GCI Donates Mountain View Building to Shiloh Community Housing
CARTER DAMASKA
GCI is helping a local nonprofit create a new neighborhood resource center by donating an equipment storage facility in Mountain View.
Disrupting the Cycle of Homelessness
The donation of the property, located at 3127 Commercial Drive and valued at $860,000, to Shiloh Community Housing also includes a commitment to provide internet connectivity for patrons who visit the resource center.
Once completed, the building will be a one-stop shop for Alaskans in the Mountain View neighborhood to get the resources to disrupt the cycle of homelessness. The center will include an internet café to make service available to those who cannot afford it, a soup and sandwich shop, conference room rentals, resources for small business developers to launch their businesses, access to social services, and more.
“We have big plans for this resource center,” says Sheneé Williams, president and CEO of Shiloh Community Housing. “We want to provide services to residents and assist them in staying housed. Our resource center will be the go-to place where they will have access to what they need in their neighborhood.”
Current Issue
February 2025
For nearly twenty years, Shiloh Community Housing has been assisting those who need help with housing. That assistance includes transitional programs for young adults experiencing homelessness and providing housing assistance for low-income Alaskans who need a safety net to get into stable housing.
After noticing the vacant building for sale, Williams contacted GCI through its GCI Gives philanthropy program to get the ball rolling on her vision for the resource center. From the first call to the transfer officially taking place in January, the entire process went smoothly and quickly.
“When Shiloh Community Housing came to us with the idea for the resource center, we realized how much this was needed in the community,” says GCI Chief Marketing Officer Kate Slyker. “We look forward to the great things Shiloh will be doing to assist Alaskans with job training, mental health and housing assistance and put the people who utilize the resource center on a better path, well before a situation turns dire.”
GCI donates approximately $2 million each year in cash, products, and connectivity to organizations across the state. Giving back is also a company value, as employees receive sixteen hours of paid leave to volunteer with local organizations.
Shiloh Community Housing is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization created in 2001 to provide affordable housing assistance, life skills training, and workforce development services. Its goal is to help alleviate the conditions of poverty by helping to ensure that Alaskans are self-sufficient and that they can live healthy and productive lives as informed community residents.
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Architecture & Engineering + Interior
February 2025
In our February 2025 issue, we highlight how architecture and engineering improve every facet of our daily lives, from increasing the availability and affordability of housing to building small businesses and improving community safety. Projects like these are helmed by Alaska’s exceptional professionals, including the 2024 Anchorage Engineer of the Year Nominees. In the Interior, Red Dog Mine and the Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum are both making big moves. Enjoy!