Rasmuson Foundation donates $1 million to fund care for children who have been abused
November 20, 2018
Contribution to Alaska CARES to provide treatment for children, families so they can begin healing journey
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – Rasmuson Foundation has provided a $1 million donation to Alaska CARES, Alaska’s largest evaluation center for children experiencing physical and sexual abuse.
The gift will be used toward the construction of the new treatment center, scheduled to open in April 2019. The donation from Rasmuson Foundation is one of the largest contributions to date; Southcentral Foundation also donated $3 million to Alaska CARES.
“This tremendous gift shows a commitment to ensuring Alaska’s children and families get the care they need after enduring the pain of abuse,” said Suzanne Rudolph, president of Providence Alaska Foundation. “Thank you Rasmuson Foundation for being a partner in our efforts to provide a space where children and families can begin to heal.”
Alaska CARES is the state’s largest Children’s Advocacy Center and serves children — newborns to age 18 — from around the state. Alaska CARES is part of a community collaboration that provides treatment in a facility where victim advocates, law enforcement, child protection, tribal health, forensic medicine and mental health professionals all are located under one roof so they can work together to help victims.
According to Rasmuson Foundation, supporting the building of a new treatment center for Alaska’s children who have been the victims of abuse was an easy decision about a heart-wrenching topic.
“Alaska CARES is an extremely important asset to the community,” said Cathy Rasmuson, vice chair of Rasmuson Foundation’s Board of Directors. “Alaska CARES came into being because they saw that the process of assessing young assault victims in a hospital emergency room was a negative and complicated process. Alaska CARES staff are trained to get details from the child in an extremely sensitive way. When the proposal came to us to help build the new Alaska CARES facility, I raised both my hands and cheered ‘Yes’!”
To learn more about Alaska CARES or donate, visit akcares.org.
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About Alaska CARES
Alaska CARES is an outpatient clinic located in Anchorage, Alaska. The clinic provides complete sexual and physical abuse evaluations for approximately 1,000 children each year, newborn to age 18, and 24-hour on-call services for cases that are considered emergent. Alaska CARES, a service of The Children’s Hospital at Providence, is a Children's Advocacy Center and a member of the National Children's Alliance, which is the governing body for more than 450 Children's Advocacy Centers across the United States. For more information about Alaska CARES, visit www.akcares.org.
About Rasmuson Foundation
Rasmuson Foundation was created in May 1955 by Jenny Rasmuson to honor her late husband “E.A.” Rasmuson. Through grantmaking and initiatives, the Foundation aims to promote a better life for all Alaskans. For more information about Rasmuson Foundation, visit www.rasmuson.org.