- Cama-i, quyana tailuci!
- (Central Yup’ik)
- "Greetings, thank you for coming!"
Alaska Meals to You
A Summer Food Service Program
The Alaska Department of Education and Early Development (DEED) has created a demonstration project, Alaska Meals to You (M2Y), to reduce food insecurity in rural Alaska during the summer months. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) has approved Alaska’s three-year demonstration project proposal aimed at expanding the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) to rural Alaskans that have traditionally faced limited or no access to congregate SFSP meals.
Eligible children in rural Alaskan communities will receive meals through an alternative delivery method, such as through the US Postal Service. Meal boxes will include up to ten breakfasts and ten lunches that meet the rigorous meal pattern and nutrition standards of the SFSP.
About Meals to You
Meals to You was originally operated by the Baylor Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty which initially sought to address food insecurity in West Texas; by the height of the COVID-19 Pandemic, Meals to You had expanded to 39 states including Alaska. During the summer of 2023, Baylor’s program served 430,000 meals to 4,100 students in 11 rural Alaskan communities. These communities would not have had access to traditional SFSP sites were it not for Baylor’s Meals to You; finding staff and paying for food, supplies, and salaries present significant barriers to implementing SFSP for many rural Alaska communities.
When funding for Baylor’s program ended in September 2023, DEED has applied for and received approval to implement M2Y. DEED is presently working with the Food Bank of Alaska to launch M2Y in Summer 2024. FNS funds a small number of Summer Food for Children demonstrations with the goal of reducing or eliminating food insecurity and hunger among children and to improve their nutritional status.
Current Plan and Expansion
Initially, for summer 2024, M2Y will be offered to the same 11 communities where it was last offered by Baylor’s program. In summers 2025 and 2026, DEED’s goal is to expand M2Y to additional sponsors, communities, and children, as well as offer a greater variety of foods.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does M2Y Replace SFSP?
No, M2Y will operate within the SFSP. The purpose of M2Y is to expand access to SFSP to communities that have historically lacked access to SFSP. DEED expects many of the sites that have operated in past years to return for Summer 2024, in addition to the new M2Y meal options.
How Do I Enroll my Child?
Registration information will be provided by your local school district in partnership with the Food Bank of Alaska and DEED.
What Communities Will be Served?
During the Summer 2024, communities that were served by Baylor’s Meals to You program in 2023 will be eligible to participate. Once an eligible school district is ready, they will begin collecting applications so local children can participate.
How Do Prospective Manufacturers and Suppliers Do Business with M2Y?
Sponsors are responsible for planning menus and purchasing food and supplies. To be considered for a bid or RFP, please contact the sponsor directly to find out where RFPs and/or ITBs are posted. For the Summer of 2024, our only M2Y sponsor is the Food Bank of Alaska.