission of access to justice for Alaska’s low-income communities. The delays in SNAP benefits were horrifying, so it was an easy decision to help. My employer, AVCP, also encouraged and supported volunteering and many of my clients were Tribal Citizens in western Alaska that were waiting for their benefits.
Q2. What are some of your experiences with ALSC that have made a positive difference in the lives of others and/or the community?
I had a few cases where in conjunction with a community advocate, we were able to get back benefits because of persistence and assistance from our Tribal workers who kept amazing data so that we could get back benefits for families that really need them. There were two, in particular, that I did not think would resolve positively but did. But in general, the calls to clients to ask if they’d received their benefits and hearing that yes and they’d already gone to the store for kids was rewarding.
Q3. What do you do when you are not volunteering with ALSC?
Besides my job, I usually can be found baking, crafting, walking my dogs, or doing home renovations.