Arctic VISTAs overcome a challenging environment to working in poverty stressed-areas in Fairbanks and Interior Alaska. Fairbanks was recently named the third most dangerous city in the US for women and the amount of youth who get college degrees among the lowest (especially native youth). In Fairbanks cost of living is astronomically higher than the rest of the United States (utilities are at 234% on the ACCRA index, housing at 141.6%) and the poor struggle to obtain basic needs such as heat (it gets below -40F) and even water- yes, that's right, ~10% of properties in Fairbanks do not have running water. VISTAs here take this challenge in-stride and live with marginal needs for a year to try to ensure future generations don't have to.

Thanks to the help of VISTAs Eric Knox, Sarah Smith, and Meagan Scheer for the making of this video. Check-out our website at ArcticVISTA.org or AmeriCorps.gov for AmeriCorps*VISTA opportunities in Alaska volunteering doing sustainable poverty alleviation.