Upper Susitna Food Pantry rising to meet ever growing demand caused by pandemic

WASILLA — The Upper Susitna Food Bank is actively working with whatever resources they have available to feed an ever growing list of locals.

“I think we serve a basic need, and unlike other types of other social services work... they are often not recognized as doing something significant,” Upper Susitna Food Bank Executive Director LouAnne Carroll-Tysdal said. “The challenge really is to make the most of community resources and recognize fully that everyone has a right to eat.”

Carroll-Tysdal is also the vice president of the Mat-Su Food Coalition, a network of all the local food pantries like the Mat-Su Food Bank and Frontline Mission, churches, and other partners across the Valley that maintain a continuous line of communication to better coordinate local efforts and support one another.

She said they’ve been discussing ways to allocate more resources and share them so they can continue rising to the ever changing challenge caused by COVID-19. She said the various food pantries across the Valley are all stepping up to help as many people as they can.

“Food pantries are doing a good job right now. We don’t have to reinvent the wheel right now… Let’s look at all the assets we have right now and use them to the best of our ability,” Carroll-Tysdal said.

According to Carroll-Tysdal, Valley pantries have seen a steady increase in overall demand for food assistance all year. She said they’re all going to need more hands to help and more donations to fuel their efforts.

“I think right now, the biggest thing people should know about food banks is we’re in pandemic… They need help. We all need help,” Carroll-Tysdal said. “So many people are not back to work... I think every food bank in the Valley is trying to the best of their ability to meet the need, and us too… We’re gonna get through this.”

Carroll-Tysdal said they’re a small pantry in Talkeetna, and they’re the sole provider for the entire Upper Susitna area. She said they pull whatever they have together and make the most of it to keep the stream of support flowing.

“When we give this gift of hope... That’s an amazing thing and it makes things possible,” Carroll-Tysdal said.

Carroll-Tysdal had been with the food pantry five-and-a-half years. She said that her mother was involved there and her own background in human services led her to applying for the position.

“I call this a generational thing,” Carroll-Tysdal said with a laugh.

Carroll-Tysdal said that despite the hardships, there’s been a lot of support to their cause and other pantries across the Mat-Su Food Coalition network.

“We are blessed with a lot of community collaboration,” Carroll-Tysdal said. “We’re not gonna abandon you, and you’re not gonna abandon us.”

For more information about the Upper Susitna Food Pantry, call 907-733-3358 or visit uppersusitnafoodpantry.org.

For more information about the Mat-Su Food Coalition, visit their Facebook page, call 907-232-6536 or email matsucoalition@gmail.com.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman reporter Jacob Mann at jacob.mann@frontiersman.com