Catholic Social Services - Alaska

08/20/2026

One of the most important human needs is simply to be heard, to know that someone cares about what you have to say and wants to know what’s on your mind. This not only helps us think through some of our feelings, it affirms to us that we belong and are a valued part of our community.

That’s why we’re extremely grateful to our Listening Post volunteers, who make dedicated time to just sit and listen to the guests at our shelters and at locations all over Anchorage. By sitting and sharing time with others without offering advice or trying to fix problems, they provide a great service to our community members who need it, treating them with dignity and respect and helping them to know they are valued.
You can learn more about the Listening Post as their website: https://listeningpostanchorage.com/

08/18/2026

FashionPact has been a terrific supporter of Catholic Social Services and other nonprofits in Alaska since they launched in 2021! When you shop for quality second-hand goods at FashionPact, a portion of the proceeds goes to a non-profit of your choice, including CSS. A huge thank you to FashionPact for their partnership over the years and for highlighting us this month, and thank you to all of the FashionPact customers who designate their proceeds to Catholic Social Services where it can provide food, shelter, and hope for the future to our neighbors in need.

08/13/2026

Thank you to the great group from Shallowford Presbyterian Church for all their help at Grow North Farm in June! Their youth group came all the way from Atlanta, GA to help out our community, and they did a terrific job rolling up their sleeves and helping us get everything ready for the market season.

Thanks team!

08/11/2026

The farming season is in full swing, and we wanted to give a shout out to the crew from Westminster College for all their help getting the farm plots ready in May! We had a fantastic group of students tilling, raking, and hauling to make sure that the Fresh International Gardens co-op had a ready space to grow their produce.

For many of our newly arrived families in the RAIS program, FIG provides an important first step to working in Alaska, providing a supportive environment for them to earn money, enjoy community, and practice their business and language skills. Thank you for welcoming our new neighbors and setting them up for a successful growing year!

If you'd like to support the participants in our FIG co-op yourself, check out https://www.cssalaska.org/get-involved/upcoming-events/grow-local-give-local/

08/06/2026

We want to give a throwback shout-out to the Gopher Catholic crew from University of MN that joined CSS for their spring break mission trip! They were a fantastic help with all sorts of projects, from maintenance and tote assembly to hosting bingo and games at Complex Care.

Thank you for your service to our community, and we hope to see you again next year!

08/04/2026

Especially for people who are on their feet a lot, poor foot health and foot injuries are one of those small things that can creep up slowly and then make an enormous impact on our mobility and quality of life. When not taken care of, little annoyances like warts, bunions, and ingrown toenails can quickly turn into constant pain and opportunities for infection.

We're incredibly thankful to our corp of volunteers who provide periodic foot care to the guests at our shelters, inspecting their feet for injuries, and washing, trimming, and tending to this key aspect of health and mobility. It's not glamorous work, but it makes a world of difference and provides an opportunity to connect with guests and build relationships, supporting both physical and mental wellbeing. As always, we could never do this work and serve our neighbors without your support. Thank you!

07/30/2026

Can you help us provide fresh towels and blankets? Brother Francis Shelter and Complex Care are both in need, so they can equip our neighbors for success.

When someone is working on getting back on their feet, having access to basic needs like towels for showering and blankets for sleeping means one less thing for them to worry about in their day, so they can put their focus and energy toward rebuilding permanent stability.

New and gently used blankets and towels can be delivered directly to Brother Francis Shelter (1021 E. 3rd Ave) or Complex Care (303 W. Fireweed Lane) any weekday from 10am - 6pm.

Thank you for your commitment to our community!

07/28/2026

We really loved this article written by one of our Clare House meals providers, Christi Foist, for Alaska Business: https://digital.akbizmag.com/issue/april-2026/feed-others-what-you-would-feed-yourself/

Volunteer groups like Christi and her church community provide home-cooked meals for the moms and kids at Clare House 365 days a year, and we truly could not provide this level of care without them. Christi's piece even gives some great history on how long the meals program with Clare House has been running and some of the first folks that helped get it started.

Thank you to Christi and her community for all of their service to our neighbors over the years!

When I started occasionally cooking dinner for Clare House, a Catholic Social Services Alaska-run shelter for women and children in Anchorage, I usually had more of one ingredient than I could use up in even a potluck soup.

07/23/2026

We need your help! Brother Francis Shelter and Complex Care are both in need of fresh blankets and towels for our guests.

When someone is working on getting back on their feet, having the basics covered lets them focus on the big things, putting the pieces in place to build healthy and stable lives. Every towel or blanket given helps someone in need take the next step in their journey.

Blankets and towels can be delivered directly to Brother Francis Shelter (1021 E. 3rd Ave) or Complex Care (303 W. Fireweed Lane) any weekday from 10am - 6pm.

Thank you for supporting our community!

07/21/2026

Thank you to the Plein Air Painters of Alaska for generously hosting the 17th Annual Plein Air Weekend this coming weekend! The event will take place on Saturday, July 25 and Sunday, July 26 from 10am – 6pm at 5801 Barry Avenue in Anchorage.

This is a free, all-ages opportunity for community members to watch artists painting live on location, visit with them, and shop for art in a silent auction. Proceeds from the silent auction and a split-the-pot raffle will benefit Clare House, to help provide safe shelter for moms and kids in need.

This year’s artists include Cade Bennett, Bonnie Chavis, Jim Crum, Elizabeth Funk, Ann Marie Henderson, Kurt Jacobson, Valerie Jaimes, Cynthia Calder Kolstad, Don Kolstad, Nikos Melambianakis, Elsbeth Monnett, Matt Peterson, Elizabeth Pohjola, Lynda Reed, Kathy Vail-Roche, Rhonda Scott, Chris Tower Zafren.

We're looking forward to a lovely weekend!