Olga Bay, Kodiak Island, Alaska
Community Partners
Providence Health & Services Alaska
KINDNESS would not be where it is today without the help of Providence. KINDNESS operated from 2006 – 2021 at Providence Kodiak Island Medical Center (PKIMC) with substantive in-kind and practical support, as well as generous funding from Providence Alaska Foundation. Now that KINDNESS operates independently, PKIMC grants visiting privileges to any KINDNESS staff or volunteer to help families with infant feeding during their hosptial stay, right from day one. PKIMC allows us to keep a supply cabinet in their facility for KINDNESS team members to access 7 days a week, since we don’t have a physical office space! We enjoy continued collaboration with and funding through Providence Alaska Foundation as we work to spread KINDNESS to other Alaskan communities.
This Kodiak health clinic was the first to offer a generous startup donation for our independence initiative and encouraged others to match it. KCHC providers refer families to KINDNESS on a regular basis and offer pre-registration forms to expectant parents. KINDNESS weight checks and collaboration with providers between clinic visits greatly enhance health care outcomes for KCHC families.
KANA has been a key partner for KINDNESS since the very beginning; KANA and PKIMC joined forces to secure our initial seed funding from the Children’s Miracle Network in 2006. KANA providers regularly refer families to KINDNESS, offer pre-registration packets to expectant families and collaborate to enhance infant care. KANA stepped up with matching funds for a generous startup donation in 2021 to support our independence. KINDNESS coordinates care for jointly enrolled families with mulitple KANA programs including Cama’i Home Visiting, Kodiak Infant Learning Program and the Kodiak WIC Program.
Kodiak is lucky to have options for where and how families deliver new life. And Kodiak KINDNESS feels honored and privileged to partner with Alivia’s certified provider for coordination of care. Alivia provides KINDNESS pre-registration packets to their clients, and regularly coordinates postpartum care services with KINDNESS, including joint home visits, to ease the burden for families. This is just another shining example of how small-town Kodiak takes care of its own through responsive and caring networks.
Credit Union 1 is a proud supporter of many nonprofits. Several Kodiak CU1 employees had new babies in 2022 who benefitted from Kodiak KINDNESS Services, and CU1 recognized Kodiak KINDNESS as their local Leading Change Partner for 2023. Through this program, CU1 gives back to multiple communities across Alaska in big ways. CU1 supports KINDNESS on an ongoing basis by managing our financial accounts, contributing volunteer hours and matching funds raised at our community events. Thank you to all the friendly crew at Kodiak CU1, who greet us (and everyone in the community) by name, with a smile and personal attention the minute we walk through the door!
KINDNESS and Matson partner annually to host a Caring for Alaska environmental clean-up in Kodiak. Our goals overlap: KINDNESS helps families to be as healthy as they can on the inside, through good nutrition, and Matson helps Kodiak families have a healthy, natural environment to grow up in, with clean beaches, watersheds, and trails. Read more about this annual joint venture on our events page.
The Kodiak chapter of the Alaska Cabaret, Hotel, Restaurant and Retailers association is dedicated to advancing, serving, and protecting Alaska’s hospitality and foodservice industry. Yearly, the assocation raises money for local nonprofits through donation drives, pull tabs and other fundraising activities. Kodiak CHARR recognizes the valuable work of Kodiak KINDNESS through generous annual unrestricted donations that we put to excellent use to fund direct services to KINDNESS families.
The USCG Spouses’ Association of Kodiak (SAK) works hard raising funds to give back to the community, raising the quality of life on Kodiak for everyone. On average, one in every three families participating with KINDNESS is stationed in Kodiak with the Coast Guard! KINDNESS services are particularly appreciated by USCG families who are often new to the community and far from their friends and family. KINDNESS is grateful to include SAK as one of our enduring community partners.
Kiwanis Club International is dedicated to improving the lives of children one community at a time, perfectly aligned with the mission of Kodiak KINDNESS. Kiwanis Club of Kodiak contributes an annually renewable donation for KINDNESS to purchase essential infant feeding supplies that are not available locally. KINDNESS provides willing volunteers for local Kiwanis club fundraising initiatives in return, such as their annual Christmas tree sales.
This peaceful bookshop is an absolute gem in Kodiak. Walk in this cozy shop, have a cup of tea, and lose track of time browsing the neat, artistic shelves filled with all kinds of titles, including books on raising healthy children with good nutrition. Islander Bookshop gifts every newborn baby with the classic “Goodnight Moon” board book and supports KINDNESS events with gift cards and door prizes. Thank you, Islander Bookshop, not only for this partnership but for all you do for Kodiak.
Who doesn’t love the scenic drive out the road on a beautiful day? Especially with a Java Flats treat to energize the crew and make it even more worth the trip? Every FRIDAY is “KINDNESS Day” at Java Flats. Swing by and ask for a special KINDNESS cookie and a coffee, uniquely made by Alicia with lots of love. Java Flats consistently sponsors KINDNESS events every year and provides cookie tokens for door prizes!
When a baby is born a little early or sent to the mainland for higher level care, or a mom is waiting for a personally ordered pump to arrive, KINDNESS bridges the gap with short term pump loans, a crucial tool for meeting families’ breastfeeding goals. In 2021, KINDNESS replaced our obsolete loaner pumps with the Unimom OPERA Pump! Unimom was impressed when they learned about what KINDNESS does for Kodiak families, and generously donated a year’s supply of collection kits needed for the pump loans. KINDNESS is proud to offer this high-quality OPERA hospital-grade pump and promote Unimom as one of our corporate sponsors.