It’s easy to drive by the Henry House without noticing it. The nondescript exterior looks like many buildings on Third Avenue. But for the past decade, the inside of the building has witnessed the transformation of hundreds of men.
Since 2006, the Henry family has been helping former prisoners and others get back on their feet.
On Wednesday, U.S. Attorney Karen Loeffler joined her colleagues and people from the public defender’s office, the court system and the probation office to help repaint the inside of the Henry House.
“We’re all on the same page on this,” Loeffler said, adding that reentering society after prison can be particularly challenging in Alaska, where rent prices are higher than much of the Lower 48. “The more that people have an opportunity to have a place to live, have jobs and have healthcare, they can work on becoming contributing members of our society.”
For the last two years, the Henry House has been helping people like Marlin Sookiayak, who served two years in prison for assault.
“It’s pretty much a family for me,” Sookiayak said.
He said he takes life one day at a time, and is hoping to return to his village of Shaktoolik.
“My family is going to welcome me back to my village,” he said.
Kathy Henry, who owns the Henry House with her husband, said it would have taken them much longer to do the painting on their own.
“This is really touching,” Henry said. “They’re all going to get done in one day.”
The repainting is part of a larger campaign called National Reentry Week. U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch is encouraging U.S. attorneys around the country to do volunteer work that helps former prisoners reconnect with their communities.
Friday, February 17 2017 12:06 PM EST2017-02-17 17:06:28 GMT
Thursday, June 21 2018 4:03 PM EDT2018-06-21 20:03:55 GMT
You’re my friends now. We’re having soft tacos later. Yeah but I don’t know how to make myself go there. Maybe it might never happen again. AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH! Put a little fence around it! Ralph Waldo Pickle Chips! I don’t know him.Pony Lords, jump for you
PersonalityCatbug may be about 10 years old, and has a very sweet and childlike personality. Catbug's personality also makes him seem simpler and more carefree, like in the episode "Gas-Powered Stick," where he was seen talking to a spider, and in the ep
PersonalityCatbug may be about 10 years old, and has a very sweet and childlike personality. Catbug's personality also makes him seem simpler and more carefree, like in the episode "Gas-Powered Stick," where he was seen talking to a spider, and in the ep
Thursday, February 23 2017 9:17 PM EST2017-02-24 02:17:22 GMT
Thursday, March 16 2017 1:27 PM EDT2017-03-16 17:27:38 GMT
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (21Alive) - A woman was trapped early Friday morning in her home after her bedroom ceiling collapsed on her while she was in bed. Fort Wayne fire crews and paramedics rushed to the sceneMore>>
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (21Alive) - A woman was trapped early Friday morning in her home after her bedroom ceiling collapsed on her while she was in bed. Fort Wayne fire crews and paramedics rushed to the sceneMore>>
Monday, August 27 2018 5:26 PM EDT2018-08-27 21:26:00 GMT
Tuesday, May 5 2020 10:40 AM EDT2020-05-05 14:40:00 GMT
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Nulla vel efficitur diam, ut tempus lorem. In laoreet velit eget magna malesuada, sit amet mollis diam pretium. Suspendisse vulputate erat et maximus commodo. Proin ullamcorper, neque quis commodo vMore>>
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Nulla vel efficitur diam, ut tempus lorem. In laoreet velit eget magna malesuada, sit amet mollis diam pretium. Suspendisse vulputate erat et maximus commodo. Proin ullamcorper, neque quis commodo vMore>>