Occasionally TWC staff will travel out on the tundra or up the frozen river in hopes of bringing home fish or meat to help supply the shelter with food during winter. In any case, these ventures are a relaxing and enjoyable retreat from the office. Recently, TWC staff Jamie Hinz, Matilda Bee, Anna Alexie along with Joe Green headed out and brought back a nice caribou. Shelter residents joined together to prepare the meat for freezing.
TWC is now accepting nominations for individuals living in the Y-K delta until Friday, March 5th. Nomination forms can be dropped off at TWC, mailed to TWC, PO Box 2029, Bethel AK, 99559 or faxed to (907)543-3752. Chosen individuals will be honored at the 9th Annual Yukegtaaq dinner/silent auction on Saturday, April 10th, 5:30pm at the Cultural Center. Last year’s winners included: George Billy of Napakiak, Lillian Kiunya of Kwigillingok and Mary C. Pete of Bethel. Nominees are those who encourage a safe and healthy environment for family and community and work toward a better future for those of the Y-K delta. Call us at 907-543-3444 for any questions!
As a donation to TWC’s Children’s Program, Jane Kato of Hawaii, sent us recycled crayons. She melted down crayons that were not being used and then molded them into tropical themed shapes that the kids have already had lots of fun with! TWC thanks you Jane for your generous and creative donation!
…school-aged children an opportunity to spend time in a healthy and safe environment with their peers. In this group meeting, kids read a story about what our hands are for. We said hands were NOT for hitting. Hands are for clapping, hugging, making music, making shadows, saying hello, and FINGER PAINTING….
The new TWC building has provided TAAV with its own self-contained programming room. The program room has a full kitchenette and additional storage space for outdoor gear and program supplies. One of the best elements of the new space is its privacy. In the old building, meetings were held in the large conference room where foot traffic was high. In the new space TAAV meetings can operate almost uninterrupted. Thus, the new environment has positively impacted implementation of activities, depth of discusssions and project completion.
To understand a little more about the experience of local law enforcement, TWC’s Legal Advocate, Ariel Herman, volunteered to accompany a Bethel Police officer on duty. She landed in a police cruiser with Sargeant Corbett for a four-hour ride along around town. Ariel said it was interesting to see Bethel from the perspective of a police cruiser. Although not allowed into homes during calls, Ariel discussed with Srgt. Corbett his experiences afterwards. When asked how he stays positive in a line of work that brings him face to face with domestic and alcohol-related violence everyday, he responded that those he’s able to help even a small amount keeps him positive about the future.
This weekends K300 mushers fared very well considering trail conditions included severe wind, little snow and glare ice. John Baker and his team took first, Martin Buser took second and Lance Mackey came in third. It seemed as though the entire Bethel community was out to support the race! Volunteers checked times, transported dogs, fed and housed mushers and their teams. The weather was brutal but that didn’t stop the mushers and community members from going out and support the race.
Bethel Family Clinic was generous in donating chairs for TWC’s waiting room! We appreciate your support and thoughtfulness.
A special thanks goes to all those who helped prep the building for Opening, and to those who worked during the day to keep things running smoothly. Whether it was a food tray or internet failure, staff and supporters chipped in where they were needed and the pay off was a great event that the entire community enjoyed. Thank you also to our guests who traveled from near and far to express their support. Also a big thanks to our board members for all of their help with this entire project!
Guests at the Grand Opening this Thursday, who have made significant contributions to Tundra Women’s Coalition’s new construction, may receive a special “Thank You.” That is, if staff haven’t eaten all of them already.
