For 30 years, the Alaska Food Coalition has connected organizations and individuals across the state, helping Alaska communities speak with a unified voice on food security. What began in 1996 as a grassroots effort, encouraged by the state’s Department of Health and Human Services and anchored by founding members in Fairbanks, Wasilla, Palmer, Dillingham, Kodiak, Bethel, Nome, Juneau, and Anchorage, has grown into a statewide network spanning hub communities and rural villages alike.
Along the way, members have helped bring more food to their communities through advocacy.
Established in 1996, the Alaska Food Coalition began as an initiative supported by the Alaska Department of Health and Human Services, now the Department of Health. Initially, the coalition focused on helping agencies and village councils access food resources and funding opportunities to support food security programs.
Over time, the Alaska Food Coalition evolved into a statewide advocacy and education network, working with lawmakers, community leaders, and partner organizations to enact meaningful policy changes.
In 2001, Food Bank of Alaska became the fiscal sponsor for the Alaska Food Coalition, allowing the coalition to access broader funding streams, including federal USDA grants that continue to sustain the coalition today.
Three decades later, that same mission of connecting communities to the resources and policy changes they need to fight hunger is more urgent than ever as food insecurity continues to rise across Alaska.