As fall descends upon us here in Southeast Alaska, the rain and fog settles in for the season and things start slowing down. We’re also celebrating the addition of Haley Goodman, who joins us through the Alaska Fellows Program. We also say thank you to our Path to Prosperity Business Competition facilitators, sponsors and partners for helping us host another in-person intensive with this year’s finalists cohort.
As we celebrate the three-year anniversary of its launch, we are excited to announce that we have met a quarter of our goal to raise $100 million for the Seacoast Trust and now it is time to double it. Let's get to $50 million!
Learn how to deliver exceptional customer experiences with Spruce Root and the Disney Institute’s proven approach to service excellence. Celebrate with us as the Seacoast Trust reaches a significant $25 million milestone. Don’t miss out on the first-ever Southeast Alaska Emerging Leaders Summit in Sitka — a chance for young professionals to connect, learn and grow.
Explore opportunities to fuel your startup success with a loan tailored just for you. Learn key strategies for better money management with our Financial Wellness course in Craig. We also celebrate Holly Adams on the grand opening of Muskeg Munchkins in Juneau and highlight the Youth Stewards in Kake as they kick off their season with skill-building workshops. Plus, Marc Wheeler shares insights from the national Finance Forum to enhance Spruce Root's impact.
In this issue, we celebrate a year of remarkable achievements as detailed in our 2023 Annual Report, spotlight the inspiring entrepreneurial journey of Edith Johnson, and share opportunities to empower artists and future construction professionals in Southeast Alaska.
You can now select Spruce Root as a charity through your PFD and Pick. Click.Give. Visit pickclickgive.org to learn more and access your MyAlaska account. Your support of Spruce Root through Pick.Click.Give allows us to provide critical support to small businesses and artists and to further our mission of building a regenerative Southeast Alaska through community and economic development.
Well, we made it. Another year in the books. And it's a big one for us -- celebrating our 10-year anniversary.
A lot has changed in 10 years. Some of our staff have moved on. We added new team members -- but the mission has stayed true to Southeast Alaska -- and we couldn't be prouder of its communities and the people we've collaborated with over the years. As we reflect on 2022 and our 10 years of service, we look forward to 2023 and all the possibilities it holds.
Your Spruce Root team has been busy in December. Most of our team were able to visit Yakutat, and plan our 2023 work year. Yakutat is such a beautiful community and we are so grateful for its hospitality. Special thanks to the Yakutat Tlingit Tribe for co-hosting a Culture Share Dinner and all the great community members who came out to say hi and share with us. For everyone that's in our Spruce Root community we hope you have safe and enjoyable holidays. Enjoy the newsletter!
The establishment of the Seacoast Trust represents a large-scale shift of investment and decision-making to the communities and peoples of Southeast Alaska. Grounded in Indigenous values, annual earnings from the Seacoast Trust will fund a different kind of conservation: one that understands people and communities are inseparable components of a healthy environment. If we want thriving rivers and forests, we need mechanisms that shift power and resources to the people living here.
Allison Mills manually drilled a bit into the base of a massive yellow cedar tree on Prince of Wales Island, in Southeast Alaska. The drizzly August day filled with the dull squeak of metal rubbing against wood. Once she reached the center of the tree, she gently pulled the delicate core sample free, lifted it to her face and inhaled the wood’s slightly spicy, medicinal scent. “I love the smell so much,” she said.
We are currently looking to fill our Program Manager for Technical Assistance position, which provides one-on-one business coaching and supports entrepreneurial programs and loan applications. If you or someone you know is interested in working for Spruce Root, visit spruceroot.org/careers.
Until this position is filled, we are under limited capacity to serve clients. We encourage clients to fill out our intake application and we will schedule coaching sessions as we can. Priority will be given to entrepreneurs seeking a loan from Spruce Root.
During a lower-than-usual tide this summer, the rocks on the beach were exposed on Southeast Alaska’s Chichagof Island. Ralph Wolfe went down to the shore to help young people — participants in Hoonah Culture Camp — harvest traditional Alaska Native subsistence foods. Together, they pried tasty mollusks, called gumboots, off rocks and filled plastic buckets with slick bull-kelp and bright green sea asparagus.
