Thirty-two people, including four families, moved from homeless campground to conventional shelters

By
Suzanne Downing
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21

Salvation Army, which is providing coordinated care services at Centennial Campground, said 34 people, including four families, were moved into family shelters at McKinnell House, Clare House, and other semi-permanent housing on Thursday.

Centennial Campground is serving as a sanctioned campground for homeless people in Anchorage. Leftists are referring to it as a “concentration camp.”

“As of 5 pm last night there were no more children at the camp,“ said Lt. Colonel Doug Tollerud, divisional commander of The Salvation Army Alaska.

About 180 campers remain at Centennial, with 75% of them coming from illegal campgrounds in woods around Anchorage, and 56 coming from the now-shuttered Sullivan Arena, which was taken over by Mayor Ethan Berkowitz in 2020 to house homeless, transients, and vagrants.

“I’m grateful for all of our community partners who have stepped up immediately to place people in shelter, services, and permanent housing from Centennial Campground,” said Mayor Dave Bronson. “As we work together in collaboration to continue to make placements, this is a testament to the heart of Anchorage in helping our city’s most vulnerable get access to safe and successful solutions.”

Salvation Army is also facilitating donation management for the campground.

Salvation Army asks people to bring donations to the Salvation Army Safe Campus — McKinnell House — located at 1712 A Street, Anchorage, AK 99501, in order to maintain organization and prioritize items coming in. Salvation Army requests that no donations come directly to the campground due to limited storage there.

Three or four vehicles from Salvation Army, shown above, were at the campground Friday morning, and Parks and Recreation staff are walking through the campground hourly picking up trash, checking for food that could attract bears, and helping campers. The city has distributed over 100 bear proof cans to the campers. Security is on site. The Anchorage Coalition to End Homelessness is on the sidelines, not committed to helping campers at this time because the group objects to the campground for political reasons. Its CEO is Assemblywoman Meg Zaletel, who is firmly opposed to anything the Bronson Administration does.

Donation priorities:

• Handheld lamps (battery operated) or flashlights

• Rain ponchos

• New or gently used sweatshirts & sweatpants

• New or gently used boots or tennis shoes

• Bus passes

• Gas cards

• Camping mats (under sleeping bag)

Refrain from donating:

• Household electronics (toasters, microwaves, etc.)

• Furniture / Mattresses

• Sheets

• Food perishable or non-perishable

• Flammable liquids

• Sleeping bags

• Tents

• Tarps

All information related to the Salvation Army’s role as client care coordinators at Centennial Campground, as well as information about in-kind and monetary donations can be found on their website on the Centennial Campground Information link at Alaska.salvationarmy.org

21 COMMENTS

  1. Native Corporations and Native Villages need t o take care of their own people. They get plenty of money and resources to do this.

    This needs to be reported to the Federal government that they are not taking care of the people. They just received money for the covid 19 virus.

    It will be reported that they are not taking care of their people with the money they are have and receiving .

  2. Someone needs to work on their math or counting ability. 75% of 180 is 135 people. If you add the 56 to 135, one gets 191. So, either the percentage, the total number of campers, or the number from the shelters or all three are incorrect.

  3. Maybe Alaska is not a good fit for them.
    I’d contribute to a one-way plane ticket out of here.
    It would probably cost me less as a Tax-Payer.

  5. Where is the ethics committe on megs complete conflict of interest? Let alone the fact this makes her inappropriate to even be an assembly member.
    “The Anchorage Coalition to End Homelessness is on the sidelines, not committed to helping campers at this time because the group objects to the campground for political reasons. Its CEO is Assemblywoman Meg Zaletel, who is firmly opposed to anything the Bronson Administration does.”

  6. WOW ! Concentration camp ? Being homeless would suck. But these people are in a campground , getting free meals and other items. I bet the guy here in Palmer sitting in the rain outside Carrs all day would love that deal. It’s better than nothing, and this homeless population has nothing. The assembly should offer up one of their spare rooms if they don’t like it.

    • I agree. A lot of these people are just picking some woods somewhere and camping there. Better that they have the protection of a larger group, and a well-maintained outdoor facility than be lost in the woods where so many things could go wrong.

  7. When do native villages get invoices for the people they’ve dumped onto Anchorage’s streets. If 90%+ of the homeless problem came from the villages, why do we keep paying for them year after year?

  8. Don’t look for this story on the Channel 2 “news “. Let’s talk more about the weather. And more free air time for the people trying to destroy our city while lining their pockets with misspent taxpayer money. It is amazing to see how the Mayor’s administration is making such a positive difference, despite the lack of support from the people who should be behind him. And legitimate organizations such as the Salvation Army, taking the lead. It is inspiring for people like me who were close to giving up. And I am sure that the homeless are sleeping better knowing that they don’t have to worry about being killed in their sleep while camping in the woods.

  9. Keep giving them free stuff, why would anybody want to work if you get free food, clothes, wifi, gas cards, bathroom & showers, tents, sleeping bags, people to clean up for you etc…
    At least make them pick up trash! At the very least!

  10. Now that the 34 have
    some sort of housing, they can apply for work. hotels, grocers, restauants, gas stations all facing workers shortage. We aren’t doing people any favors who need to work like the 185 picking
    up their own litter alongside p&r staff. Listen to what the bible says about people refuse to work. Proverb 12:24 ‘the hand of the diligent will rule, while the slothful will be put to forced labor.’ wow! now here i don’t want anyone forcing me to do anything! I’d rather put myself to work before let’s say there are less workers to pay for government assistance for all the people refusing work, and the money runs out. This no one considers and wants to talk about when the unemployed outnumber the workers. Better they
    start working now before there is a whip lashing against their back.

  11. McKinnell House, Clare House, and other semi-permanent housing have one thing in common: street addresses where mail can be delivered.
    .
    This means potentially hundreds of folks, alive, dead, or otherwise may be registered to vote at these addresses.
    .
    Helpful volunteers, aka ballot harvesters, can help inmates register to vote, fill out their ballots, mail their ballots for them, regardless of residents’ state of consciousness or literacy.
    .
    Democracy at its finest, what’s not to like?

  13. there are some homeless who say they are going to sue the city for ” taking ” their stuff. After listening to a few of the conversations, it goes like this: ” Remember, you agreed that once you filled up 3 sealed boxes that your belongings go into the connex so that things don t get wet or mixed up with other people’s belongings ” …. Oh yeah ” .. . .

  14. Alaska has developed “Alaska” by developing Anchorage and this unspoken political policy Juneau decision drives people from the villages to Anchorage for improved indoctrination. This is not recognized nor allowed to be spoken of in English in Juneau. They are oblivious regarding effects of what they have been doing since statehood anyway. Oil money under the north slope is mostly spent here. Places like Seward and other places are going like “when’s our turn”. You aren’t getting a turn. You are the competition and this is true for everywhere else in Alaska. Also China a silent dictator herds their tribes manipulatively. They love the outward demonstration of quicience. It’s real important to alk authoritarian types. Remove this post again. Truth is not enjoyable in political seasons or anytime really.

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