Wasilla, Alaska – The Mat-Su Health Foundation (MSHF) awarded eight Healthy Impact, Strategic and Discovery grants totaling $1,020,997 in the first quarter of 2022. The grants will support local nonprofit organizations providing services to improve the health and wellness of Alaskans living in the Mat-Su.

• Alaska Children’s Trust: $15,000 to support the Alaska Afterschool Network in providing professional development to afterschool and summer programs in the Mat-Su, engage Mat-Su providers in its Youth Program Quality Initiative, and convene and strengthen the afterschool sector.
• Alaska Family Services: $30,000 to provide an additional year of funding for the half-time CEO (Chief Elf Organizer) and quarter-time Assistant CEO positions for the Mat-Su Special Santa program.
• Beacon Hill: $226,398 for the Safe Families for Children hosting program in Mat-Su, including recruiting for and training of host families and other program volunteers.
• Blood-N-Fire Ministries: $145,540 in operating funds for the Knik House program that offers temporary housing supports to individuals experiencing homelessness.
• LINKS Mat-Su Parent Resource Center: $454,000 for operating funds for the High Utilizer Mat-Su (HUMS) program providing complex case management for adults who are high utilizers of hospital emergency department.
• Mat-Su Imagination Library: $35,000 to help maintain monthly book deliveries from the national Imagination Library for enrolled Mat-Su children under five years of age.
• University of Alaska Foundation: $40,059 to support the COVID-19 Resilience Recovery Program which builds resilience through a focus on three key factors: self-awareness, coping skills, and boundaries.
• Wasilla High School: $75,000 to commission a new statue representing the school’s namesake, Chief Wasilla, that will replace the existing installation at the school’s front entrance and to support the development of local educational materials about Dena’ina history and culture.

Information about all Mat-Su Health Foundation grant programs is available at healthymatsu.org.

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About Mat-Su Health Foundation: Mat-Su Health Foundation (MSHF) is the official business name of Valley Hospital Association, Inc., which shares ownership in Mat-Su Regional Medical Center. In this capacity, MSHF board members and representatives actively participate in the governance of Mat-Su’s community hospital to protect the community’s interest in this important healthcare institution. The MSHF mission is to improve the health and wellness of Alaskans living in the Mat-Su and the tools it uses include grantmaking, convening of local partners, and policy change. The foundation’s work has resulted in significant improvements in systems that support the health of Mat-Su residents in areas such as behavioral health, child welfare, crisis response, community connections, workforce development, transportation, housing, and senior services. More information is available at healthymatsu.org