Contributed by Novalene Payne
I am focusing on the homeless youth dilemma in the Mat-Su Valley, and I will be traveling to Juneau at the end of January 2017 with IDEA to speak to the Alaskan legislative on behalf of Mat-Su. It will be my first attempt to help change Alaska’s emancipation process.
My name is Nova Payne, I have been a resident of the Mat-Su Valley for two years, and I’d like to share about the homeless and runaway youth dilemma in Alaska and my part in it.
I am going with the Alaska Close Up program, which is a valuable opportunity for the youth of Alaska to share their solutions to some of Alaska’s issues and on my part, I am trying to ease to process of emancipation for the homeless teens of Alaska (specifically, sixteen and seventeen year olds) struggling to survive here. I have worked with Michelle Overstreet, the founder and acting director of My House in Wasilla. But I am reaching out to the Valley independently.
I am trying to get the word out about what people such as Mrs. Overstreet have been trying to achieve for Alaskans and also for the survey I have created, which you can all take online. The results of said survey I will bring with me to Juneau.
The reason I am doing this is due to my want of reaching out – in all ways possible – to get Alaska’s homeless youth situation heard about.
You can email me at matsuvalleyteenhomelesssurvey@gmail.com if you are interested in taking my survey. The only requirements are that you be eighteen or older, and a current resident of the Mat-Su Valley. The survey closes 1/28/17.
Thank you so much for reading this and I hope I will be able to share more with you.
Yours Truly,
Novalene Payne
