Alaskan Travels to Las Vegas During the Holidays to Help Homeless People

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (702 Times, NV Globe) – Heidi Hanson has a custom for the season. She travels from the Kenai Peninsula, close to Anchorage, to Las Vegas between Christmas and New Year’s to assist the homeless.

Her most recent journey makes five in a row. Recently, Hanson distributed comfort gifts to homeless people while walking the Las Vegas Strip. The gifts contained socks, some cash, food, and lip balm.

Hanson claims she assists homeless individuals, particularly those affected by alcohol addiction, and that she does so since an ex-boyfriend went to Las Vegas a number of years ago.

“A lot of the mental health stuff. I lived with an alcoholic for 15 years who committed suicide by cop down here. So, when I come back it’s kind of, it’s reliving that but it’s learning to live again from the tragedy,” said Hanson.

In Alaska, seventh- and eighth-grade hockey players created the cookies that Hanson distributed to the homeless five years ago. Once she had distributed them all, she went shopping for gifts to present to passersby on The Strip.

Nathan Nusser was one of the recipients of a care package lately from Hanson. He claims to have been without a place to live for roughly three years in Las Vegas.

“Changing your socks every day and washing your feet with handy wipes is pretty necessary because your feet start to stink and hurt and be sore,” said Nusser.

He added, “I have chapped lips from the wind so the chapstick will help me out.”

Having just lost a buddy to an alcohol addiction, Nusser expressed his gratitude for Hanson’s work.

“We were just talking about a friend of ours that passed away on Christmas morning. They have a picture of him over at this daiquiri bar. I was already choked up when you guys walked up and made me a little more choked up,” said Nusser.

Nusser gave Hanson a hug of appreciation. Several dozen care gifts were distributed by her before she left for Alaska.

Credits: Fox 5 Vegas