There’s a new way to give back to Ketchikan’s unhoused population. The Ketchikan Indian Community, or KIC, rolled out a new program this month where people can pay for and assemble care packages to those in need.
Emily Edenshaw is the tribe’s administrator and CEO. To her knowledge, there’s no other program like it in Alaska. She says that the initiative is aimed at tourists
“We often invite tourists to our homelands, but there’s really a need for service tourism,” Edenshaw said. “You have the second largest tribe in Alaska that’s really tried to innovatively create an experience for our tourists to leave a community in a better place than they found it.”
Care packages are $25 and include necessities like toothpaste, deodorant, socks, and sanitary products. People who purchase the care packages can also leave a handwritten note. Edenshaw said each dollar raised from the program will go to support the tribe’s permanent supportive housing project, a 28-unit housing complex for seniors set to open next month.
The care packages can be purchased at KIC’s newly opened gift shop at the corner of Dock and Main Streets downtown. That space was once home to the tribe’s seasonal warming shelter, which closed in the spring. The tribe will open another temporary warming shelter in the fall, although they haven’t determined a location yet.
Edenshaw said the new care package program is a way to carry on the legacy of the former warming shelter space. She said a little bit of support can go a long way.
“For those who might be wanting to do this, make it a family affair,” Edenshaw said. “Use this as an opportunity to instill the value of giving back to your children. Bring your families by the gift shop and use it as an educational opportunity while also making an impact in people’s lives.”
Edenshaw said visitors to the tribe’s gift shop will see information about the new program as soon as they walk through the door. She hopes to inform the cruise lines of the program so that more tourists can participate in it.
Hunter Morrison is a Report for America corps member for KRBD. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep him writing stories like this one. Please consider making a tax-deductible contribution.
