National Resource Center for Alaska Native Elders
Project Introduction
Traditional foods are a way of life for our Alaska Native People. They are nourishing. They are comforting. They are home. Homelessness is among Alaska Native's in Anchorage is a serious issue. By providing traditional food programs in our homeless shelters, we can help to reduce health disparities and the burden of chronic diseases, healing this population mind, body and soul.
Educate
Train
Develop Menus
Prepare Recipes
Purchase Equipment
Procure and Process Foods
Practice Sustainability
The first objective of this project is to educate Bean's Cafe staff and volunteers
on Alaska Native cultures. This will provide them some background knowledge on why
traditional food programs are important for the mental and physical well being of
homeless individuals.
Second, assistance will be provided to conduct training on the processing and preparing
of healthy, traditional foods at Bean's Cafe. The focus will be on developing confidence
in traditional food preparation.
Monthly menus at Bean's Cafe will be developed to incorporate traditional foods into
their meal programs.
Standardized recipes will be created to incorporate into existing and new menus.
This will be provide consistency and hopefully provide a directive to ensure the traditional
food program can be sustained.
New equipment purchases are needed to process large donations, such as moose and seal.
With these purchases, Bean's Cafe can more reliable accept donated food sources.
Assist in the procurement of traditional food sources and help to process them.
Finally, there will be a focus on sustainability, not only with the program itself
but also methods within the project such as waste management.