Seward Prevention Coalition was founded by 10 women who believed they had the POWER to change this community for the better.
And they were Right!
The catalyst for Seward Prevention Coalition happened one night in 2004 when a 16 year-old high-school student died while driving home drunk. While this kind of accident had become a common statistic in Seward, this student was not a statistic. He was a deeply loved kid who dreamed of the future, and he left two grieving parents behind him who would never be the same.
This one accident was a stark reminder to the community that Alaska has had the highest rates of youth drinking, drug use – and yes, even youth suicide – in the whole country.
That's when 10 women got together and took a stand.
These women came from totally different walks of life and included a Police Officer, a Youth leader for the Qutekcak Native Tribe, a Parks and Recreation Director, a Behavioral Health Organization Head and several others.
These Women Chose To Band Together 100%
And to support each other fully. Even at a time when collaboration between organizations was often seen as competition for funding and was not the norm!
All 10 leaders made the decision to pool all their resources, and collaborate 100% for a mission that mattered to them MORE than politics.
Their heart-centered mission was simple:
Prevent kids from hurting themselves and give them the support they need to grow up into thriving, successful, emotionally balanced adults.
While Seward Prevention Coalition started as an “underage drinking prevention” program – today it has blossomed into so much more.
Today SPC has become a MOVEMENT that uplifts, empowers, inspires and saves the lives of people of ALL AGES in our community!
MEET OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Katie Cornwell
Hey I’m Katie -- and I’m SO GLAD that our work here at Seward Prevention Coalition feels important to you!
The first thing I want you to know is: YOU absolutely DO have the power to help your community.
When society, politics, or the media tries to convince you that you’re too small to make a difference, don’t listen.
YOU are a powerful force for good in this world, and we need you!
With the help of people JUST LIKE YOU, Seward Prevention Coalition has successfully:
▸ Raised more than $4 Million for life-changing programs and causes.
▸ Created more than 50 programs and campaigns that have brought meaningful help, love, kindness and resources to people in Seward.
▸ Partnered with 45 local agencies to make sure our work is as efficient and powerful as possible.
▸ Impacted more than 1500 lives -- that’s the number of people who have joined our programs!
▸ Helped beautiful ideas become a reality -- such as building a new community garden and a basketball court!
▸ Supported the development of Sustainable Seward, a recycling group that succeeded in getting plastic bags banned.
▸ Helped launch the Homeless Connection, which makes sure that ALL people in our community are taken care of!
Part of the reason we’re so successful, is that we don’t run our organization like a typical non-profit! Unlike most non-profits who vigilantly guard their resources – we’re open-hearted and open-handed. Meaning we SHARE our resources with other groups. We collaborate. We make friends in all walks of life. Accomplishing our mission is our #1 priority.
Helping people is WAY more important
to us than playing politics.
PSST - I'LL LET YOU IN ON A SECRET: WE HAVE THE LOWEST OVERHEAD COSTS FOR A NON-PROFIT!
Years ago (even before COVID hit) I helped our team transition to working at home. This reduced costs from 45 % to 10 %.
(And to put that in perspective: while most non-profits AIM for 35% overhead costs, some end up using as much 90%!)
In other words -- our overhead numbers are in the “near miraculous” range!
MEANING: WE NEVER WASTE THE TIME OR MONEY YOU DONATE TO US!
Whether you donate a dollar, or an hour of your time – we can assure you that every possible bit of those resources will go towards helping people. We keep such low overhead costs so we can make the absolute MOST of what you give us.
We spend over $250,000 each year on programs that help our whole community.
And we’re committed to helping even MORE!
A few things you might want to know about me:
I’m personally invested in the work I do here.
I have first hand experiences with how childhood trauma can negatively impact loved ones. It is incredibly challenging to break the cycle of trauma. I have been faced with these challenges and made the choices necessary to break the cycle for my child.
I have also witnessed the power of positive change, and how creating a healthy environment has dramatically affected my own kids.
...And these personal experiences have made me even MORE motivated to do the work we do at SPC -- and to make sure that all children get to have a positive environment where they can flourish.
I’ve been a Community Organizer... literally since Middle School!
My work here at Seward Prevention Coalition has been the natural extension of work I’ve done my entire life. And when I say entire life – I mean it! In the 6th grade I began doing collaboration projects, and immediately was inspired by seeing the successful results! Since middle-school I’ve known how to be a “team player” and that is the main skill I use everyday at SPC!
I saw early on that “impossible obstacles” are absolutely NOT impossible to overcome when people band together and take a stand!
I’m immensely proud of the work we do at SPC. Working alone we may feel powerless, but together, we have the power to create HUGE change!
It fills my heart up to get to hear people’s stories about how much we’ve changed their lives:
...The woman who called in tears to tell us that she’s so grateful we helped her pay her heating bill.
...The man who tells us that his free weekly yoga class is his saving grace.
...Or the 14 year-old boy who openly talks to his mom about his mental health because he now has so much more emotional awareness from the program we offer at his school!
" The funny thing about helping others is that it really helps YOU too…"
If you want to bring more PURPOSE, CONNECTION, and CONFIDENCE into your life – volunteering will help you do that.
Get involved with us and discover the power YOU have to brighten the lives of others.
We look forward to hearing from you!
- Executive Director, Katie Cornwell
Katie Cornwell is the Executive Director of Seward Prevention Coalition, an Alaska-based non-profit that changes the lives of kids and adults through empowerment-based community programs. Katie oversees all seven of the incredible programs at SPC, and works with local officials to make sure that great ideas actually become realities. When laws get changed that help families put food on the table, when kids get to take Kayaking lessons, and babies get showered with “T.L.C Visits” at home - Katie is the woman who makes this possible. Katie is known in Seward as the woman to call if you need help. Her compassionate nature and commanding follow-through make her a natural leader for Seward Prevention Coalition.