Thanksgiving is fast approaching and due to this, the food banks and shelters in Alaska, specifically in Anchorage and Fairbanks, are already seeking donations in order to suffice the necessities of over 12,000 families who do not have enough money to buy their holiday meals.
Directors of different banks and shelters have announced recently that the food that the families will be getting will solely depend on the support of the community members in their donation drive. The families could have turkey, fresh salmon or homemade bread for the upcoming occasion.
According to Michael Miller, the director of the Food Bank in Anchorage, they fear that there will not be enough food as they think that there is a ten percent increase of the population needing their help.
He added that due to the federal cuts to the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) last year and the expiration of the unemployment benefits of people who do not have a job anymore, they already saw a quick and steady rice of people in need.
He pressed that these people are mostly working but there is not enough money to buy anything extravagant for the holidays. He also noted that he and the other directors estimated that the thanksgiving meal might cost $45 for each family that has only three to four members. Larger families require more budget.
The Thanksgiving annual event is said to start on November 24. They will be distributing food to families from South Anchorage to Trapper Creek. The food banks and shelters are also said to feed people at Fairbanks and the Kenai Peninsula Borough.
People interested in donating food for the needy are advised to drop off their donations at 2121 Spar Ave. in Anchorage. Volunteers are also welcome and can contact the directors via their website at: www.foodbankofalaska.org.
