Food security in the Mat-Su: Rising demand at local food bank

“If you break it down, people making under about $28.70 an hour qualify,” said Palmer Food Bank Executive Director Jennifer Brandt. “We get working people. I don’t think people understand this.”

That reality is reflected in the Palmer Food Bank’s income eligibility guidelines, which expand traditional definitions of poverty to reflect the economic realities of working households across the Valley.

Eligibility extends up to $59,850 for a single-person household, $123,750 for a family of four, and as high as $187,650 for a family of seven. The thresholds reflect a growing reality in the Mat-Su, where wages continue to lag behind the rising costs of housing, food, childcare, and fuel. As wages lag behind expenses for many residents, food security in the Mat-Su is increasingly defined by the widening gap between income and the true cost of living.

Palmer Mayor Jim Cooper underscored the scale of that shift. “We fed approximately 750 families a month at the last building,” he said. “We’re up to 1,000 or more a month at this facility. It’s not for poor people—it is for the community. People who are in desperate need can come here and get food.”

For Brandt, the mission is as much about dignity as distribution. “We are here to help the food insecure all over the Mat-Su,” she said. “We want them to keep their dignity. Asking for food help is really tough. People are really, really struggling.”

Whenever possible, fresh produce, eggs, and locally sourced items are prioritized. “Just because you are food insecure doesn’t mean you don’t want good quality food that is nutritious,” Brandt said. “You can’t live on mac and cheese and Hamburger Helper; that just doesn’t work.”

Brandt recalled one of her earliest experiences in the role: a woman from Sutton who arrived shaken and uncertain. “She had been crying. She was single,” Brandt said. “She said she had never been to a food bank and didn’t know how it worked. That month it was either fuel to heat her home or groceries for her kids.” After receiving assistance, the change was immediate. “You could see her shoulders go down,” Brandt said. “We were going to be there for her.”

“The people in Palmer are the most generous people I have ever met in my life,” said Brandt. “When we asked for donations... somebody posted a picture of our cooler being empty and it got around, one person walked in with $500 cash. It’s amazing, people are coming out in droves... When it comes to fresh produce and eggs, we are in the best community you can be in. We are really lucky!”

That generosity, she said, directly shapes what the food bank is able to provide—especially when it comes to fresh food.

“We want people to have healthy foods as much as we can,” Brandt said. “What we get is commodities from the Federal Government and those foods have to last... If we have buying power we buy fresh produce. Fresh produce is a big deal for us... Just because you’re food insecure, or having a hard time, doesn’t mean you don’t deserve to have healthy good food.”

For more information about the Palmer Food Bank, including services, donation opportunities, and volunteer information, visit palmerfoodbank.org, call (907) 746-3565, or visit the facility at 101 S. Denali Street in Palmer.