The Title VI program provides an opportunity for rural Elders to access well-balanced meals, enhancing intake, improving nutritional status, and providing a social outlet.

Ouzinkie and Port Lions

Home-delivered meals are available at least three days per week. Congregate meals are also available and provide an opportunity to use the exercise equipment and computers located within the local senior center.

Akhiok, Old Harbor, Larsen Bay

Elders in Akhiok, Old Harbor, and Larsen Bay receive food boxes quarterly to improve nutrition. KANA's Community Programs Specialist oversees this program and is supported by Tribal staff cooks in Port Lions and Ouzinkie.

Learn more

KANA Community Programs Specialist at 907.486.9879.

The Village Public Safety Officer (VPSO) program began in the late 1970s as a means to provide rural Alaskan communities with public safety services at the local level. VPSOs help protect the life and property of the rural Alaska communities where they work and live, providing law enforcement, probation and parole supervision, search and rescue efforts, fire protection, and emergency medical services.

VPSOs attend a sixteen-week basic law enforcement academy, followed by Rural Fire Protection Specialist training and Emergency Trauma Technician training. VPSO certification is awarded after completion of all required training, and twelve consecutive months of service work. KANA administers the VPSO program for the Koniag region through an agreement with the Alaska Department of Public Safety. VPSOs serving in this region are employed by KANA, rather than the state, municipal, Tribal, or borough governments.

The VPSO Program was designed to train and employ individuals residing in a village as first responders to public safety emergencies such as search and rescue, fire protection, emergency medical assistance, crime prevention and basic law enforcement. The presence of these officers has had a significant impact on improving the quality of life in the participating villages.Through KANAs partnership with the Alaska State Troopers (AST) and our Tribal and city councils, the VPSO presence in our communities is viewed as a positive approach to public safety.

A typical day in the life of a VPSO may involve patrolling the village, visiting with children at the village school, or Elders at the tribal hall. They respond to routine and emergency calls for service. They meet ferries and aircraft when they arrive. A VPSO may assist the Community Health Aide with a medical emergency, or the Behavioral Health Aide with someone is in crisis.

Learn more:

If you're interested in becoming a VPSO, visit our careers section to find out employment requirements and to apply!