Alaska Commercial Company Delivers 3.3 Million Pounds of Fresh Food to 115 Communities
As part of its continuing effort to help Alaskans live better, Alaska Commercial Company (AC) is sourcing and delivering 3.3 million pounds of fresh, nutritious food to 115 communities throughout Alaska. This food distribution is part of the USDA’s Farmers to Families Food Box program and includes over 100,000 boxes of produce, dairy, and meat distributed between February and May 2021. The food boxes are evenly allocated between rural villages and urban centers across Alaska. The food is delivered free of charge to local non-profits who manage the distribution to families.
“We are proud to partner with tribal governments, food banks, churches, and other non-profits throughout the state to implement this food distribution program. AC’s employees have shown up and worked harder than ever to ensure that rural Alaskans have access to fresh and healthy food,” said Kyle Hill, Vice President of Procurement and Marketing at Alaska Commercial Company.
This food distribution runs from February 1, 2021 to May 31, 2021. Over 80,000 food boxes have been distributed this year with a remaining 26,000 boxes to be distributed in May. The boxes have 32 lbs of food and contain four produce items (potatoes, carrots, onions, apples), three dairy items (milk, cheese, yogurt), and two meat items (pre-cooked chicken, canned Alaskan salmon). Alaska Commercial Company is working with 10 different airlines to ship the boxes to rural Alaska.
Feedback throughout the state has been overwhelmingly positive. “The Utqiagvik Presbyterian Church is proud to partner with Alaska Commercial Company on this food box program. We have distributed almost 100,000 lbs of fresh food to the community of Utqiagvik, and this program has been a great complement to our church’s existing food programs,” said Joseph Reid, Pastor of the Utqiagvik Presbyterian Church.
“This food distribution is one of several initiatives AC is undertaking to increase access to healthy food in Alaska,” noted Kyle Hill. “We are delighted to work with the USDA on this important initiative, and we hope the USDA continues supporting communities in rural Alaska through similar programs in the future.”
