Women in Alaska REACH OUT

North American Division

The women of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Alaska are involved in doing much in their communities. Heather-Dawn Small, GC Women's Ministries (WM) Director, visited this state from July 13 to August 2, 2010. While there, Small did WM Leadership Certification training and attended the Glenallen women's retreat held at Red Eagle Lodge. The women spent time in prayer, discussion, sharing, and cardmaking; this inspired some of the women to begin their own cardmaking ministry as a community outreach/seed planting project.

Someone Cares for You

The women of Alaska are working on a "Pillow Ministry" for St Elias Specialty Hospital," a 36 bed unit for long term patients. WM adopted this project during this year's Alaska Conference annual women's retreat during a visit to the facility. Byrna Botimer of the Palmer church made twenty-six travel size pillows and cases to donate to St Elias. The hospital has since opened their doors to Adventist churches to come in and minister. Pillows will be donated on a continual basis as new patients enter the facility, and the churches will go in on a weekly/monthly basis to minister in music as well.

The Knitwits

Meet the Knitwits, an Alaskan Adventist women's group which began meeting once a week in a local coffee shop to knit bags out of wool for teen girls in foster care; the group quickly grew in size as women not related to the Adventist Church asked to join the group to help knit bags. Club members fill the completed bags with things teen girls like and distribute them to the "forgotten ones"-teens in foster care.

The knitting project officially started with the Women's Ministries department in January of last year at Hillside O'Malley Adventist church. Fifty bags were donated in December to the teens; this continues as an ongoing project. The focus for this year is on making more bags but also scarves, hats, sweaters for donation to "Safe Harbor Inn," a facility for homeless families to help them get back on their feet and into permanent employment and housing.