The Helmsley Trust Grants $20 Million for Improvements to Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene in Rural Alaska

In remote areas of Alaska, these challenges exist and are particularly compounded by harsh Arctic conditions. To keep water from freezing at -50°F and contend with permafrost, unique system design and installation are required that can come at a very high cost. Some of the greatest difficulties are the continual operation and maintenance of these systems.

EMI is working alongside the Norton Sound Health Corporation (NSHC) and the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC) to help address these challenges. The NSHC and ANTHC are the regional and state nonprofit tribal health organizations working in the Bering Strait region to meet the unique health needs of Alaska Native and Native American people. This includes the needs for water and sewer services in rural communities and homes.

According to John Nichols, the Rural Utility Management Services director for ANTHC, “Alaska has worked for decades to provide sustainable and affordable water and sewer services to its rural communities. In 1995, the Alaskan governor promised to ‘put the honey bucket in the museum.’ While many communities have been provided services, thirty-two Alaskan communities still rely on honey buckets.”

NSHC President and CEO Angie Gorn went further to say, “In the Bering Strait region alone, 370 homes lack potable water and over 450 homes have no water or sewer. This is a silent public health crisis and many of these deleterious health impacts could be prevented if all residents had access to basic sanitation. This funding opportunity will help our communities repair aging systems, prevent emergencies, and make progress toward the dream of having piped water and sewer service.”

Joanne Keyes, who represents the Native Village of Wales on the NSHC Board, says, “We have been promised that our honey buckets will be hung in museums, and my community is still awaiting this day!”

The need for water and sanitation improvements is one that Alaska’s own Rasmuson Foundation highlighted in 2019 when hosting philanthropies from around the country, including the Helmsley Charitable Trust. Many groups and individuals are unaware of how their philanthropic strategic interests align with community needs in the state of Alaska, and Rasmuson Foundation works to bridge that gap while making investments of their own.

“At Helmsley, we are committed to supporting holistic solutions that build health and resilience at the community level, and a safe, reliable water supply is at the heart of this,” says Walter Panzirer, a trustee of the Helmsley Charitable Trust. “In 2021, nobody in the United States should have to live without running water in their homes, especially amid a pandemic. We are excited to support the transformation that EMI, the NSHC, and the ANTHC have planned for families living in the Bering Strait region.”

Helmsley supports WASH improvements across sub-Saharan Africa, and during his 2019 Alaska visit, Panzirer saw first-hand how great those same needs are here, too.

EMI is a Christian nonprofit with the worldwide mission is to develop people, design structures, and construct facilities which serve communities and the Church.

The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust aspires to improve lives by supporting exceptional efforts in the United States and around the world in health and select place-based initiatives.