The Nikiski Senior Center and the Kenai Peninsula Homeless Coalition both recently received grants from the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority. According to a Dec. 10 press release, the trust awarded over $7.2 million in grants to organizations throughout the state during the second quarter of fiscal year 2026.
According to the release, the Trust awards over $25 million annually in grants to organizations that support a variety of Trust beneficiary-related purposes throughout Alaska, including “capacity building, direct service, planning, capital projects, and workforce initiatives to organizations.”
“The grants awarded this quarter represent a significant investment in the continuum of care; from expanding crisis stabilization and prevention efforts to strengthening our essential workforce,” CEO Mary Wilson wrote in the press release. “We are proud to support these dedicated partners working to deliver positive, lasting outcomes for beneficiaries in communities throughout the state.”
The Nikiski Senior Center received $150,000 to support its Kenai Peninsula Family Support Program. According to program coordinator Dani Kebschull and outreach specialist Nicole Lockner, the senior center will use the funds for everything from respite services to consumable supplies and medical equipment.
The Family Caregiver Support Program is a nonprofit offering meal programs, transportation services, activities and more to unpaid caregivers supporting family members or loved ones over the age of 60, or anyone with dementia or Alzheimer’s. It aims to support caregivers throughout the peninsula and improve the quality of life for those they’re caring for.
“None of us are getting younger, right?” Kebschull said during a phone call to the Clarion on Dec. 11. “This grant serves people and family caregivers who are taking care of — or even just checking in on — someone 60 years of age or older. They don’t have to have dementia; they can just check in by virtue of their age.”
Kebschull said the Family Caregiver Support Program has evolved from a grassroots effort supporting daughters caring for their ailing mothers into a nationwide program offering grants to anyone caring for a loved one at home.
“If you pick up meds, take the individual shopping, help with bathing, clothing, feeding, or any other daily activity, YOU are a caregiver,” the Nikiski Senior Center’s website reads. Kebschull said the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority grant will support the program’s mission for two years.
The Kenai Peninsula Homeless Coalition received $5,000 to support Project Homeless Connect, a one-day event on Jan. 27. Kathy Gensel, who serves as co-chair of the organization alongside Leslie Rohr, said the coalition will use the funds to purchase essential items like hand warmers, hygiene products, coats and snacks to hand out during the event.
Gensel said the main goal of Project Homeless Connect “is to help those that are homeless or near homeless get the resources that they need in one spot, at one time, to hopefully make it a little bit easier for them.”
“We also feed them and hand out goodies to them,” she said. “We’ll have coats, socks, hats, food, toilet paper and diapers.”
The event will connect folks to resources all over the peninsula. Project Homeless Connect will distribute backpacks full of supplies to people experiencing homelessness at the Soldotna Field House, the South Peninsula Athletic and Recreation Center in Homer and AVTEC in Seward all day on Jan. 27.
According to Gensel, the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority grant ensures “every client that comes in gets a backpack filled with goodies.”
To learn more about the grants awarded, visit the quarterly grant report available on the AMHT website.
