About AFC

Who We Are

The Alaska Food Coalition - the AFC - is a statewide group of 81 non-profit, faith-based and state agencies working everyday to help feed hungry Alaskans in communities like Fairbanks, Anchorage, Kenai, Soldotna, Nome, Dillingham, Bethel, Juneau, Kodiak, and many more. Who are current AFC members around the state?

What We Do

Alaska has a hunger problem. Every day thousands of Alaskan men, women, families, and children wake up hungry and go to bed hungry. Our job is helping to make sure that does not happen. That is why the members of the AFC have joined together with the help of our partner, the state Department of Health and Social Services, to strengthen and coordinate public and private food and nutrition assistance programs in the state.

The State of Alaska's Legacy—a Gracious Helping Hand

The state has funded the AFC since its inception, $67,000 this fiscal year, which been used to:

• Build Capacity to Combat Hunger in Alaskan Communities through our Grant Program
• Develop Innovative and Effective Projects to meet Alaska's Hunger Needs
• Educate Policy Makers about Alaska's very real Hunger Problem
• Purchase Food and distribute it to Hungry Alaskans throughout the state
• Distribute Food to Hungry Communities
• Meet yearly as a group to Network and Brainstorm Solutions to Alaskan Hunger
• Discover and eliminate barriers to feeding hungry Alaskans.

Our Goals for FY 2010

With this year's funding we have set these goals:

• Gather anecdotal and factual evidence regarding the rural Alaska anti-hunger network and the impact of 170e3. Consolidate information into an educational paper for both state and federal policy makers.
• Following recommendations of Hungriest Communities, coordinate with Food Bank of Alaska and area communities to create an outreach plan for anti-hunger work in Southwest Alaska.
• Participate in the 2009 Hunger Study in conjunction with Feeding America which includes conducting 350 consumer interviews statewide, as well as collecting over 300 agency surveys. Collaborate with Feeding America to publish the complete data. 
• Continue working with Food Bank of Alaska and Alaska School Nutrition Association on the School Meals Initiative. Develop relationships with other advocacy organizations in the state. Educate and advocate for legislative issues that are beneficial to the anti-hunger network. Regularly contact legislators regarding anti-hunger efforts throughout the state.
• Distribute mini-grants to food programs throughout the state to improve their ability to distribute to hungry Alaskans.
• Maintain the Alaska Food Coalition network through teleconferences and annual meetings. Strengthen the coalition by coordinating with agencies on an individual basis and offering tangible services to connect them to the coalition and its goals and objectives.
• Offer organizational development opportunities to members that include, but not limited to, information on how their organization can get more food to more people, raise more money, be organizationally effective and make a difference in the lives of their clients by advocating for change on the local, state and national level.

Find out more about the Alaska Food Coalition budget.