Fairbanks sets aside a day to care for its Alaska Native Elders

There are jobs around the house that get harder with the years — the yard that needs clearing, the room that needs painting, the phone nobody's set up yet. On July 13, teams of volunteers across Fairbanks will spend the day tackling exactly those tasks for Alaska Native Elders, in a yearly tradition built on a simple idea: a community takes care of the people who came before it.

The Elders Day of Caring pairs volunteers with Elders who've asked for a hand, sending them out for yard work, painting, household organizing, a little help with technology, and safety fixes around the home. It's put on together by a roster of the region's Native organizations — Tanana Chiefs Conference, Denakkanaaga, the Interior Regional Housing Authority, Doyon, the Fairbanks Native Association, and others — the kind of turnout that says how much the day matters.

Volunteers can give as much of the day as they've got, in shifts of two, four, or six hours. Elders who could use the help, and anyone who wants to lend it, can find the details at tananachiefs.org/elders-day-of-caring.