Foods 4 Kids aims to keep children fed through summer

WASILLA— The Foods 4 Kids annual summer meal program started back up on Monday. This Mat-Su Food Bank project aims to feed the ever growing numbers of children in need of a meal.

There are three meal sites. Each location runs Monday through Friday with their own hours.

It’s been five years since the program started and Mat-Su Food Bank director, Eddie Ezelle said that 82 kids got meals on Monday.

“It’s really good for a first day,” Ezelle said.

One meal per day is available for free to children. There are volunteer-run sites marked with signs. Ezelle said to look out for the signs or their truck. They will be serving meals all summer until school starts.

“The first step is to get them fed. We’ve got to start with the kids; they’re our future,” Ezelle said.

The goal of the Mat-Su Food Bank, according Ezelle, is not only to feed but to educate. There’s floating misinformation and societal norms that are known to hinder donation numbers. A common obstacle Ezelle finds is a misunderstanding of expiration, best by and use by dates.

“People get hung up on the dates. There’s no standard anywhere in the nation. Society’s bought into it,” Ezelle said. “As a society, we throw so much away. We could feed the world with what we throw away.”

Items like milk, cheese, can be safely consumed long after their expiration dates, about 2 to 3 weeks for milk and even longer for cheese. Canned foods and dry goods are known to last years after their expiration dates. Produce, meats, dairy products and so on can all be tested by smell, appearance, and texture. If it smells off, it’s probably time to let it go. But often times, if it looks alright and smells normal, it’s usually fine, Ezelle said.

“Don’t throw it out. If you’re unsure about something, bring it to me. We have trained people to look at it,” Ezelle said.

If more people let go of their misconceptions with dates, there would be less waste and more donations that help people on the local level, according to Ezelle. He said that they are an entirely different company than the Alaska Food Bank and all the food collected by the Mat-Su Food Bank stays within the Valley.

The Mat-Su Food Bank is currently seeking volunteers, particularly for the Foods 4 Kids and upcoming events. They are always looking for financial and food donations, from cleaning out your cabinet to monthly contributions. For more information food bank hours, call 907-357-3769 or visit:www.matsufoodbank.org

Foods 4 Kids meal locations and hours:

Mat-Su Food Bank/Food Pantry - 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Wonderland Park – 12 to 1:30 p.m.

Newcomb Park – 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

*note: the food bank will not be serving meals on Memorial Day and Independence Day