Alaska fishermen and Pacific Northwest Foundation help Alaska military members fill their freezers  with Alaska seafood

This fall, thanks to a partnership between The Wave Foundation, Alaskans Own, and the Armed Services YMCA of Alaska, Alaska’s military families will have the opportunity to fill their freezers with several kinds of wild Alaska seafood, including sablefish and troll-caught keta salmon. The Armed Services YMCA of Alaska will distribute 50,000 pounds of donated fish to Alaska’s active duty military members and their families on bases and through deliveries to remote locations where military members have limited food access.

The project, made possible by funding from Catch Together, originated from conversations between The Wave Foundation, Sitka-based Alaskans Own, Food Fleet, Major General Melvin G. Spiese (retired), and Armed Services YMCA of Alaska. Those conversations identified an opportunity for Alaska’s fishermen to provide high quality, nutrient-rich protein to Alaska’s military members for the coming winter.

“Thanks to the relationships that we’ve established through The Wave Foundation’s Food Program and partnership with Food Fleet, we were able to connect Alaska’s small-boat fishermen with Alaska’s Armed Services YMCA and help bring more Alaska seafood to more Alaskans,” said Justin Zeulner, founder and director of The Wave Foundation.

“Alaskans Own is incredibly honored to have our fish going to Alaska’s military members and their families. We’re so grateful to be able to support their service in this way and ensure that they have the chance to enjoy Alaska’s seafood bounty,” said Linda Behnken, commercial fisherman and director of Alaskans Own.

“Good nutrition is critical for the well-being of our military members, especially during the long, cold winter months. The Armed Services YMCA of Alaska is thankful for this new partnership with Alaska’s fishermen and thrilled to provide our military members with the opportunity to fill their freezers with nutritious, sustainably caught, Alaska seafood,” said Sarah Riffer, executive director of the Armed Services YMCA of Alaska, which serves active duty military throughout the state with physical locations on Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson, Eielson Air Force Base, and Ft. Wainwright.

For more information about the Armed Services YMCA of Alaska and their upcoming fish and other food distributions, visit www.asymca.org/alaska.