I have a love/hate relationship with this time of year. Maybe you can relate. “Breakup” is an apt word for the way Alaskans encounter April. We keep trying to declare an end to winter, even as the season hangs on, outstaying its welcome. The potholes left by winter’s freeze and thaw, the narrow streets made narrower by lingering berms of snow — these are the final obstacles we have to get past so spring can finally start. 

And yet there’s good to be found in this sloppy, gray soup of a season. Drivers pause in those narrow streets and wave at each other, patiently waiting for their turn to navigate between berms. Cars slow when they approach giant puddles, taking care not to douse pedestrians with standing water. When I take time to notice these small acts of consideration for others, I smile and feel lighter. I carry those acts with me and try to make my own positive impact on the day. 

Good things can create ripple effects that inspire others to reimagine positive solutions to the challenges in their own communities. This month, we launch a new storytelling campaign that highlights how Alaskans are igniting change in their communities in big and small ways. “Bright Spots” shines a light on efforts that inspire and uplift. 

Our first story focuses on Sitka, where a group of volunteers decided that providing temporary shelter for those experiencing homelessness wasn’t enough. To create a long-term, permanent solution, Sitka Homeless Coalition built Hítx’i Sáani (“Little Houses”), a community of tiny homes where homeless individuals can live, no strings attached. 

An instrument that brought new music to Juneau. A movement among youth in Kiana that grew from a young woman’s desire to do one positive thing for her hometown. In Soldotna, a community that’s grown out of an indoor option for active seniors. Each of these future “Bright Spots” stories demonstrates how good things spread. One person’s actions inspire someone else. One village’s ideas show another community a new path to solutions. 

This spring, when you look at the melting piles of gray snow and gloomy sky, and you’re wondering where the good is, look for the Bright Spots. 

Thanks for all you do. 

Gretchen Guess 
President and CEO