Remember I told you all of the birth of the Wasilla Homeless-Committee? Well, we had our first meeting January 10, 2015 and I was elected Director.
Our membership was then up to 49 people. A news team from Anchorage was there to film the inaugural meeting.
Soon after this news footage aired, we had our first success. A family who'd been living in a tent for 6 months was placed into an apartment and given all they needed to get a new start on life.
By January 24, we were over 100 strong. On February 13, we had our first fund raising bake sale garnering over $2000 in profit. We made the news again!
http://www.ktva.com/bake-sale-benefits-homeless-in-mat-su-…/
Now at over 224 members strong, we are preparing to place our 6th family in a home this weekend.
On the home front, in January we have a few below zero days resulting in occasional short term freeze ups of our water, now solved by a hose that has a continuous heat of 70*, but OH MY THE ELECTRIC BILL. Our bill for January $568. For February $704. Hurry spring, hurry now.
We have picked out the cabin we want to built and put half down on the kit. It's a simple 16 x 24 with a 8' covered porch. Forget Me Not Cabins is the builder.
We are now in the process of seeking bids from contractors to put it together for us. John & I will finish the interior and box in around the foundation. A wood stove for heat, a propane range, a fridge, sink, toilet, shower, and we will be all set. The upstairs loft is 8x12 and will feature 2 dormers to give us a bit more room. The model pictured above has a ladder to the loft, but I know John and I will find a way to put a stairway instead. Can you picture us in 20 years trying to get up & down a ladder? That would be a sight to behold.
John finally got to see the Aurora Borealis January 4th. Though I tried to get pictures, I didn't have my settings correct (gotta read the book Sandi), so I will share with you some of the spectacular shots taken by my friends that night.
We have made so many wonderful friends here and are settling in to the community. February 20 marked our 6 month anniversary of our arrival in the valley.
This winter has been the mildest many can remember. Snowfall is 38" below normal. John said that God was taking pity on him, slowly breaking him in to the northern climes. We've been warmer, or on keel with many of the lower 48.
We truly pity John's cousin Jean who lives in Worcester, MA. She has been totally buried in snow, as have several of our other RVing friends who chose to winter further south. "Told ya'all we'd be alright" To all the naysayers and gloomy Gus's who told us we'd freeze to death...RASPBERRIES to you
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KbeRaADH-s
