Homer, Alaska is located on the Kenai Peninsula Borough and home to approximately 5,000 residents according to the 2010 U.S. Census. Known as the "Halibut Capital of the World," this small city is now also moving towards being part of a new wave of "ACEs activists."
In a recent article by Megan Murphy, the MAPP (Mobilizing for Action through Planning & Partnerships) coordinator, the community selected "Family Well-Being" as a primary focus of their community action, despite a number of other concerns as laid out in the Community Health Assessment. One of the main causes identified by Murphy and others for the families in Homer to be unwell were adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). According to recent data from the state-delivered Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, "of the adult male SKP respondents, about half (44.5 percent) had experienced zero ACEs before the age of 18 whereas the number of adult female SKP respondents who had not experienced any ACEs was only a quarter (26.3 percent). Further, one out of every four female respondents experienced four or more Adverse Childhood Experiences before the age of 18 (BRFSS 2013)."
Murphy states: "There are many ways that each and every one of us can be positively present for one another, particularly for children. What role do you want to play?" Along with the great stories highlighted in the Community Resilience Cookbook that she cites in the article, we can add Homer, Alaska as yet another example of people across the country who are trying to build communities of hope, health and happiness.
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