Who may participate in this program?

All students in attendance at the public-school locations in Healy, Cantwell and Anderson. There are no restrictions for any child to receive FREE meals under this program.

Will the new program cost money to the Schools or Individuals?

No! We will, however, offer an opportunity to those who can donate to support the organization directly.

Which schools will participate in this program?

All of them! This is a Denali borough wide public school lunch program.

What kind of vocational training is offered?

Students will learn hygiene control, food prep and other high value skills. All students will leave the class Serve Safe Certified which is a certification that most kitchens will put them ahead of other applicants as they apply for jobs.

Will the vocational training opportunities be provided to Cantwell and Anderson students?

Yes! It may be structured differently but we will support the entire borough with this training where there is interest.

Who will manage this program?

All existing board members and advisors have extensive applicable background in commercial kitchen operations.  Operating both remote site catering operations and commercial kitchens with a similar service profile. The advisory team has run numerous kitchens around the world and currently operates a commercial kitchen in the Denali area seasonally.

Where will the food come from? 

Utilizing existing relationships with reputable suppliers already working with existing kitchens in the area, there are a number of resources ready to support this program that will have year-round business in the Denali area.

Can donations be made in the form of in-kind contributions? 

There are circumstances that would allow us to accept donations in the form of food, including game meat.

What kind of food will be served?

Our proposal currently includes a two-week menu to offer more variety and options to families. A sample menu is available here, which would remain flexible as we determine the needs and preferences of the students.  Rest assured that the menu will be both appealing to most children and nutritious, as well as meet and exceed Borough, State and Federal guidelines on nutrition.

My child has allergies, will they be able to participate?

Yes, we will do our best to work with families of children with allergies to create alternatives to menu items as needed. It is a normal function of a commercial kitchen to cater to dietary needs, however we recognize that every case is unique and that work is required to find a solution to some needs. We are committed to making these adjustments to suit the requirements of the children of the district.

How will Breakfast be provided?

Breakfast will likely be added after the lunch program is up and running, there are several ideas on how to integrate it into the system with minimal impacts to teachers and students.  We will make sure students arriving on the bus have an opportunity to access breakfast if they wish.

Can I continue helping serve lunch in the school?

Yes! We will be eager to have anyone from the community that would like to be involved with providing free lunches to students! Please join our mailing list here and we will keep you updated.

What about the other non-profits currently fundraising through lunch sales?

We understand that the groups currently operating fundraisers through lunch sales provide important school and community services. We engaged with them early in this process to get initial feedback and are continuing our discussions to offer support for these groups specifically for initiating other funding streams to replace this revenue. 

How will this affect Concession Stands for Sports?

It won’t! The only change is that ABC has offered support to the Booster club through utilizing ABC vendors to order supplies for the concessions at a lower rate, which would increase their profits from sales.

What about all the waste if not every student eats?

As this is an option for students, not an obligation, we understand many families will continue sending a sack lunch with their child.  The menu will be posted online and available for review by anyone interested, and we will have students “pre order” their lunches to limit excessive waste. After operating the kitchen for a period of time, it will likely become clear where the demand is for this service, and this will further ease any burdens from waste. Chefs working in commercial kitchens are trained to gauge demand over time to tailor their menus and volumes to their clientele, and this program will be no different.