Photo description: Colorful homes line the snowy waterfront in Hoonah in February 2026.

I am struggling this month. It is that time of winter. And news from the Lower 48 weighs heavily. Before this year, creating ICE protocols for an organization never entered my mind, and now it’s a project I’m working on. Regardless of where you may stand on immigration and the current efforts, in a state that is wonderfully diverse, we must accept that many of our fellow Alaskans feel scared and uncertain.

These realities are heavy for any community, but even more in Alaska. We are a state where we are one degree of separation. We all know each other. We help each other, regardless of politics. We open doors at the store, we say hello on the trails, we volunteer. We are Alaskans first and foremost, and when Alaskans hurt, we all feel it intrinsically.

So now what? Just like winter will end, we will move through this moment as well. For me, I am focused on getting outside and feeling gratitude for the increased light. I am also focusing on what is in my control, on seeing the good, and on how we move through this moment to a place of increased peace and a stronger community. 

There is so much good all around us. Here at the Foundation, we are blessed to see it in our everyday work. To lift our February spirits, here are some of our staff members’ favorite stories:

  • When a trailer filled with between $8,000 – $10,000 worth of camping gear was stolen from Scouting America Troop 220, the only family troop serving the East Side of Anchorage, the community rallied, raising over $14,000 through donations to the troop’s GoFundMe. Many of the donations were between just $5 and $50, demonstrating how small kindnesses can build into something with a big impact.
  • Anyone who wants to can now learn Tlingit, free of charge, thanks to Sealaska Heritage Institute’s Tlingit Language Asynchronous Course. The organization has been building its version of “Duolingo for Tlingit” on an online language-learning platform. Now, parents of students in Juneau schools can learn Tlingit along with their children, connecting hundreds of people to Alaska Native language learning.
  • In the wake of Typhoon Halong, Alaskans stepped up: From all over the state, donations of fish, walrus, whale meat, berries, seal oil, caribou, and more flooded Anchorage and were distributed through community effort to families and individuals displaced by the storms that hit Western Alaska. It was an outpouring of kindness and generosity that made hundreds of people feel connected to their homes and their culture. 

We are Alaska, one strong community. We will never agree on everything, but we can keep being who we are: Alaskans. We can keep showing up for one another, engaging in dialogue with those who differ, and loving each other as our neighbors and fellow Alaskans. 

Thanks for all you do,

Gretchen Guess 
President and CEO