Acquiring supplies and groceries in rural Alaska has always been challenging and with COVID-19 travel restrictions, shopping has become even more difficult. BSNC shareholder Gertie Zitzelberger stepped up to the challenge of helping rural Alaskans meet their shopping needs by creating Rural Family Expediting Services.
Born in Nome, raised in Unalakleet and currently living in the Mat-Su Valley, Gertie enjoys helping people in rural Alaska get the goods they need. Because the cost of living in rural Alaska is significantly more than urban areas, Rural Family Expediting Services fills an important role.
A longtime family friend, Don Stiles, suggested this business and was one of her first clients. Her brother, Chad Johnson, assisted with the business at the start as well. With support from friends and family, Gertie was able to develop a successful business model which she operates while raising her son and pursuing a Business Administration degree at the University of Alaska Anchorage.
Gertie finds Rural Family Expediting Services full of fun challenges. She buys bulk items and even shops for gifts, and it is not just groceries and goods that she can have delivered. Once she was able to satisfy a Dillingham resident’s craving for sushi by delivering her client’s order via Alaska Airlines’ Goldstreak. Putting a smile on someone’s face puts a smile on Gertie’s face. She says that growing up in a village, she learned the value of helping others.
Reach Rural Family Expediting Services by calling (907) 625-1583 or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ruralfamilyexpeditingservices/.