Three years ago there was a young man living in Ketchikan. He enjoyed hunting on nearby islands, including Prince of Wales, and even got an award for getting the largest mountain goat in his age group.

Then one day, he was involved in a car accident. He suffered a traumatic brain injury and was transferred to a hospital in Colorado. When he was released, he was referred to Community Connections. After a while, staff determined that he might receive better care if he was part of an inpatient rehabilitation program. Alaska does not have any of those programs, so the young man was transferred to a program in the lower 48.

The new rehab program did not work out. He was released again, but by that time, the hospital had lost most of his belongings. He returned to Ketchikan.

This happened again: getting sent down south, it not working out, and the young man returning to Ketchikan, most of his belongings lost in the transition.

He now has an apartment and is making progress in his rehabilitation. He can’t go out hunting right now, but is glad to be back home in Alaska.

However, he was still in need of clothes and other basic necessities. Good thing we hold a Holiday Sock Drive!

Because of the sock drive, we were able to surprise him with a big pile of presents, including new socks, jackets, shirts, and a cool hat too. He was very excited to get the new clothes!

He is only one of many people who benefit from our annual holiday sock drive. We make deliveries to a lot of folks who may not have family to visit, or who aren’t able to get out of their homes very often. Even a small connection, like stopping in to drop off some holiday treats and cookies, can make their day a little brighter.