Over the past five years, GCI has contributed $500,000 to help nonprofits lower suicide rates in Alaska

ANCHORAGE, Alaska—From now through July 30, nonprofits in Alaska working to lower suicide rates can apply for the 2021 GCI Suicide Prevention Fund. Since 2017, GCI has contributed over $500,000 to nonprofits that help prevent and lower the rate of suicide in the state and their communities by promoting mental wellness and making community-minded connections. 

“As we emerge on the other side of a global pandemic, all of us at GCI know there is a lot of work to be done to take care of each other’s mental health,” said GCI Chief Marketing Officer Kate Slyker. “GCI’s Suicide Prevention Fund is our way of reaching out to the people on the front lines of Alaska’s mental health response and getting them the funding they need to help make real change. We see the impact their work makes in our communities, from very small villages to our larger urban centers, and that’s why we show up year after year to make sure these organizations have the resources they need to take care of our neighbors.”

Once all grant applicants have been considered, recipients will be announced this September during Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. The Alaska Community Foundation will once again be joining GCI to administer the funds to grant recipients, which will be decided with the fund’s goal of making a lasting, positive impact on reducing the rate of suicide in Alaska in mind. 

In past years, the GCI Suicide Prevention Fund has been a catalyst for projects promoting wellbeing in communities across the state. The Kenai Peninsula Borough School District’s Sources of Strength program was nationally recognized for its work on raising student awareness about suicide prevention strategies through youth discussions. 

Other programs that received funding include the Mat-Su homeless youth center MyHouse’s suicide awareness program STAY, the Alaska Eating Disorders Alliance’s work to treat and reduce the risk of eating disorders, and the creation of a youth leadership coalition in the village of Unalakleet, along with many, many others. 

For more information about the GCI Suicide Prevention Fund, visit https://www.gci.com/why-gci/gcigives/gci-suicide-prevention-fund.

  Alaska, gci, prevention, suicide