The Food Bank of Alaska is a nonprofit hunger-relief organization based in Anchorage, Alaska. Founded in 1979, it is a member of Feeding America and distributes donated and purchased food through a network of more than 150 partner agencies statewide.[2][3] Independent coverage has documented its role in major seasonal distributions, such as annual Thanksgiving Blessing events in Anchorage.[4][5][6]
Food Bank of Alaska was incorporated in 1979 by Anchorage church volunteers who sought to reduce food waste and improve access to food across the state.[7] Early founders included Mary Jane Landstrom, who served as the first board president, and other community leaders committed to salvaging surplus food that would otherwise go to waste.[8]
In its first full year, the organization distributed 47,470 pounds of food to 22 partner agencies.[9] By its 25th anniversary in 2004, Food Bank of Alaska had expanded to serve dozens of communities statewide, laying the foundation for a broader anti-hunger network.[10]
The organization became a member of Feeding America, the national network of food banks, which expanded its access to national food donors and industry partnerships.[11]
Leadership has shifted over the decades. Susannah Morgan served as executive director from 2001 to 2012, a period when the food bank scaled operations significantly, expanded USDA commodity programs, and extended services from Anchorage into rural communities.[12][13] She departed in 2012 to become CEO of Oregon Food Bank.[14] Michael Miller succeeded her from 2012 to 2015, followed by Jim Baldwin from 2015 until 2021. In 2022, Cara Durr became CEO, bringing a background in public policy and advocacy to the role.[15]
As demand for food assistance has grown, the food bank has continually scaled up. In fiscal year 2024 it reported distributing 7.9 million pounds of food through more than 150 partner agencies statewide.[16] Media coverage in 2024 and 2025 documented rising need, logistical challenges in shipping food to rural Alaska, and the food bank’s role in public discussions about federal SNAP and Medicaid cuts.[17][18][19]
Programs
Food Bank of Alaska coordinates or participates in several programs:
Mobile food distributions in Anchorage and surrounding communities.[22][23]
Thanksgiving Blessing holiday meal distributions run with faith and community partners.[24][4][5]
SNAP Outreach and Education, providing application assistance and raising awareness about eligibility for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The organization has also participated in public discussions about federal food assistance changes.[25]
Double Up Food Bucks in partnership with the Alaska Farmers Market Association, which allows SNAP participants to stretch their benefits on local produce.[27]
Community Food Drives and Fund Drives, including seasonal efforts such as Anchorage Restaurant Week and the Trick or Eat Halloween campaign.[28][29]
Operations
The organization operates a warehouse and distribution hub in Anchorage that serves as the central site for storage, sorting, and redistribution of donated and purchased food.[2] Food is sourced from grocery retailers, wholesalers, producers, the fishing industry, farmers, USDA programs, and community food drives.[3] Local reporting has noted rising demand for mobile distributions in Anchorage.[23]
In fiscal year 2024, Food Bank of Alaska reported distributing 7.9 million pounds of food through more than 150 partner agencies.[3]
Operating in Alaska presents unique logistical challenges due to the state’s geography and reliance on long-distance shipping. In 2025, Food Bank News reported that the organization successfully managed a large-scale food shipment under a compressed deadline, highlighting the complexity of distributing food to rural communities across the state.[30]
Community Engagement
Food Bank of Alaska relies on thousands of volunteers each year, including students, retirees, and community groups. In 2025, local coverage highlighted Anchorage high school students volunteering to pack food for distribution.[31] One Anchorage woman was reported to have devoted nearly 600 hours annually to volunteering with the organization.[32] National volunteer initiatives have also intersected with the food bank’s work, such as a terminally ill veteran traveling the country on a mission to serve at food banks, who stopped in Anchorage in 2025.[33][34]
The organization has also hosted large volunteer groups, including service members during Alaska’s first Navy Week in 2025.[35]
Advocacy and Policy
Beyond food distribution, Food Bank of Alaska has been active in advocacy related to food insecurity and public assistance. In 2025, the organization joined other nonprofits in raising concerns about proposed federal funding cuts that could reduce food access for Alaskans.[36] That same year, Alaska Public Media covered its participation in statewide discussions on how the proposed “One Big Beautiful Bill” might affect SNAP and Medicaid benefits.[37]
Food Bank of Alaska has also prepared for rapid surges in demand during times of federal uncertainty. In February 2025, local reporting noted the organization’s readiness to respond to increased food need if mass federal layoffs occurred.[38]
Events and Fundraising
The food bank coordinates several annual fundraising and awareness campaigns. In 2024, it partnered with Anchorage restaurants for “Anchorage Restaurant Week,” which combined local dining promotions with donations to fight hunger.[39] That same fall, the organization and local partners organized the “Trick or Eat” Halloween-themed food drive.[40]
In addition to holiday meal distributions, Food Bank of Alaska also organizes seasonal events that bring together faith groups, businesses, and volunteers, such as the annual Thanksgiving Blessing.[41]
Impact
Local reporting has documented a steady rise in food insecurity across Alaska. In December 2024, Alaska Public Media reported that the food bank continued to experience record levels of demand, with the need even higher than the previous year’s record distributions.[42] The Anchorage Daily News also noted in September 2024 that more Anchorage residents were relying on food assistance programs, underscoring the ongoing demand for the food bank’s services.[43]
↑ Alaska Public Media, "How the 'One Big Beautiful Bill' would affect food assistance and Medicaid," 17 June 2025.
↑ Your Alaska Link, "Anchorage students volunteer to fight hunger with Food Bank of Alaska," 17 January 2025.
↑ Your Alaska Link, "Alaskans worry as Trump’s budget bill targets SNAP cuts," 18 June 2025.
↑ Your Alaska Link, "Restaurant Week kicks off with tasty menu options, all for a good cause," 21 October 2024.
↑ Your Alaska Link, "Time to scare away hunger with the Trick or Eat food drive," 27 October 2024.
↑ Food Bank News, "Alaska Food Bank Tames Logistical Complexity on a Deadline," July 2025.
↑ Your Alaska Link, "Anchorage students volunteer to fight hunger with Food Bank of Alaska," 17 January 2025.
↑ Alaska News Source, "Anchorage woman devotes nearly 600 hours per year to fight hunger," 2024.
↑ Alaska News Source, "Dying to Serve: Terminally ill man stops in Anchorage on his volunteer tour," 19 June 2025.
↑ Your Alaska Link, "Dying to Serve: Terminal diagnosis fuels one man's 50-state mission of hope," 19 June 2025.
↑ Your Alaska Link, "Sailors give back to Anchorage community during Alaska's first Navy Week," 19 June 2025.
↑ Alaska News Source, "We will have less access to food’: anti-hunger organizations speak about federal funding cuts," 25 April 2025.
↑ Alaska Public Media, "How the 'One Big Beautiful Bill' would affect food assistance and Medicaid," 17 June 2025.
↑ Your Alaska Link, "Alaska food bank is prepared for possible surge in demand amid federal firings," 3 February 2025.
↑ Your Alaska Link, "Restaurant Week kicks off with tasty menu options, all for a good cause," 21 October 2024.
↑ Your Alaska Link, "Time to scare away hunger with the Trick or Eat food drive," 27 October 2024.
↑ Alaska News Source, "Food Bank of Alaska kicks off annual Thanksgiving Blessing," 22 November 2024.
↑ Alaska Public Media, "A year after record demand, Food Bank of Alaska says need is higher than ever," 16 December 2024.
↑ Anchorage Daily News, "More Anchorage residents are relying on food assistance programs," 23 September 2024.
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