Food & Shopping

No time for Amazon? No worries! Normally, our LPSD team will meet you when you arrive and spend a few days shopping in Anchorage. We will visit stores such as Fred Meyer, Walmart, or Costco and pack up totes to mail. We encourage you to make space in your luggage for frozen or chilled food and claim them as checked luggage when flying. Remember that the airlines only allow baggage weighing up to 50 lbs. Anything in excess of 50 lbs. will constitute extra charges.

But in case you are traveling alone, we do recommend that you plan to spend a couple of days in Anchorage to shop for food items and mail or freight them to the village. Hotel rates are extremely expensive during the summer months, so plan accordingly. The travel coordinator should be able to provide you with recommendations.

If you are planning to mail things from Anchorage, the airport post office is open longer hours: 6:00 a.m. to 11:59 p.m., 7 days per week.

How do you plan food shopping for extended periods of time? This is one of the most difficult tasks of moving to a rural setting! Try to have a shopping list prior to arrival in Anchorage. When creating your shopping list, pay attention to the following:

• Favorite meals to cook
• Daily lunch supplies
• Daily breakfast supplies
• Snack items
• Spices, cooking oils, baking supplies
• Toiletries
• Medications
• Cleaning supplies
• Household items

How do I get fresh produce? Availability of fresh produce will vary from site to site. Some communities have a local store; most are small and may not always carry the same items. Some people enjoy the benefits of shopping through Full Circle Farms or Alaska Food Network. Contact your school administrator for details of available options within your specific community.

Frozen goods: if you have frozen items shipped, it is best to be at your site when the boxes arrive to ensure that the packages make it into a freezer as soon as possible.