Juneau, Alaska — The Healing Hand Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC), has received a $25,000 gift from the Juneau Community Foundation in honor of the late Ethel Lund, one of SEARHC’s visionary founders and most respected leaders.
The gift, made possible through a bequest from Lund to the Juneau Community Foundation, will support SEARHC’s Front Street and Mobile Health Clinics, specifically in their care delivery to Juneau’s unhoused residents. Funds will be used for critical upgrades to the Mobile Health Clinic to diversify the types of health services available to unhoused patients and will help SEARHC care teams provide essential items to patients in need.
“Ethel dedicated her life to ensuring that Southeast Alaska’s people had access to quality, culturally connected healthcare,” said Christine Woll, Executive Director of the Healing Hand Foundation. “Her compassion extended to every corner of the community, and it’s deeply meaningful that her legacy continues to provide comfort and dignity to those most in need.”
“Ethel’s leadership, spirit, and generosity remain at the heart of SEARHC,” said Leatha Merculieff, Senior Executive Vice President of SEARHC. “She built more than an organization — she built a movement rooted in care, culture, and community. This gift continues her life’s work of ensuring that everyone, regardless of circumstance, has access to humanity and healing.”
“The Juneau Community Foundation appreciates our partnership with SEARHC and the Healing Hand Foundation in honoring Ethel Lund’s lifelong commitment to care, advocacy, and supporting the needs of Alaska Native communities and Juneau’s most vulnerable. We are grateful for the trust that Ethel placed in the Community Foundation,” said Amy Skilbred, Executive Director of the Juneau Community Foundation.
A founding force behind SEARHC, Ethel Lund’s presence continues to be felt across Southeast Alaska and beyond. Her work helped build an organization that continues to prioritize community partnerships and promote a healthy balance of mind, body, and spirit — a mission she embodied every day.
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About the Healing Hand Foundation
The Healing Hand Foundation supports SEARHC’s mission through philanthropy, ensuring sustainable access to healthcare programs and services that improve the well-being of Southeast Alaska communities.
About the Juneau Community Foundation
The Juneau Community Foundation works to strengthen the community through philanthropy, connecting donors with causes that matter most to the people of Juneau and Southeast Alaska.