Alaska Disaster Nutrition Assistance | Food and Nutrition Service

Incident: Situation of Distress

When: Oct. 22, 2024

On Oct. 23, 2024, the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development (DEED) provided approval to use USDA Foods from the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) for the use of USDA Foods for a congregate feeding site in Kotzebue, Alaska due a situation of distress as a result of coastal flooding in the area. The approval allows for the use of USDA Foods in the meals being served at the congregate site for up to 30 days.

When: Apr. 9, 2024

On April 10, 2024, FNS granted approval for the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development (DEED) to use USDA Foods from National School Lunch Program (NSLP) for the use of USDA Foods for a congregate feeding site in Kivalina, Alaska. This request is in response to a fire that destroyed several buildings and has disrupted the operation of their power plant. The village will be without power for at least a week or longer and the local school is being used as an emergency feeding site. DEED has approved the use of USDA Foods in the meals being served at the congregate site for 30 days.

2022

When: September 16, 2022

On Oct. 6, 2022, FNS approved the Alaska Department of Health, Division of Public Assistance (DPA) request to waive the 10-day reporting requirement for replacement of food purchased with SNAP benefits that was lost as a result of power outages, coastal sea surge, flood damage, and extreme winds from remnants of Typhoon Merbok that began on Sept. 16, 2022. This waiver applies to the counties of Yukon-Koyukuk, Bethel, Nome, and Kusilvak. The waiver is in effect through Oct. 20, 2022.
On Oct. 4, 2022, FNS approved the Alaska Department of Health, Division of Public Assistance (DPA) request to waive the statutory definition of "food" under Section 3(k)(1) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, as amended, and companion regulations at 7 CFR 271.2. The waiver applies to Bethel, Kusilvak, Nome, and Yukon-Koyukuk counties. This waiver approval allows SNAP households to purchase hot foods with SNAP benefits through Nov 4, 2022, in order to increase access to food after severe storms, power outages, flooding, and landslides that began on Sept. 16, 2022. Retailers may need as much as 24-36 hours to make changes that will allow for sale of hot foods

When: August 22, 2022

On Aug. 22, 2022, FNS granted approval for the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development to use USDA Foods from The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) to operate disaster household distribution in Teller, Alaska. This request is in response to a situation of distress and food shortage due to the community’s primary subsistence resources, such as reindeer, salmon, and spring birds producing low to zero returns this year, as well as low stock at the community store. The disaster household distribution food package will be provided to 237 individuals beginning on Sept. 1, 2022. The prepacked boxes will be distributed by self-pickup at the local tribal office or through home delivery. The boxes will be household size and each box will contain an allocated number of USDA Foods based on the size of the household. The disaster household package will contain approximately 15 pounds of two proteins, two canned vegetables, and two fruits per individual.

2019

July 2019

On July 18, 2019, FNS approved an Alaska Department of Education and Early Development’s (DEED) request to allow a limited number of Seamless Summer Option and Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) sponsors to participate in the Food and Nutrition Service SFSP Demonstration Project for non-congregate meal service, due to poor air quality resulting from recent wildfires. DEED is approved to permit up to six SSO and SFSP sponsors and 30 sites to operate non-congregate meal service at outdoor meal or park sites during times of certain documented air quality advisories, as indicated by a metric developed by EPA and CDC equating to very unhealthy or hazardous air quality.