If you’re looking for a list of top food banks in Alaska, you’ve come to the right place. Read on to learn about 10 of them!
1. Lutheran Social Services of Alaska Food Pantry
As the Lutheran Social Services of Alaska’s flagship program, the LSSA’s food pantry has been successfully running since 1973 and is their largest community program to date. Eligible families and individuals can visit once a month to collect a pre-prepared food bags of government products and choose from any additional food donated by the local community and businesses.
You can find out how to donate food or money to the LSSA’s food pantry by visiting their giving page here or complete a volunteer application to help distribute food. If you have any other questions, contact them online.
2. New Hope Compassionate Ministries
New Hope Compassionate Ministries has operated their food pantry at their main church building on East Street in Anchorage every Tuesday since 2002. They provide a shopping model for those who visit their pantry, allowing them to choose a week’s worth of fresh fruits and vegetables, ready made soups, fresh and frozen meats, milk and dairy products, breads and cereals, as well as other nonperishables donated by the local community.
If you’d like to donate food to the pantry, you can do this by visiting the pantry Monday through Friday, from 9am-4pm. Check out the bottom of their website to see what foods they need most. You can donate money to the church by clicking the ‘donate’ button on this site, choosing ‘Donation’ in the designation box, and writing ‘Food Pantry’ in the notes. If you want to know how to volunteer or have any other questions, contact New Hope Compassionate Ministries using their contact page here.
3. St. Francis House Food Pantry
Beginning in the 1960s in Anchorage, St. Francis House Food Pantry has become the largest food pantry in the state of Alaska, serving nearly 115 families each day. They offer pre-prepared food bags containing canned fruits and vegetables, dried cereals and breads, and even frozen meats and ready-made meals to help alleviate one of the stressors struggling families and individuals suffer in these uncertain times.
You can see what and how to donate food and other goods to the pantry by visiting this page, or if you want to donate money directly to the cause, you can do so at this page. St. Francis House always needs volunteers; visit this page to find out how to help or contact them via the information at the bottom of their homepage if you have any questions.
4. Southeast Alaska Food Bank
A compassionate grocery store owner started the Southeast Alaska Food Bank (SEAFB) in the early 1990s when he noticed far too many people dumpster-diving for the ‘barely edible’ food he was throwing away each week. While SEAFB mostly collects and redistributes food to other local food pantries and distribution services, they also run their own food pantry twice a week for local families and individuals to collect a week’s worth of emergency food to help tide them over until the next month.
You can find out how to donate money, food, or other goods by following the guidelines at this page or you can register to volunteer by following the guidelines on this page. You can always contact them if you have any other questions or need any other information.
5. Resurrection Lutheran Church Food Pantry
As the largest food pantry in Juneau, the Resurrection Lutheran Church (RLC) Food Pantry provides emergency food provisions to nearly 200 individuals and families in the Juneau area each Monday. They run a ‘shopping’ model, where eligible individuals can choose their own food rather than be provided a pre-packed bag of that week’s meals. These foods also include many types not normally provided in emergency food pantries, such as fresh meats, dairy, eggs, produce, and snacks.
In the winter of 2021-2022, the RLC also became the cold weather homeless shelter for rough-living residents of Juneau, as well as continuing to provide food services. If you’d like to donate money to help support these causes, you can donate via PayPal. You can also donate food, goods, or time to the church food pantry during their normal pantry hours; contact them via email to find out how.
6. Douglas Community UMC Food Pantry
On Douglas Island, the Douglas Community UMC Food Pantry provides necessary food provisions to those rough-living and low-income residents of Douglas. They also provide hot meals once a month to homeless individuals living in Juneau or the surrounding areas. The Douglas Community UMC Food Pantry also provides food for school-aged children who may need supplemental food for weekends or summer holidays.
If you’d like to donate food to the cause, check the list of food needs here, as well as guidelines on how to donate to the pantry. You can also donate money by clicking the ‘donate’ button on the same page. If you want to find out how to volunteer at the pantry or have any other questions, contact the Douglas Community UMC via the information on this page.
7. MatSu Food Bank
The MatSu Food Bank in Wasilla (originally called the “Food Pantry of Wasilla”) began in 1984 to provide supplemental bags of filling, nutritious food to help those in the area survive food insecurity. In 2021, the MatSu Food Bank began Food4Kids, a food distribution service providing kids on free or reduced lunches with nutritious meals during the weekends and summer breaks.
You can donate money directly via PayPal or through supermarket loyalty cards, as described on their homepage. MatSu Food Bank always need of volunteers; you can find out how to register to be one here. Contact them to find out how to donate food or other necessary goods.
8. Palmer Food Bank
Since the Saint Michael Catholic Church opened the doors in the early 1990s, Palmer Food Bank has provided food and toiletries to those struggling individuals and families living in Palmer, AK, and the towns around it. The Palmer Food Bank provides a week’s worth of food to over 1,000 individuals and 400 families each month to ensure they have enough to eat to last until the next month’s assistance or paycheck arrives. Their biggest demographic is the growing senior population, who receive a monthly home-delivered food box collected and packed by the volunteers of the Palmer Food Bank.
You can donate money directly to this great cause via their PayPal. If you’d like to volunteer your time or donate necessary food or goods, contact the food bank directly to find out how.
9. Kenai Peninsula Food Bank
The Kenai Peninsula Food Bank started in 1988 in Soldotna, AK, to collect and redistribute food to over 70 food pantries and shelters throughout the Kenai Peninsula region of Alaska. They also host their own food pantry and a hot-meal soup kitchen (which is open to any member of the public) during the week, as well as a home delivery food box service for seniors suffering food insecurity.
You can send a monetary donation through any number of means found here or even volunteer your time to help pack and distribute food by registering here. Contact them to find out how you can donate food or goods to the food bank or for any other questions you might have about this great service.
10. Upper Susitna Food Pantry
Since 2011, the Upper Susitna Food Pantry in Talkeetna has provided supplemental food services to the Caswell Lakes area north of Anchorage. Once a month, eligible families and individuals can collect a pre-packed bag of food and ‘shop’ for fresh produce and other locally donated foods on top of their federal allotment. The food pantry also participates in weekend and summer kids’ programs, which provide food to those children on reduced or free lunches during the times when they wouldn’t get a school lunch.
As the Upper Susitna Food Pantry functions almost entirely on government funding, they are always accepting food and goods donations whenever they can; you can find out how to donate here. You can also donate money directly to the project here or contact them directly to find out more information.
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