Our Team
Meet our leadership team who are dedicated to the Aruqutet 2022 mission. We, along with many others are working to ensure this one-time food box project reaches far and wide across the Calista Region.
Bethel Community Services Foundation (BCSF) is the host organization of the Aruqutet 2022 food security project and is the place-based community foundation serving Bethel and the surrounding Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta Region. BCSF works primarily in three areas: grant making, philanthropic fund development, and community projects/capacity building.
Carey "Gusty" Atchak
Food Security Coordinator
Bethel Community Services Foundation
foodsecurity@bcsfoundation.org
In Carey "Gusty" Atchak's role as Food Security Coordinator at Bethel Community Services Foundation, she has run the Bethel Food Bank and Food Pantry, in partnership with the Lions Club, since October 2020. With the Aruqutet project, Carey is in charge of distribution in communities, managing food box preparation, including hiring and supervising local workers. She loves to help people in any way that she can and loves being outdoors living a subsistence lifestyle, whether it be hunting, fishing, berry picking, or gathering what the lands have to offer as the seasons progress. Carey is very proud and thankful to be part of this opportunity to help the people in our region. Quyana!
Joe Atchak
Logistics Coordinator
Bethel Community Services Foundation
Father of ten beautiful children.
Aleg'guik, An'naanthhluk, Imgalrea are my Yupik/Cupik names (forgive my spelling if I misspelled them.)
Another person of our Land that loves the outdoors of hunting, fishing, gathering
(a good ol' country boy) or "River Rat" as some of us on Kuskokwim say
I look forward to helping our team of great leaders to "Help Our People."
Michelle DeWitt
Executive Director
Bethel Community Services Foundation
Michelle joined BCSF in October 2013. Prior to that, she worked in various positions at Tundra Women's Coalition in Bethel from 1997-2013. Michelle loves participating in community projects, spending time out on the tundra and river, walking dogs and adventuring. Michelle most enjoys the team collaboration with the Aruqutet Project and looks forward to watching this project evolve from ideas to a reality that brings resources to Y-K Delta households in a very short time.
Deborah A. Michael
Food Outreach Specialist
Bethel Community Services Foundation
foodoutreach@bcsfoundation.org
Deborah A. Michael, is the second oldest daughter of James and Annie Michael. She grew up with her Aunt Martha York, Uncle Nicolai A. Evon, and her grandfather Evan Ayapan. Her paternal grandparents were the late Very Reverend Fr. Nicolai O. Michael and the late Matushka Olga. She has three children, Solomon, Julie, and Lynn, and 10 grandchildren (three of whom were adopted out to family members)!
Debbie, as she prefers to be called, is the Food Outreach Specialist of Bethel Community Services Foundation (BCSF). One of her favorite and challenging activities in the early part of this Aruqutet 2022 food distribution project was to contact the Tribal Leaders, Tribal Administrators, or Tribal Office staff members, and (re-)introduce herself to them, and get their community’s information. Debbie says, “I am so grateful for all of their help so far, and I look forward to working with them from now until the end of the project.”
Before she joined the BCSF Aruqutet 2022 food distribution project in February, 2022, she worked for the Orutsararmiut Native Council. Prior work history, before concentrating on and finishing her schoolwork to finally receive her bachelor’s degree in social work, includes: Calricaraq Program at YKHC, Community Coalition Coordinator at AVCP, and Office Manager at the Tundra Women’s Coalition. Other work experience include being an outreach coordinator at YKHC’s Diabetes Prevention and Control Program, and YKHC’s Health Education Program.
Several of her favorite activities to do in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta is to do subsistence activities with her family and friends. Debbie loves doing activities outdoors and believes that it is a great way to connect with everyone of every age and every living thing! Other activities she enjoys connecting with people include taking photographs and listening to their stories.
Bethy Whalen
Procurement Officer
Bethel Community Services Foundation
Bethy Whalen is overseeing procurement for the Aruqutet project. She currently manages the Yupiit Piciryarait Cultural Center and was previously the food service director at the Lower Kuskokwim School District. Bethy is happiest when she's out fishing on the Kuskokwim, performing bluegrass covers of pop songs with one of her bands, or designing and arranging tasty treats for her local charcuterie board side business. She has enjoyed the time spent brainstorming with the rest of the Aruqutet team members and she is looking forward to making it out to some villages that she hasn't yet visited to help with distribution for the project.
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Lisa Whalen
Program Officer
Bethel Community Services Foundation
Lisa Whalen has been a program officer at Bethel Community Services Foundation for six years. She has also worked at Tundra Women’s Coalition and Bethel Regional High School. Lisa plays a few different instruments, has three Bethel rescue dogs and tundra cranberries are her favorite late-summer treat. Working closely with the other members of the Aruqutet team has been Lisa’s favorite part of the project so far and she is looking forward to seeing the different logistics challenges and creative solutions that will arise as the team starts to move food across the YK Delta.