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 has partnered with the Food Bank of Alaska to offer M2Y to the same 11 communities where it was last offered by Baylor’s program. Ten of the communities have opted to participate.  DEED’s goal is to expand the M2Y option to more communities and with more food choices..

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?

Enrollment for Summer 2024 has closed.  If you did not enroll but would like to find a Summer Food Service Program location near you, check out the SFSP Site Finder.

What Communities Will be Served?

During the Summer 2024, the following school districts have elected to participate in Meals to You:

• •           Bering Strait School District
• •           Kashunamiut School District
• •           Dillingham City School District
• •           Kodiak Island Brough School District
• •           Lower Kuskokwim School District
• •           Northwest Arctic Borough School District
• •           Nome Public Schools
• •           Tanana City School District
• •           Valdeze City School District
• •           Yukon Flats School District
• •           Yukon Koyukuk School District
• •           Yupiit School District

All school districts that participated during the summer of 2023 were given the opportunity to participate in 2024.

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.