A problem in the Anchorage area becomes a gift to another community. On Saturday, the Food Bank of Alaska packed up moose meat stored in their freezer to send to Galena, the community along the Yukon River. Several local charities are collaborating to send road-killed moose to Galena. It's a chance for Galena residents to restock their freezers after dealing with the aftermath of a natural disaster. Alaska Federation Chair Robert Henrichs is also the president of Eyak. He helped coordinate the donation. "To eat traditional foods, that's always a comfort," Henrichs said, "You know, beef don't cut it." Henrichs said the Food Bank and the Alaska Moose Federation, along with pilots who have donated transport, are making something good out of something that could go to waste. The executive director of the food bank Michael Miller said people in Galena lost over 30,000 pounds of food to the flood and electrical outages that cut off their freezers. One moose can mean the equivalent of about $5,000 for one family. Sen. Lesil McGuire coordinated with the organizations. She said changing weather patterns could mean more communities in the future need help. "It's a situation where urban Alaska is pulling together to help community members who just can't pick up and go to the next grocery store," said Sen. McGuire. "It's not like that so they're really suffering."
It's a small gift that these local organizations hope will make recovery a little easier.