ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – Helping people experiencing homelessness with their immediate needs is the idea behind the Good Neighbor Fund which was officially launched on Wednesday with a ceremony that included Mayor Suzanne LaFrance, local business people and non-profits in Town Square Park.
Anchorage resident Kenny Petersen, who dreamed up the idea several years ago, has been operating the fund as a pilot project for the last two years, using his own money to fund it. In that time Petersen said they’ve helped 42 people with housing and 72 people with transportation, among many other things.
“Cab rides and so on to get from the Safety Center to appointments,” he said. “We’ve helped out with pet care, we’ve helped out with ID’s. We’ve helped out with all sorts of things that are for immediate needs, right then, right away.”…