It’s a month built on a simple idea: awareness matters, but action is what makes a difference.
This year’s National Day of Action, Hunger Action Day, falls on Tuesday, September 29. Food Bank of Alaska will use the day to encourage Alaskans to share resources, support local food access programs, and take one simple step for neighbors facing hunger.
Hunger in Alaska rarely comes down to grocery prices alone. With health care and energy costs on the rise, Alaskans are balancing grocery budgets against other basic needs, along with changes in income, seasonal work, transportation costs, and more.
With more than 1 in 6 Alaskans facing food insecurity, this is a big problem. But we’re not asking you to solve the whole thing. Just do one thing. It all adds up.
All September long, Food Bank of Alaska will highlight one call to action each day. We invite you to follow along, share the ideas that speak to you, and find your own way to take action. Save this blog and follow us on social media more more ways to get involved throughout September.
Food insecurity in Alaska is complicated, but taking action does not have to be.
Food Bank of Alaska is also updating Hunger Action Month materials with the newest local food insecurity data, including updated Map the Meal Gap numbers from Feeding America.
These updates help show what food insecurity looks like in Alaska today and why continued investment in food access matters.
Alaska’s overall food insecurity rate climbed to 15.6% in 2024, the highest rate recorded since Feeding America began tracking Map the Meal Gap data in 2009.
Want to dig deeper? Our How to Talk about Hunger: A Conversation Starter Pack is a good place to start. It includes current data about hunger in Alaska and simple ways to talk about an issue that can sometimes feel complicated.
These numbers help us understand the scale of the need and why continued investment in food access matters.
No single organization can address food insecurity alone. Across Alaska, food banks, pantries, community organizations, farmers markets, volunteers, advocates, and many others play a role in helping neighbors access the food they need.
Throughout Hunger Action Month, we’ll highlight some of that work, including local food access programs, SNAP outreach, partner agency food banks and pantries, and other resources available to Alaskans.
You may even discover an organization or program in your own community that you didn’t know about before.
One easy way to take part in Hunger Action Month is to wear orange every Thursday in September.
Orange is the national color of hunger awareness, and wearing it gives you an opportunity to start a conversation about food insecurity and what it looks like here in Alaska.
Already own something orange? Wear it. Need a shirt? Grab one from our Bonfire store and wear it throughout September.
Remember, on Thursdays, we wear orange.
Just don’t stop at the shirt.
When someone asks about it, tell them why you’re wearing orange. Talk about hunger in your community. Ask people what they know about food insecurity where they live and share what you’ve learned.
Bring it up at the dinner table, in your group chat, or at your next team meeting.
Not sure how to start? Our How to Talk About Hunger Conversation Starter Pack can help.
Food Bank of Alaska's SNAP team rockin' the orange shirts for Hunger Action Month
You can also snap a photo, tag Food Bank of Alaska, and invite someone else to take action.
You don't have to solve hunger this September. You can share a resource, make a gift, volunteer, learn something new, or start a conversation.
Just do one thing.