Food Bank of Alaska, Inc.

The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) is a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Child Nutrition Program established to ensure that low-income children, ages 18 and younger, continue to receive nutritious meals when school is not in session. Through SFSP, Food Bank of Alaska provides free, nutritious meals at approved programs in areas with significant concentrations of low-income children. Programs are provided by schools, private non-profits and local or tribal governments. Each year Food Bank of Alaska is the sponsor for 25-40 sites, almost all of them rural. As the sponsor, Food Bank of Alaska fulfills administrative and logistical requirements such as training, paperwork, record keeping, site monitoring, meal ordering and shipping, allowing the sites to focus on feeding children in need within their communities.

Food Bank of Alaska partners, 40 of them in rural Alaska, feed their hungry neighbors through The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). TEFAP is a commodity program administered through the State of Alaska Department of Education & Early Development. To support farmers and other producers, the U.S. government buys surplus food. For example, the government recently purchased surplus Alaska salmon. Instead of letting this food be wasted, the USDA distributes it to states for soup kitchens and food pantries. The State of Alaska contracts with Food Bank of Alaska to distribute TEFAP commodities to food pantries across the state. The TEFAP distribution in Alaska is based on the proportion of low income residents and persons on unemployment.

This program, through the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) is designed to supplement the nutrition of seniors in need. Food Bank of Alaska coordinates distribution of monthly CSFP boxes to eligible clients through a network of partner agencies. Contents of the boxes follow state-approved meal plans consisting of grains, proteins, milk, cheese, fruits and vegetables. Food Bank of Alaska distributes approximately 2,200 boxes a month with the help of our partner agencies. The State of Alaska Department of Health and Social Services, Division of Public Assistance, Family Nutrition Programs, is responsible for administering CSFP.

Food Bank of Alaska’s Mobile Food Pantry distributes fresh food to Anchorage families in need. Families tell us they especially appreciate the healthy produce and dairy products that don’t make it into their grocery budget. Food Bank of Alaska works with ten sponsoring agencies that conduct Mobile Food Pantries at nine convenient locations in neighborhoods around Anchorage.