In this one, Cody and co-host Aurora Ford talk to Heidi Huppert. Aurora is a former journalist and currently works at Covenant House Alaska; Heidi is the Chief Program Officer at Covenant House. Heidi’s perspective on homelessness in Alaska is unique because, in her younger years, she spent time on the streets of Anchorage. Her mom had a violent and abusive boyfriend and Heidi didn’t feel safe at home. So, one night after an especially brutal domestic situation, she found herself wandering around Spenard, trying to figure out what she was gonna do. She was about 12 years old and she had school in the morning. Because it was open and because it was familiar, she ended up just hanging out at McDonald’s.
She says that, for a long time, she didn’t tell her story. It was just too hard to relive those memories, and the violence and the pain that came with them. But right now, she’s at a point in her life where she sees how much power and strength there is in telling her story. How it can potentially help a young person understand that they might be in the middle of the worst moment or moments of their life, but it won’t last forever. Things can get better.
Heidi says that the issues of homelessness and human trafficking — another issue that she deals with a lot at work — are ones that we have to care about because they involve young people and they are the future of Alaska. They will one day hold the political, economic and social power. So, if we want our state to be healthy, we have to care about what is happening to our young people.
EP 087 The past, present and future of snowboard media with Brooke Geery
Chatter Marks EP 013 How sound influences our lives and our relationship with the natural world
EP 086 King of the Hill Part 2 with Competitors Julie Zell and Steve Klassen
Chatter Marks EP 012 Finding your passion and chasing it, with artist and muralist Rejoy Armamento
EP 085 with Alaskan Author Don Rearden
Chatter Marks EP 011 Indigenous traditions of healing and coming-of-age, with traditional healer Meda DeWitt
Chatter Marks EP 010 The importance of diverse voices in media, with photojournalist and documentary photographer Ash Adams
EP 084 with comedian Matt Collins
EP 083 with Anchorage Assembly member and Anchorage mayoral candidate Forrest Dunbar
Chatter Marks EP 009 The duality of storytelling: Balancing journalism and nuance, with photographer Jeroen Toirkens
EP 082 The legacy and fate of Arctic Flow, the legendary Alaska rap group, with Jerremy Santacrose
2020 Recap: EP 070 Long Live Larson
2020 Recap: lost anchorage EP 07 with Joe Rambur
2020 Recap: EP 061with John Stallone
2020 Recap: Special Conversation: Micah Booze on Fighting Wildland Fires in Alaska
2020 Recap: EP 078 with Mike Ward
Chatter Marks EP 08 with Francesca DuBrock
Chatter Marks EP 007 with Thomas Chung
Special Conversation: Dr. Mindlin Gets the Covid-19 Vaccine
Special Conversation: Covid-19 Update with Dr. Danny Mindlin
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