Special Operations, Kenai
Alaskan experiences in Kenai
Snowmachine days and events that get kids outside doing something they would otherwise only hear about.
Authentic Alaskan experiences for kids who live here and have never been given a day like it.
It is where the whole thing began, with snowmachine races, and it is still run the same way, by people who show up and take the kids out themselves.
A seat for one child on a day out they would never otherwise get.
Families in Kenai
We help families in Kenai and the areas around it. Operation Children First is based in Kenai and works through partner elementary schools here.
There are no names, no stories and no judgment. The school nurse keeps a list of what is needed, Operation Children First buys it new, and it is handed over quietly at school. A family is never asked to tell its story to qualify.
Money raised here stays here. In Matt Brown's words, donations raised in Soldotna stay in Soldotna, and contributions from the Kenai area go back into the Kenai area.
Questions people ask
What does Operation Children First do in Kenai?
Snowmachine days and events that get kids outside doing something they would otherwise only hear about. Operation Children First is based in Kenai and works through partner elementary schools here.
How does a child in Kenai get help from Operation Children First?
Through the school. There are no names, no stories and no judgment. The school nurse keeps a list of what is needed, Operation Children First buys it new, and it is handed over quietly at school. A family is never asked to tell its story to qualify.
Does a gift from Kenai stay in Kenai?
Yes. Money raised here stays here. In Matt Brown's words, donations raised in Soldotna stay in Soldotna, and contributions from the Kenai area go back into the Kenai area. Nothing goes to a head office or another state.
How do I give to alaskan experiences from Kenai?
Open the Support a child page, pick Venmo, PayPal or Cash App, and write Alaskan Experiences in the note before you send. That one word is how the gift gets counted toward alaskan experiences instead of the general pile.
Is Operation Children First a real nonprofit?
Yes. Operation Children First is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Kenai, Alaska, EIN 84-3299344, started by Matt Brown of Soldotna. It gets coats, socks, hygiene supplies, Thanksgiving meals and Christmas gifts to children on the central Kenai Peninsula through their own schools.
Support a child in Kenai
Write Alaskan Experiences in the note so the gift counts toward alaskan experiences.