Food pantries in Alaska are struggling to feed people as the Alaska Division of Public Assistance (DPA) works on eliminating a second backlog of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) applications.
DPA recognized the initial SNAP application backlog in the fall of 2022. The Alaska Department of Health (DOH) sent a statement to State of Reform last week saying this first backlog came up around the end of the public health emergency after rolling eligibility for the program ended.
Around 14,000 applicants had to wait longer than the 30-day deadline to hear if they were eligible to receive program benefits. DPA cleared that backlog in September, so everyone who had applied for new or recertified benefits before June 2023 had their applications processed.
DOH has since accumulated an additional backlog, due to several factors including severe weather conditions in parts of the state and reinstated federal requirements to interview all applicants, which doubles the time it takes to process applications. As of last week, they had around 6,500 backlogged applications remaining.
According to the Food Bank of Alaska, around one in 11 Alaskans are food insecure. Food banks are experiencing difficulty trying to serve these food insecure people in the midst of these backlogs.
LouAnne Carroll-Tysdal, executive director of the Upper Susitna Food Pantry, spoke with State of Reform about how the SNAP backlogs have impacted her community. Her food pantry serves people living in Sunshine, Talkeetna, Chase, Trapper Creek, Willow, and Caswell Lakes, which covers around 1200 square miles.
One of the questions the pantry asks people coming to get food is if they receive SNAP benefits. She said many people that come to the pantry are unsure, as their applications are pending, which they note on that person’s forms.
Ron Meehan, director of government affairs of the Food Bank of Alaska and manager of the Alaska Food Coalition, stressed that food banks are not meant to replace SNAP benefits.
“People that still rely on food assistance are showing up at our network of food banks and food pantries,” he said. “The reality is that our network was simply not designed to replace SNAP. SNAP provides about ten times as much food nationally as the entire Feeding America food bank network.”
Meehan said DOH and DPA have worked closely with the food bank to implement their recommendations to improve the application process.
One such improvement is the state’s new online application for SNAP benefits, which opened at the end of December.
The online application process allows both the applicants to fill out their forms faster and relieves some administrative burden for DPA employees processing the applications, DOH said.
DOH also managed to get the interview requirement temporarily waived. When DPA Director Deb Ethridge asked the US Food and Nutrition Services to waive it, the request was denied. However, she appealed the decision.
“Director Ethridge appealed to Commissioner Heidi Hedberg, asking for a pause to the interviews,” DOH said. “With Commissioner Hedberg’s approval, staff are currently working through applications without interviews.”
Without the interview requirement, DPA is able to process applications faster.
“Staff is currently processing an average of one thousand applications per week, reducing the backlog from just over 12,000 in the beginning of November, to about 6,500 [last] week,” DOH said.
The backlog in SNAP applications is not the only factor affecting food insecurity and food pantries in Alaska, Meehan said. The rise in the cost of food is another major barrier for both food pantries and food-insecure people and families. He also noted that this backlog exists at a time where food pantries are getting less support in some ways.
“This is coming at the same time that we have really seen a precipitous decline, unfortunately, in donations from our corporate grocers, in addition to a decline in some of our key federal commodity programs like The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP),” Meehan said.
Carroll-Tysdal discussed misconceptions about food pantries, including the funding they receive and the vast effort it takes to keep the pantry running.
“We’re always bargaining and negotiating and writing small grants,” she said.
The Upper Susitna pantry serves rural communities, which provides its own set of unique challenges. It sits at the edge of Alaska’s road system going North. Carroll-Tysdal said the round trip to pick up food in a larger community can be upwards of 300 miles, which costs time, money, and gas.
“We have to move food into this community. Our community can contribute a small portion of what we distribute, but for the most part we have to go get food.”
— Carroll-Tysdal
Although there are a few smaller stores where she lives that have popped up over the years, she said her community has one main grocery store where residents and the pantry have to get food.
To Carroll-Tysdal, food security is part of the long-term goal of community wellness. In order to achieve that, she said the state needs the necessary infrastructure.
“I think that we need to develop a more sustainable food system, not only for this community, but for the state of Alaska as a whole,” she said.
Both Meehan and Carroll-Tysdal said the support they receive from their communities has been a significant part of keeping their pantries running.
Meehan noted the money Gov. Mike Dunleavy proposed in Alaska’s upcoming budget that should help food pantries continue to serve their communities.
“We were very positively encouraged and excited to see the $4.5 million in the governor’s proposed budget this year for direct food purchases for the state’s anti-hunger network.”
— Meehan
“That money he has put into the budget would be very welcome,” Carroll-Tysdal said. “… It would help tremendously.”
Rep. Genevieve Mina introduced House Bill 196 at the beginning of Alaska’s 33rd legislative session in 2023, which if passed would allow for assets to not be considered when determining eligibility for SNAP benefits.
Meehan said this bill would affect Alaskans significantly because of the nature of many people’s careers. For example, he said a fisherman may normally be determined ineligible because his boat is considered an asset, even though his income is within SNAP eligibility criteria. The bill would prevent him from being determined ineligible based on the asset.
Alaskans needing information or help regarding SNAP can reach out to DPA.
“If people would like to speak to someone about their application they can call our Virtual Contact Center (VCC) at 1-800-478-7778, or visit any of our DPA offices in Anchorage, Juneau, Bethel, and Kodiak,” DOH said. “Our Kenai office will be opening for in-person service in late January.”
Alaskans can also donate or volunteer at the Upper Susitna Food Pantry and the Food Bank of Alaska to help support the pantries as they continue to serve their communities