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.

DEED applied to continue the Meals to You project with the intent to make M2Y a permanent part of the Summer Food Service Program. This is one of a small number of Summer Food for Children demonstration projects which FNS has funded 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, DEED partnered with the Food Bank of Alaska to offer M2Y to the same 11 school districts where it was last offered by Baylor’s program. Ten of the school districts opted to participate.  In summer 2025, M2Y expanded to 31 school districts, serving 147 communities and providing over 1 million meals! We expect summer 2026 to reach the same, if not more, remote communities.

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.

How Do I Enroll my Child?

Enrollment information is available on Food Bank of Alaska’s Meals to You website.  If you miss the enrollment period or would like to find a traditional Summer Food Service Program location near you, check out the Summer Meals for Kids Site Finder.

What Communities Will be Served?

M2Y is focused on serving rural Alaska communities off the road system.  A list of school districts currently participating in M2Y can be found on Food Bank of Alaska’s Meals to You website.

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 2026, our only M2Y sponsor is the Food Bank of Alaska.