Meals To You Summer Meals Program
Meals To You provides weekly meal boxes during the summer to children who receive free or reduced-price meals during the school year. Each box includes shelf-stable, kid-friendly foods designed to support children's health and well-being while school cafeterias are closed.
Applications are now open through April 30.
Who Can Apply
- Student Enrollment: At least one child in the household must be enrolled in a participating school district.
- Income Eligibility: Children must qualify for free or reduced-price school meals, attend a CEP school, or complete an income eligibility form during the application.
- Rural Residency: Households must live in a USDA-designated rural area of Alaska during the summer.
Not sure if you qualify? Check with your child’s school or contact us for assistance.
Participating School Districts
- Alaska Gateway School District
- Bering Strait School District
- Bristol Bay School District
- Chatham School District
- Craig City School District
- Copper River School District
- Dillingham City School District
- Galena City School District
- Haines Borough School District
- Hoonah City School District
- Hydaburg City School District
- Kake City School District
- Kashunamiut School District
- Ketchikan Gateway School District
- Klawock City School District
- Kodiak Island Borough School District
- Kuspuk School District
- Lake and Peninsula School District
- Lower Kuskokwim School District
- Lower Yukon School District
- Mt Edgecumbe School District
- Nenana City School District
- Nome Public Schools
- North Slope School District
- Northwest Arctic Borough School District
- Saint Mary's School District
- Skagway School District
- Southeast Island School District
- Southwest Region School District
- Unalaska School District
- Valdez City School District
- Yukon Flats School District
- Yukon-Koyukuk School District
- Yupitt School District
How to Apply
Need assistance? Contact us at mty@foodbankofalaska.org or 907-308-7601. Email is the fastest way to reach us due to high call volume. Enrollment runs April 1-30, 2026. For a step-by-step guide for the application and income verification form, click below.
What's in a Meals To You Box?
We post a full list of ingredients and nutritional details for the items in each month's Meals To You box to help families make informed choices—especially important for those managing food allergies or dietary needs.
Common items in the box may include:
- Shelf-stable milk or yogurt cups
- Canned chicken or tuna
- Applesauce or fruit juice blends
- Whole grain cereal cups or bars
- Shelf-stable vegetables like corn and peas
- Cheese or protein-packed snacks
Have questions or need to make a change to your application?
Phone: 907-308-7601
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the requirements for participating in Meals to You?
-
Student Enrollment: At least one child in the household must be enrolled in a participating school district during the application window (April 1–April 30, 2026).
- Income Eligibility: Children must qualify for free or reduced-price school meals, attend a CEP school, or complete an income eligibility form during the application.
- Rural Residency: Households must live in a USDA-designated rural area of Alaska during the summer.
How long is the program?
The first shipments of 5-day meal boxes will be delivered in the first week of June and continue until the last full week before school goes back into fall semester.
Do I have to pay for it?
No, this program is a federal United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) administered by Food Bank of Alaska in collaboration with the Department of Early Education and Development (DEED). All Meals to You participants will receive these meals at no direct cost to them.
What communities will be served?
Our final list of school districts that are participating in Meals To You is below:
- Alaska Gateway School District
- Bering Strait School District
- Bristol Bay School District
- Chatham School District
- Craig City School District
- Copper River School District
- Dillingham City School District
- Galena City School District
- Haines Borough School District
- Hoonah City School District
- Hydaburg City School District
- Kake City School District
- Kashunamiut School District
- Ketchikan Gateway School District
- Klawock City School District
- Kodiak Island Borough School District
- Kuspuk School District
- Lake and Peninsula School District
- Lower Kuskokwim School District
- Lower Yukon School District
- Mt Edgecumbe School District
- Nenana City School District
- Nome Public Schools
- North Slope School District
- Northwest Arctic Borough School District
- Saint Mary's School District
- Skagway School District
- Southeast Island School District
- Southwest Region School District
- Unalaska School District
- Valdez City School District
- Yukon Flats School District
- Yukon-Koyukuk School District
- Yupitt School District
Is my school district taking part in Meals to You?
Check with your child’s school to see if your district is participating in Meals to You for the 2026 summer season, or refer to the list in the question above for participating locations.
Does Meals To You replace Summer Food Service Program?
No, Meals To You will operate within the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP). Meals to You expands access to SFSP to communities that have historically lacked access to SFSP.
For those communities with SFSP programs children who receive meal boxes can still attend SFSP programs but can only receive two meals per week from the SFSP program since they are already receiving food via Meals to You.
Who will ship the meal boxes?
The United States Postal Service (USPS) will ship the meal boxes.
When will Meals To You ship the first meal box?
Boxes will be shipped out with the intent of the meal boxes arriving on the first Monday in June. Shipping to different regions of the state will experience different timelines and Food Bank of Alaska has built in two weeks to account for any possible delays.
What are the ingredients and nutritional information for the meals?
Each month, we post the ingredient lists and nutritional details for all the items included in the Meals To You boxes. This information is available to help families make informed choices, especially if a child has food allergies or dietary restrictions.
How many weeks will Meals To You ship meal boxes?
Meals To You aims to ship weekly meal boxes to households while the participants school is out of session for summer break which depending on the year could be 10-13 weeks.
Can I still get a meal box if my household receives SNAP benefits?
Yes! You can still sign up to get meal boxes during the summer program if you are receiving SNAP or any other form of assistance. Plus, signing up for Meal To You will not affect your eligibility for other assistance programs.
How do I enroll my child?
The application period is April 1-30, 2026. Food Bank of Alaska has a QR code they will share with the districts participating that will lead to an application for families to fill out.
Scroll up to the 'How to Apply' Section of this page and use the "Fill out an application" button to get started
Please fill out ONE application per household.
Does every single child need to be enrolled in school?
No, just one child in the family needs to be enrolled in the school. Younger siblings that are not enrolled in school yet can still receive boxes if approved by the school district.
Do I need to reapply every week?
No, once the application is filled out in April that is the only application that needs to be filled out.
How old does my child need to be to be a part of the Meals To You?
Only children can participate in Meals to You. For this program we are defining children as:
- A persons 18 years of age and under
- A persons over 18 years of age who are determined by a State educational agency or a local public educational agency of a State to be mentally or physically disabled and who participate in a public or nonprofit private school program established for the mentally or physically disabled.
At least one child per household needs to be enrolled in a participating school to qualify the entire household.
What if I need to update my shipping address or contact information after I apply?
If you need to update your shipping address, contact email, phone number, or legal guardian name after submitting your application, please fill out our Meals To You Service Inquiry Form. We’ll make sure your information is updated before your next shipment, if possible.
What should I do if I receive a damaged box or something is missing?
We’re sorry that happened! Please report any damaged or incomplete boxes using our Meals To You Service Inquiry Form, and we’ll look into it right away. Including a photo (if possible) helps us respond faster.
I’d like to stop receiving shipments. How do I cancel?
To cancel your enrollment in Meals To You, simply submit the Meals To You Service Inquiry Form and select “I would like to stop receiving shipments.” Please allow a few business days for processing. If you opt in to stop receiving food boxes, you will not be able to rejoin the program for the rest of the summer
Do children enrolled in Head Start qualify for Meals to You?
To be eligible for the Meals to You program, there must be at least one child in the household enrolled in a participating school district. Children enrolled in Head Start may be included in the application only if there is another child in the household who meets this requirement. If the Head Start child does not have other household children enrolled in an eligible school, the household will not qualify for the program at this time.