Justice Organizing Interfaith Network - JOIN

04/27/2026

South Park Estates leaders make front-page-news.

Since September, residents of South Park Estates, a manufactured home park in Midtown Anchorage, have been connecting, training, researching, and mobilizing to secure a fair deal as their community faces redevelopment into luxury apartments and commercial space.

This week, the city learned their story during a special Anchorage Assembly meeting and on the front page of the Anchorage Daily News’ Sunday edition.

Read the full article on adn.com here: https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/anchorage/2026/04/24/in-an-anchorage-mobile-home-park-slated-for-demolition-owners-are-now-pushing-back/

04/07/2026

While many of our families gathered for Easter celebrations, families at South Park Estates manufactured home park took their fight public. In an op-ed in the Anchorage Daily News, two community leaders laid out the impossible situation they've been forced into by Midtown development… and what will make it right.

South Park Estates residents say they’re being forced off land they don’t own, with homes they can’t afford to move and nowhere left to go.

04/15/2025

HAPPENING TONIGHT: AMHORA to host Public Meeting on Rights and Resources Protecting Manufactured Home Residents

The Alaska Manufactured Home Owners & Residents Association (AMHORA) will host a public meeting on Tuesday, April 15th, 2025, from 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM at the First Presbyterian Church in Anchorage. The meeting will focus on connecting manufactured home residents to vital information about their rights and existing government and nonprofit resources that ensure safety, security, and peace of mind for these communities.

Manufactured home residents in Alaska face unique challenges, most owning their homes but renting the land underneath. Eviction or non-renewal of leases frequently means homeowners must abandon their greatest asset because of the logistical, legal, and financial challenges associated with moving their homes. The stakes could not be higher for the 4,600 largely low- and middle-income Anchorage families living in these communities who increasingly find their rent increasing, infrastructure aging, and parks sold to out-of-state private equity firms.

Over the past year, AMHORA has worked with municipal offices and nonprofit organizations to identify resources that can protect manufactured home residents. They found that this crucial information is spread across different agencies, making it difficult for residents to easily access the help they need to live safely, securely, and affordably in their homes.

Tuesday’s meeting will include a summary of AMHORA’s research on resources for manufactured home residents, public testimony, and statements from Darrel Hess, Anchorage Ombudsman; Assemblymember Felix Rivera; Jed Drolet, Anchorage Health Department; and Chief of Code Enforcement John Snelson.

12/07/2024

Public Meeting Announcement: Public Meeting to Address Developments at Fairview Recreation Center

Central Lutheran Church's Local Organizing Ministry (LOM) will host a public meeting on Tuesday, December 10, 2024 about updates to the operation of the Fairview Recreation Center (FRC) over the last year and discuss opportunities to deepen its connection with the neighborhood. The meeting, which will take place from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Central Lutheran Church, located at 1420 Cordova Street, Anchorage, will include a research report and community testimony, along with statements from the Fairview Elementary Principal and Parks and Recreation. Topics will include staffing, operational hours, programs, and outreach efforts at FRC.

In the summer of 2023, members of the Local Organizing Ministry, began to hear concerns from neighbors about the accessibility and operation of the Fairview Recreation Center, a municipal facility managed by Anchorage Parks & Recreation. Concerns noted reduced operating hours, closures on weekends, and decreased program offerings.

In response, the LOM initiated a year of research with Parks & Recreation staff, city officials, and other local nonprofits. The team sought to understand the causes of the service cutbacks, raise the concerns of Fairview residents, and explore opportunities to strengthen this vital neighborhood resource.

This public meeting will present findings from this research, describe recent improvements made at FRC, and discuss the importance of building strong, stable partnerships to ensure that Fairview families continue to have access to essential health and wellness opportunities. There will be an opportunity for public testimony and a reception following the meeting.

The Central Lutheran Local Organizing Ministry is a member of Anchorage Faith in Action - Congregations Together (AFACT) and the Justice Organizing Interfaith Network (JOIN). More information on JOIN and AFACT can be found at www.alaskajoin.org.

11/15/2024

This Sunday, Catholic communities across the world will celebrate the World Day of the Poor with a special mass. In the US, this mass includes a special collection supporting the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD).

CCHD is the U.S. Catholic bishops' domestic anti-poverty, social justice program. Its mission is to address the root causes of poverty in America through promoting and supporting community-controlled self-help organizations and transformative education.

CCHD has long supported Anchorage Faith & Action - Congregations Together (AFACT), Valley Interfaith Action, and JOIN in our effort to protect the rights and dignity of economically marginalized Alaskans through empowerment and leadership development. Recently, two Alaskan leaders joined JOIN Director Cody Carver for a conversation about the impact of CCHD's support. Watch the full conversation with Deacon Jon Hermon (Sacred Heart Catholic Church) and Dahna Graham (Central Lutheran Church) on YouTube: https://youtu.be/HbTFbpGVDK8?si=-9-n5WT_1A77kOKI

Learn more about CCHD and this weekend's special collection here: https://aoaj.org/catholic-campaign-for-human-development

The Archdiocese of Anchorage-Juneau helps fund Justice Organizing Interfaith Network (JOIN) through a grant provided by the Catholic Campaign for Human Devel...

10/04/2024

In August, members of JOIN's leadership met with Cathy Rasmuson and the team at Alaska Community Foundation. In his estate, Ed Rasmuson left our network a gift that will resonate for generations: $625,000 for JOIN’s endowment.

Read more about the meeting in our email announcement: https://mailchi.mp/63748e8176e3/ed-rasmusons-gift-to-join?e=[UNIQID]

Get email updates directly by subscribing in the link in the comments

05/16/2024

The North Star Catholic featured a story about the ATV safety education meeting hosted by leaders from Sacred Heart Catholic Church's Local Organizing Ministry. At the meeting, chaired by Father David Nations, leaders presented research on the impact that confusing laws and unsafe ATV-riding practices have on Mat-Su communities, particularly youth.

Among the nearly 50 community members that came out on a cold Monday evening to participate and give testimony were youth and parents, ATV riders and safety-instructors, bike-riders, runners, doctors, and police officers.

Featured guests, Wasilla Middle School Asst. Principal Allegra Butler and Alaska Safe Riders Director Mike Buck, spoke about the importance of education in protecting young riders and committed to developing a pilot education program to teach WMS students what they need to know to ride safely and legally.

Read the full article here: bit.ly/3wrNqD5

The Sacred Heart Catholic Church Local Organizing Ministry is a member of Valley Interfaith Action (VIA), a sponsor of JOIN.