Marin Ridge, overlooking Pasagshak Bay, Kodiak Island, Alaska
Experienced, Professional, and Caring
Program Volunteers
Claudia Otis
Claudia was born and raised in Saguenay Lac St-Jean, Québec. She has been in Kodiak since 2008 where she and her husband, Gerrit, are raising their 2 children. Claudia has 10+ years working in early childhood education and is now a Cama’i Home Visitor with KANA. The KINDNESS Project was a huge help for Claudia when she had her newborns in the remote village of Port Lions. She took the KINDNESS Peer Counselor training course in 2021, and joined the team in 2022 to help wherever we need her multi-talented skills. Claudia travels to remote Kodiak Island villages, providing “two-for-one” services to KINDNESS and Cama’i enrolled families. She is greatly apprecated all around!
Danya Rios
Danya was born and raised in Mexicali Baja California, and moved to Kodiak in 2019, where she and her partner Rodney are raising their son Enzo. Danya feels the KINDNESS Project helped their family a lot to start in a good direction on breastfeeding when Enzo was born. Danya was inspired to take the KINDNESS Peer Counselor training course in 2021 and joined the team as a volunteer to help with anything at all! Director’s note: literally, Danya says “yes!” to anything we ask her to do, and we especially appreciate her fluency in Spanish for serving our Spanish-speaking families!
Betsy Lund
Betsy came to Kodiak in 2001 and despite attempts to continue traveling, the mountains, forest, ocean and community bonds kept her boots in Kodiak. She joined the KINDNESS team in early 2022 as a Peer Counselor then transitioned to be a volunteer in the fall fo 2023. Betsy believes first-time motherhood is a time like no other and supporting mothers through the peaks and valleys of this unique time of life are essential to the health of the family. Celebrating successes and working through issues are more enjoyable with a helping hand. Betsy and her husband are raising two wild and crazy KINDNESS Project graduates in the forest outside of Kodiak.
Nhu Pruitt
Nhu was born and raised in Vietnam and lived in several states before moving to Kodiak in 2020. She had her first baby that same year, a second baby in 2023, and received great long-lasting support from the Kodiak KINDNESS program. She is happy to give back to the community and support other new moms emotionally and physically. She has a bachelor’s degree in international business and experience working and interacting with people from different backgrounds. Nhu applies her abilities with numbers and interpersonal communication to helping KINDNESS whereever is needed. She loves baking and cooking for her husband and daughter, her greatest supporters.
Amy Miller
Amy Miller was born in Jamestown, NY, grew up in Elizabeth, PA and has lived in Kodiak since 2011. Amy has her BA degree in Intercultural Ministries and joined SEND International in 1985. She went to the Philippines in 1987 and remained there until the Lord led her to Kodiak. Fluent in Tagalog, she translates for the Filipino families enrolled in the KINDNESS program when Marjourie is unavailable. She became familiar with KINDNESS through her volunteer work in the hospital as a spiritual care person, and she loves helping KINDNESS serve all families equitably by allowing them to receive services in their own language.