Jessica Stevens Community Foundation

Community volunteers in Talkeetna, Cantwell and the other communities in the upper Susitna River valley take on the spirit of Jessica Stevens as they build the Foundation named in her memory. Building an endowment that will support community efforts for years to come, leaders are focused on supporting compassionate health care, innovative education, community enrichment, active enjoyment of the natural environment, and arts and cultural expression. The area, near the base of Denali, is known for its independent people who rely on each other's support and a tremendous community spirit.

Jessica Stevens embodied this spirit as she and her family worked tirelessly to transform a health-care clinic serving the northern Susitna Valley communities before her death late in 2007. Jessica transformed the clinic from a staff of two people working out of a converted house and, with a $5-million capital campaign, into a federally qualified community health center with a staff of 40 health-care professionals, including a full-time physician and dentist, and a satellite office. Jessica was also active in the area's arts community and was truly an example for others wanting to give back to a community so strong.

Locally governed, the Foundation is solely focused on the needs of the  communities of the upper Susitna River valley through a permanent endowment that makes grants to the nonprofit groups that serve the area.