The Emmonak Women’s Shelter first took shape in the late 1970’s. Joann Horn, now the shelter’s executive director, has been involved with the shelter for nearly three decades — first as someone in need of help.
“I’m a survivor of domestic violence. I ended up there at the shelter program when it first began, with the ladies that started that,” Horn said.
After helping hundreds of women and children, the exact timeline of those early days is a bit foggy for Horn. But she remembers starting part-time around 1987, then expanding her role to full time in 1994.
“I never thought I’d operate that place,” Horn said. “Because of the experience I went through, I wanted to help.”
Over the years, the shelter has grown from a small operation with just three staff members to 14. The shelter is now open 24 hours a day and has full-time adult, children and elder advocates along with support staff.
Emmonak is considered a sub-hub, with three other communities, Nunam Iqua, Alakanuk and Kotlik able to fly directly to the village before traveling on to the regional hub of Bethel. But Horn said the shelter serves the entire Lower Yukon area.
If the shelter gets a call from a nearby village, Horn said the shelter pays for the flight to Emmonak, and even books a charter if no seats are available.
The Bering Sea Women's Group runs a shelter in Nome, but Lower Yukon communities like Emmonak lack direct flights to Nome despite being just 100 miles away. 170 miles to the south, Bethel is home to the 43-bed Tundra Women's Coalition shelter.
The Emmonak shelter’s current building has just three bedrooms and one shared bathroom, making space extremely limited. But Horn said they rarely turn anyone away.
“We say 10 at capacity, but we can’t say no when we have walk-ins or overnight,” she explained. “At one time there was about 27 total. That was the fullest I ever saw.”
A new building, beginning
An all-terrain vehicle drives along Yukon Way in Emmonak, Nov. 13, 2025. Ben Townsend/ KNOM
The village of Emmonak sits on an offshoot of the Yukon River known as Kwiguk Pass. It’s also just 10 miles from the Bering Sea, putting it at risk of storm surges like last year’s ex-typhoon Halong.
“This storm came, and the water was bank to bank, and the waves were splashing over the bank. I kept coming to see if it’s going to reach the shelter or not,” Horn recalled of the historic October 2025 storm.
Those threats — along with space limitations — led the shelter to begin plans for a new facility, which is expected to break ground next summer. It’ll be much further inland, safe from storm surges and away from one of Emmonak’s busiest roads.
Design has already begun, with a single-story floorplan in the works. The new building will have five to six bedrooms, multiple bathrooms, and dedicated space for children and staff.
Horn admits leaving the current shelter will be bittersweet. She plans to hold a closing ceremony to honor the history and healing that has taken place over its four decades of service.
“That building has lots of stories. Each room, I want to let everything go and do some kind of really good opening ceremony,” Horn said. “Blessed ceremony, so the work will be carried on in a good way.”
Horn expects construction work to begin in 2027, with the building ready to open by 2028.
