Alaska Trends

Positivity During a Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has been devastating. Our early efforts to protect the lives and wellbeing of our families, friends, and neighbors had the unfortunate result of crippling economic activity in the short term and for the long term—no one knows, yet.

But Alaska’s willingness to do what was necessary and its diligence in holding the course was successful: our healthcare system has not been overrun, Alaskans in need of medical care were not abandoned, and we can now turn toward rebuilding our economy (which we’ve done before).

And we have other reasons for optimism: despite their own challenges and crises, Alaska’s corporations, nonprofits, and other business entities have stepped up to support each other and the communities they serve. Below we’ve compiled just a sampling of the many ways in which, once again, Alaskans are looking out for each other.

Alaska Safety Advisory Council donated 85 N95 Envo-masks and 25 replacement filters for each mask to the MOA Municipal First Responders.

Alaska USA Federal Credit Union donated 6,000 N95 masks and 10,000 pairs of gloves to the medical community.

Alaska Chinese Association donated 8,000 surgical masks and 2,000 KN95 to the Municipality of Anchorage Emergency Operations Center.

Through UAA’s Manufacturing Extension Partnership

70+ Alaska manufacturers

began producing face shields, cloth masks, hand sanitizers, testing swabs, and other items needed in response to COVID-19.

clipart of fist holding an evenly balanced scale

Stoel Rives launched the

Main Street Relief Project,

a no-cost legal service

for independent restaurants, bars, and retailers in communities in which the firm has offices.

#AlaskaStrong

clipart apple and a heart on a yellow circle

Alaska Airlines and the Alaska Airlines Foundation have donated more than

1 million meals to food banks across the country.

Matson donated

delivery services of 3 pallets of medical-grade face shields

to the Providence Kodiak Medical Center and

$10,000

to Children’s Lunchbox.

Alaska Mask Makers, a community effort to make and distribute surgical-style masks, has more than

5,072 MEMBERS.

GCI offered

free entry-level internet
or free internet upgrades

through May.

UAF Center for Innovation, Commercialization, and Entrepreneurship awarded more than

$64,000 in grants to develop innovative concepts for fighting COVID-19.

clipart of a fist punching the coronavirus

clipart apple and a dollar sign on a yellow circle

More than $3 million was donated in response to the pandemic.

Rasmuson Foundation committed $2 million to help Alaska respond to the pandemic.

Alaska USA Foundation donated $125,000+ to support nonprofits in the communities it serves.

Northrim Bank donated $25,000 to The Foraker Group to support its effort to help Alaska nonprofits serve their communities.

Sealaska donated $1 million to nonprofits to support COVID-19 efforts.

Koniag committed $50,000 to support in-region needs, particularly food security, related to COVID-19.

Liberty Mutual and Safeco Insurance donated $10,000 to Bean’s Café and $10,000 to the Food Bank of Alaska.

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