Rising through the Journey
Each and every day, our staff, the people we support, and their families experience moments of joy and triumph. Every milestone is meaningful, and every story matters. These everyday miracles are the “why” behind the work we do. The people we support show us that rising is not a single act, but a continuous journey.
Lesko Discovery Center
Community engagement flourished within our Lesko Discovery Center this past year. Thanks to generous grant funding from The Alaska Community Foundation, Hope was able to serve 34 campers at our 2024 Summer Camp. Over the course of 10 weeks, campers had a blast with various creative activities, hands-on learning, and outdoor adventures. Some of the many highlights included the Wildlife Week adventures, tie-dye shirt-making, ceramics class, meeting APD's police K9 “AC,” and riding horses at the Flying Horse Equestrian Center.
Special events—including talent shows, holiday craft fairs, inclusive dances, and the Great Big HeART Show fundraiser—brought families, friends, and neighbors together for joy and celebration. Volunteers from local organizations, mission groups, and university programs provided additional support, while new and renewed partnerships in dance, karate, and community studios broadened opportunities for skill-building and personal growth.
Throughout the year, these shared experiences led to strengthened confidence, belonging, and a renewed collective commitment to ensuring that every person has the chance to express themselves, thrive, and feel valued in their community.
Special Visit from Zack Gottsagen
Zack Gottsagen, the star of The Peanut Butter Falcon and keynote speaker at the 2025 Full Lives Conference, paid a very special visit to the Lesko Discovery Center. He was accompanied by his parents and staff from the Alaska Training Collaborative at the UAA Center for Human Development, who presented at the Full Lives Conference—where Zack delivered the keynote speech. Zack made a lasting impression on everyone. It was an honor to meet him and share more about Hope and Hope's community with him. As a special thank you, Hope Studio artists presented him with a handmade falcon art piece.
Value Spotlight: Self-Advocacy
Troy—a young man who receives supports from Hope in Kenai—proudly returned to Juneau for the Key Campaign, an annual event of the Key Coalition of Alaska, to advocate for his rights and the rights of other people with disabilities. Hope believes in the importance of people pursuing opportunities to express their voices and participate fully in the ways that are meaningful to them.
Behavioral Health Clinic
The Alaska Behavioral Health Association and its member organizations collaborated throughout the year to advocate for increased support for behavioral health services. This unified effort helped secure a $10 million increment in the final State of Alaska FY26 operating budget—an important achievement during a period of significant financial constraint. We are grateful to the legislators and state leaders who championed this work, including Representatives Genevieve Mina, Andy Josephson, and Zack Fields; Senators Kelly Merrick, James Kaufman, Forrest Dunbar, Lyman Hoffman, Cathy Giessel, and Bert Stedman; and Governor Mike Dunleavy. Their support strengthens resources for mental and behavioral health needs across Alaska.
We also extend our deep appreciation to our Behavioral Health Clinic staff, who continue to deliver high-quality care despite persistent workforce challenges. Behavioral health work requires presence, empathy, resilience, and a commitment to setting aside one’s own needs to fully support patients. Our providers and support teams consistently create therapeutic, person-centered environments where individuals feel truly seen and supported. Their work is demanding and meaningful, driven by a profound commitment to our mission and the communities we serve.
The Clinic offers a wide range of mental and behavioral health services for people with disabilities across Alaska. We currently support approximately 80 patients and their families, many of whom face substantial barriers to accessing care within their communities. Through ongoing engagement, treatment, and skill development, many patients have achieved significant progress toward independence and improved quality of life. Over the past year, individuals have secured stable housing, gained and maintained competitive employment, and developed essential skills to remain successfully in their family homes and local schools. These outcomes demonstrate the lasting impact of coordinated, patient-centered behavioral health care.
Deaf Supports Program
Hope’s Deaf Supports Team—which includes Sharon Miranda, Michael Merritt, and Judy Lange—achieved many notable successes over the past year that positively influenced advocacy, leadership, and community connections across the state. Through the Deaf Navigator team’s incredible advocacy efforts during Key Campaign in Juneau, an additional $100,000 in annual statewide funding for Deaf services was successfully secured; this will strengthen access to essential support and communication resources for Deaf Alaskans.
Through the Rural Deaf Student Supports program, students continued to thrive academically and socially, thanks to the support from host families and guidance of staff. One student, Pepper Draper, a seventh grader participating in the program, earned second place in the national Marie Jean Philip ASL Poetry Competition—an accomplishment that aptly highlights her creativity and courage, and the strong support system she has around her. Students also learned and demonstrated leadership skills during the planning and execution of a Spring Gala event for Deaf middle and high school students. With mentorship from the Deaf Supports team and Deaf education specialists, the students coordinated every stage of the event, gaining valuable experience in teamwork, leadership, and event planning, and laying the foundation for their future contributions within the Deaf community.
The program’s impact was strengthened by intern Tamia Bunton, who joined the team from the University of Alaska Anchorage. Tamia assisted through research, outreach preparation, and fieldwork, including accompanying staff on outreach trips to Wrangell and Petersburg. She observed how Deaf support services were being implemented across the state and gained practical insight into service delivery in rural environments. Tamia completed her degree in social work in May 2025, and the team extends its appreciation and best wishes as she begins her professional career in the human services field.
These achievements show the growing strength, leadership, and visibility of the Deaf community across the state and the continued importance of investing in inclusive support systems. These accomplishments were made possible through the generosity of State of Alaska grants, donors, and community partners.
Kenai Community Center
The Kenai community is tight-knit, unified, and built on camaraderie. Hope’s Kenai Community Center calendar is always filled with activities, celebrations, and local gatherings. Joy is at the heart of these community events. One particularly meaningful celebration was Patrick’s 50th birthday, which he got to share with family, friends, staff, lifelong mentors, and his coworkers at Home Depot. Our Kenai team hosted their first annual Craft Fair, showcasing the talents of support recipients, guardians, and community members. All the funds raised went straight back to the Center to support Hope’s programs across the Peninsula. The 2025 Walk and Roll for Hope in Kenai featured a live band, and their summer picnic even had a petting zoo and horseback rides. Last but not least, in March the Community Center unveiled its finalized memorial wall, which honors those we’ve lost and offers a place for reflection and shared memories. The wall has truly become a cherished part of the Center.
Mat-Su Valley and the Willow Ranch
Hope’s Willow Ranch is a semi-rural, subsistence-based environment where people with disabilities get to engage in meaningful “Alaskan” activities, including caring for animals, tending gardens, and learning skills specific to living “off the land.” This past year, the Ranch built a new chicken coop, “La Poulailler.”
With support from the Alaska Community Foundation’s “Gardening as Food Security” grant, they also planted a beautiful new orchard of apple and cherry trees that will provide a sustainable source of fresh produce for the Ranch, as well as a surplus of fruit to share with local food programs. The project has inspired other local residents to establish their own gardens and orchards and positioned the Ranch as both a food security and educational resource for the community. We will share photos as the tree orchard grows.
The Willow Ranch also welcomed support recipients and staff from the MatSu region for their second annual summer retreat. People from all five MatSu assisted living homes enjoyed a potluck meal, outdoor games, side-by-side rides, and time with the animals. Our MatSu team also enjoyed an outing to the Special Olympics event at the MatSu Miners baseball game, where they spent time together cheering on athletes and enjoying the summer atmosphere.
Value Spotlight: Integration / Inclusion
“Disability Pride reminds us that disability is not a challenge to overcome, but a source of insight, creativity, and resilience. Our united voices have reshaped laws, informed technology, and strengthened communities.”
– Michele Girault
Hope's Disco Gala, September 2024
On September 21, 2024, Hope hosted a Disco Gala, bringing together community members, partners, and donors in support of our mission. With nearly 130 attendees, the event generated more than $76,000 to directly support core, unfunded programs for Alaskans who experience disabilities.
Mayor LaFrance offered the opening remarks, and Camille Conte was our emcee. Our generous sponsors included Wells Fargo, Rasmuson Foundation, Davis Wright Tremaine, LLP, Lions Club, BDO, ConocoPhillips, Verizon Business, Alaska Airlines, and Sleeping Lady Mountain Lions Club. Combined with our donors, attendees, and volunteers, all contributions helped ensure the success of the event and reinforced our community’s shared commitment to sustaining essential disability programs and services.
The live and silent auctions and direct giving opportunities supported several of Hope’s key initiatives, including:
- The Denali Village Intentional Neighborhood
- Community Engagement Summer Camp
- The Discovery Center & Hope Studios
- Recreational and Outdoor Programs
- Safe and Accessible Housing
More than just a fundraising event, the Disco Gala was a celebration of the people that surround and sustain our mission. Every gift—large or small—contributed to safe housing, creative self-expression, outdoor adventures, and supportive community environments for the people and families we serve.
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