Food Access

Chilkat Valley Food Hub

Food insecurity is real and widespread in our rural community — and at FWRC, we meet it head-on. The Chilkat Valley Food Hub is the foundation of our food access work: a welcoming, dignified space where neighbors can get the food they need, explore growing their own, and connect with other resources.

You Belong Here is more than our motto. It’s the principle behind everything we do at the Food Hub. We offer food choices, treat everyone with dignity and respect, and help community members navigate access to programs like SNAP. No judgment. No barriers. Just support.

 

The Food Hub provides:

  • A food pantry serving upper Chilkat Valley residents and the village of Klukwan, open to all Borough residents
  • Satellite food bank services in partnership with the Southeast Alaska Food Bank
  • Assistance navigating SNAP and other food assistance programs
  • Food preservation workshops — teaching practical skills for long-term food security
  • Coordination with the Summer Food Service Program and Salvation Army food distributions
  • Active collaboration with Klukwan’s food system team on shared food access initiatives
  • Advocacy with the Alaska Food Coalition for improved food access across the region

 

The Food Hub works hand-in-hand with our Victory Garden: residents can grow their own food, harvest freely, and give back through volunteering — creating a community-powered cycle of food security and connection.

Open every Thursday from 11am-1pm

Victory Garden

Entering its 7th season, the Victory Garden is one of FWRC’s most beloved programs — and it keeps growing. Last year we expanded the garden to include more perennials like strawberries and asparagus, and the footprint has grown to 8,000 square feet. This garden has produced more than 4,000 pounds of fresh produce and more than 2,000 volunteer hours.

Every Sunday from March through September, community volunteers gather for a Garden Work Party: planting, weeding, watering, and tending to rows of vegetables that feed dozens of Haines families. Everyone is welcome. Everyone goes home with a harvest. You don’t need experience — just a willingness to dig in.

Volunteers range from lifelong farmers to first-time gardeners. Children learn where food comes from. Neighbors share seeds, stories, and suppers. And thanks to a dedicated composting program, the garden gets richer — and more productive — every year.