HOPE worldwide - Alaska Chapter

In summer 2013, HOPE worldwide - Alaska Chapter partnered with the Great Land Christian Church to build an agricultural camp near Talkeetna, AK for at-risk youth. Our goal is to host over 200 youth each summer, teaching them about sustainable living by growing their own food. Many studies have shown that being outside and gardening, away from electronics and daily stressors, has great impact on one’s mental and physical health.

The camp is a 101 acre lease from the Matanuska Susitna Borough. We have been able to clear ten acres of land, construct four cabins, a shed and a couple out houses. Volunteers built a sand volleyball court, tetherball area, tire swing, and fire pit. On Martin Luther King, Jr. Day 2014, 65 volunteers donated over 266 hours building beds, sewing curtains and mattress covers, repairing small engine tools, building drying racks and creating artwork for the cabins. So much has been accomplished in under a year!

This coming summer, six full time volunteers will be living at the camp, doing more construction and building trails. We look forward to our first year of collecting birch sap as well as starting our agricultural planting and harvesting. Last summer we had a makeshift “cafeteria.” This summer we plan on building a more permanent structure to use for meals and group gatherings. You are always welcome to join us and many other volunteers at the camp as we prepare the land and serve youth in need.

We hope to host our first camp for at-risk youth summer 2014, which will be a year or two earlier than our originally forecasted timeline for having the land ready.