ABOUT US
Fairbanks HopeLink (FHL) Warming Center is a low-barrier, after-hours, warm location for individuals to utilize during cold winter nights. Our goal is to provide a safe and welcoming environment for those experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness.
The HopeLink Warming Center is open nightly from 10:00 PM to 7:00 AM through April. Our staff and volunteers are dedicated to making a difference in our community by providing a warm place to rest and connect with available resources.
Heidi Shepard
Heidi currently serves as the board chair. She is a lifelong Alaskan and loves the community of kindness and respect that Fairbanks embodies. She believes in the mission of Hopelink and wants to see all our neighbors warm through the winter, regardless of where they are in their journey. She works full time for the Alaska Center for Energy and Power.
Savannah Fletcher
Savannah Fletcher is a founding member of Fairbanks HopeLink. She lives in Fairbanks with her husband and son, works as a civil rights attorney, and serves on the Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly. Savannah believes in the power of community and everyone’s right to be warm, and she is proud to put that belief to action by working with the HopeLink team.
Brenda Riley
Trista Crass
Abby Waldorf
Abby moved to Fairbanks in 2019 and has worked a variety of food jobs around town. Currently, she's the Stone Soup Cafe manager at Bread Line. Her work is rooted in equity & human rights and she joined the HopeLink board because she believes that every one of our neighbors is entitled to safety from the cold.
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Brandie Price Sharp
Brandie moved to Alaska with her husband in 2021, where she finds fulfillment in her job as a Registered Nurse. It was her commitment to caring for the community that led her to join the HopeLink Board of Directors in 2024, where she finds joy in the ability to
provide a safe and warm space for the neighborhood. When she is not working, Brandie can be found volunteering at Stone Soup Café, enjoying the Alaskan summers, spending time with her friends and family, or snuggling with her very large Main Coon cat.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Joe Taylor
Joe moved to Fairbanks in 2016. He is a biologist who studies infectious disease in domestic animals and wildlife. He enjoys spending time in the boreal forest with his dogs. Joe is motivated to see the Hopelink warming shelter succeed and believes that all Fairbanksans deserve a life with dignity and respect.
Michelle Peschke
Michelle is a longtime Fairbanks resident with a 16-year background in nursing and public health, supporting individuals and families facing complex health, social, and behavioral challenges. She is deeply committed to supporting the mission of HopeLink, which reflects her belief in reducing stigma, improving access to care, and supporting those experiencing homelessness with dignity and compassion.