Good Neighbors in Kotzebue.
The following is reposted from two blogs in Kotzebue – Keeping it Real at 66 Degrees North Latitude, and Finnskimo. Kotzebue is located on the Seward Penninsula in Northwest Alaska, and is actually the birthplace of my dog Buf, whom many of you know through the blog. She was a rescue dog, shipped to Anchorage via the kindness of Northern Air Cargo who transported several puppies to Anchorage for free, where they were adopted by loving families. So, I have a soft spot in my heart for Kotzebue, although I have never been there.
The following is an amazing example of neighbors helping neighbors, and the power of the internet, even in the most remote places, to bring people together and connect them through the Netroots. It’s also a great display of creative energy and helping others through your own talents and skills.
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One good thing about living in a village, is the astounding help you get in the wake of a tragedy.
Early last Saturday morning, the residents in Kotzebue (those who were awake, or awakened by the sirens) witnessed a sight so awful, words can not describe. A house fire ravaged four homes in the middle of town. Three of those homes were completely destroyed along with the memories within them. One home was partially burned, but will survive this with a nasty scar on one side.
Those homes belonged to a father and mother, Homer and Margaret Russell, elders in our community, grandparents taking care of grandchildren, parents who raised children. Homer suffered a fractured leg and Margaret scrapes and bruises. Their daughters, Eva and her husband Henry Booth also lost their home, as did their other daughter Barbara and her husband Chuck Janitscheck, but all escaped without harm.
These families lost everything.
The home that was damaged belonged to another elder, Dolly Sours, who escaped unharmed with a friend who happened to be visiting.
So…we need YOUR help!
Starting today, we will be hosting an online contest for locally made products!
For every $10 you donate to the family, (I’ll tell you how in a bit) your name will be put into a random name generator, for a chance to win some pretty AWESOME items.
The prize list is over 20 items long and 90% of them are of the Eskimo variety. We have things like:
Seal Skin Slippers, women’s size 9, men’s size 7, but I’m sure we can trade if needed…
Birch Bark Baskets made by ladies from the Upper Kobuk, donated by the Borough…
A grass handweaved basket by Kathleen Westlake… (this is representative of what they look like, not the actual one…it will look very similar to this one though!)
Tundra Berry Jams made and donated by Red Seeberger…
Matted Photos by Aqvaluk Photography, and my co-conspirator Cathy.
A handmade knife by Siksu’s Knives (my hubby!)…
Mukluk and
Mitten Keychains…
and a Swan Antler Carving. (I know, I know, this is an eagle, but the carving hasn’t come in yet, so this is representative of what it will look like…in swan form!)
And several more, inlcuding a ROUND TRIP TICKET ON ALASKA AIRLINES…(which is only good from Kotzebue – Anchorage) Sorry folks who are outside Kotz…
And many of the prizes are being made as I type. John is busy making an ivory zipper pull and earrings, and beaders are busy beading barrettes and earrings, etc.
Cathy and I will take care of postage to and from Kotzebue to Anywhere in the United States. Due to the cost of sending something via post…its all we can handle!
Here’s several ways to donate, and enter the contest:
1. A SAVINGS account has been set up at WELLS FARGO Bank under the name:
Rick Janitscheck (the custodian for the account)
ACCOUNT: 9790207832
Visit your local Wells Fargo Bank and donate in increments of $10 (ten dollars) to that account. For every $10 you donate, your name will be placed in the database.
Email me the confirmation of donation to: finnskimo@hotmail.com
2. Write a check to: KOTZEBUE HOUSE FIRES, and send it to me, “C/O Maija Lukin PO BOX 1350, Kotzebue, AK 99752″ and email me the amount and I’ll put your name into the database.
3. Click HERE and use the Paypal button embedded in the post.
The drawing will be held Friday, September 25th.
Witnessing the fire only gives you an awareness of your vulnerability on this earth. A year and ten months ago, my aunt and cousin died in a house fire. Several months ago, a Selawik family with young children lost their home to a fire. Fire’s rattle my nightmares, and shake me to the bone.
What else can I do? I don’t know, but what I can do is help.
Thank you for your support and help. The residents of Kotzebue really appreciate it!
Thanks AKM for giving us another opportunity to pitch in! Mudflats rocks, big time.
We had a house fire about 10 years ago that destroyed our home, but thankfully no one was injured and our house was rebuilt. It took me a long time to start to replace stuff that was lost, like all the Christmas ornaments collected over the years. Its the little things that get you – and the memory of the smells and destruction remain. I hope that these families in Kotzebue get lots of help in their recovery.
There is no way any of those beautiful items should go for just a 10.00 donation! And my heart goes out to the people who lost their homes. Thanks for letting us know akm.
Monday..here in Springfield, Oregon..I will go visit the local bank and give 20.00. I fully understand the power of supporting circles, and strength of clan. At 71..with all of the powers flowing from our tribal lands to you and yours..I will do this and am honored to help.
Thank you so much AKM for giving me the opportunity to do a small thing for people in need. I don’t have much, but these folks have less so I give to them willingly. I am on disability but have enough to give to these folks and to CC Strongheart.
I feel a lot less disabled today, thank you!
Corie
Brasstown, NC
By the way ,Mudpups, if you have a WellsFargo Bank account, you can transfer funds to another WellsFargo Bank account online, save yourself a trip out.
>”There is no way any of those beautiful items should go for just a 10.00 donation!”
No, the $10 just buys you a *chance to win one of them, I think.
Thank you for the article. I’ll donate now.
Albert@7, you are right! But what I meant is that for just a $10 donation it would be possible to win such beautiful prizes. Obviously, most important is giving to our fellow human beings in a time of need. It is just that I find it amazing that people have, in return, offered to create and donate items of such personal value as the prizes.
Thank God the injuries weren’t more severe. I will be donating.
Done! Happy to help.
Small things add up to big things as we have seen time and time again.
I just about died in a housefire in 1997. Lost everything I own. Got out of the basement from a dead sleep with less than 2 minutes to spare before my escape route would have been blocked. I had nightmares about it for years. My heart goes out to these people. It’s not an easy thing to get over, because the fire spreads so fast and leaves you with the overwhelming imprint of pure destruction and closeness of death.
There are no Wells Fargo Banks in my area of NC. Can donations be sent directly to a bank in Alaska?
Linda Watson
Cullowhee, NC
I agree – these items are worth far more than a $10 donation.
This is what love and caring is all about.My daughter had a house fire and though they did not lose the whole house everything was waterlogged and soot filled ,very little could be saved.I was lucky I could at the time afford emergency help for them to at least have cloths, food ect until the insurance kicked in.So I am glad to help as much as I can .
What a wonderful thing you’re doing for your neighbors and your community. I just donated $100.00 through Paypal, but please don’t enter my name in the drawing. Give my “chance” to someone else.
I was just wondering…does the Red Cross operate in Alaska? And if it doesn’t..why not?
Glad no one was hurt. Looks like a good cause to throw some money into a raffle for. And if I should win that airplane ticket, I’ll just go to Kotzebue on my own and then use it round trip from there.
It’s been a long time since I have spent any time in Kotzebue. It would be nice to go back.
Let this also serve as a reminder to review our home insurance policies.
Thanks AKM for letting us know about our neighbors’ misfortune.
Trip to local WF tomorrow!
I worked for some time as a fire and flood restoration specialist ( you are always a ‘specialist” when you do a messy job- makes it sound like a snappier job ).
All the feelings folks have mentioned and more are being felt by these neighbors in Kotzebue …
And whether they have up to date fire insurance or not , they will have many rough days ahead. I mostly worked insurance jobs and far too many times precious things could not be restored.
I worked , on my lunch hours, for 2 weeks trying to break the hold cooked on soot had on a plate commerorating a couple’s 50th year wedding anniversary. Industry methods had not touched it and insurance company wrote it off. Finally hit on a way and was able to give those people back something which meant more than any old plate could… Wasn’t their house but a smidge of what it had been …
Used a museum method, not sanctioned by industry and therefore not by insurance company, to restore a lifetime collection of weavings to an elder weaver… my lunch hours got to be more interesting than the rest of the day!
Anyway- best wishes to the people who lost their homes and we’ll all help some!
Alaska Pi: That was beautiful. Thank you so much!
AKM – Thanks for giving us the opportunity to help and be part of the AKn community.
Yay for Alaska Pi!
Thank God all are safe. Now we’ll do our mudpup best to help out.
silverfox67–it does, at least in the larger cities, but it’s highly unlikely that there is a Red Cross person, let alone office, in a village, even a hub one like Kotz. They may be able to send out help from Anch.
Please have these people contact the Red Cross. I know their are offices in Anchorage and Wasilla. They are probably eligible for some kind of assistance from the Red Cross. Every little helps in a time of need.
Please have these people contact the Red Cross. I know there are offices in Anchorage and Wasilla. They are probably eligible for some kind of assistance from the Red Cross. Every little helps in a time of need.
Thank you so much for helping out! My aunt directed me to this site, I hadn’t even heard of it prior! I’m just a simple blogger who thinks living in Kotz is great and wanted to share. Now I’m stuck reading past posts!
Thank you all for your donations! Don’t forget to email me the amount and an address.
I appreciate it.
Maija
This is the website address for the ARC in Alaska. It is not required to have an ARC physical facility, in the villiage, to receive assistance. Certain ARC chapters cover particular areas.
Also, they offer courses in disasters so that maybe, someone that have been trained, would be in closer proximity to the area(s), in event of an emergency. You can serve as the First Responder, to assess the situation and notify the person in charge, of the the type of assistance that might be needed in the area(s).
http://alaska.redcross.org/index.php?pr=Emergency_Help_Now