In the Mat-Su Valley, MYHouse’s Halcyon Garden is a powerful example of what’s possible when community, compassion, and purpose come together. The garden offers at-risk youth the chance to build skills, grow healthy food, and find connection through meaningful work. Much of the produce is harvested for the Gathering Grounds Café, a social enterprise run by MYHouse that provides job training and meals to young people experiencing homelessness. Through planting, tending, and harvesting, these young Alaskans gain confidence, stability, and a deeper sense of belonging. The garden has become a place of healing and growth, where community members come together, get their hands dirty, and sow the seeds of long-term change. This work, and other community-led projects across the state, are supported by the 2025 Community Food Security Through Gardening Grant, made possible by a legacy gift from Gerald and Kathryn Freeley. Learn more about MYHouse and the other grantees at alaskacf.org/gardening. Aleut Community of St. Paul Island Tribal Government, Calypso Farm and Ecology Center, Chilkoot Indian Association, City of Adak, Emergency Assistance and Food Bank of Valdez, Hope Community Resources, Husila Village, MyHouse, Southeast Island School District, Transition Sitka, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Upper Susitna Food Pantry, Wasilla Area Seniors, Inc. (fb)

We honor those who gave their lives in service to our country. Their sacrifice made our communities stronger, our freedoms possible, and our futures brighter. At The Alaska Community Foundation, we see legacies like theirs honored every day through scholarships in a veteran’s name, local projects that strengthen community resilience, and memorial funds that turn remembrance into action. Because remembering isn’t just about looking back, it’s about building something that lasts. In observance of Memorial Day, our office will be closed Friday, May 23, through Monday, May 26. We’ll resume regular operations on Tuesday, May 27. (fb)