Meet Shannon Henning
In March 2019, 25-year-old Shannon Henning tragically lost her life crossing Third Ave when an impaired driver struck her. Shannon was chronically homeless and suffered from behavioral health and substance misuse challenges rooted in trauma. Over the years, as Shannon would use resources provided by Beans Cafe and other providers, Shawn and she developed a special connection. When Shannon was killed by an impaired driver in downtown, Shawn was there, and left the scene devastated. While driving home, Shawn decided that our homeless response system was failing and knew she had to do something.
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Homelessness stands as the most extreme downstream consequence of an ongoing lack of access to equitable housing within our community. Those enduring chronic homelessness represent some of our most medically and economically vulnerable individuals who are historically marginalized and in urgent need of support. Nearly all who are facing chronic homelessness grapple with exceedingly low or nonexistent incomes, compounded by disabilities which restrict daily functioning and hinder independent housing acquisition and retention. Moreover, regional racial disparities in homelessness function as an ongoing contributor to broader racial inequities in housing, employment, and access to services. Henning Inc. was founded in 2020 with a clear mission in mind; to tackle chronic homelessness by addressing the unequal access to housing, services, and employment in Anchorage head on.
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Our commitment is unwavering: no one else should pay with their life for the shortcomings of our homelessness response system.
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Henning Inc. provides a variety of solutions and works with each person to help them reach their full potential. We recognize that each person will have their own challenges and barriers to overcome on their path to self-sufficiency. We understand that a one-size fits all solution will never fully address and solve homelessness.
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