We have much to be grateful for as we reflect on a decade of giving fish through the Salmon Sisters Give Fish Project. Growing up on a homestead in bush Alaska where access to supplies and food were limited, we learned the importance of sharing resources with our neighbors. Our parents, teachers and coaches in our later hometown of Homer instilled in us the confidence to dream big and stay deeply rooted in the values that make our home what it is–a strong community, respect for the wild land around us, and the reciprocity necessary for both. Later, participating in a local philanthropic foundation’s youth advisory committee taught us that giving back to our community is powerful no matter what form it takes–through money, time, or attention.
During our first seasons running a business, local shops in Homer and Anchorage took a chance on our designs and taught us how to create packing slips and invoices for our first wholesale orders. Commercial fishermen wore our first hoodies with pride on and off the water, and people around Alaska shared our wild fish with their families and told their friends out of state where they could find delicious Alaska seafood and the story behind its sustainable harvest. Every day we’re navigating the challenges of running a small business and striving towards resiliency in an ever-changing landscape; we are especially grateful for the gifts our community has given us.
We designed our business to give back to this community who inspires us deeply, through our Give Fish Project. At least 1% of our company’s profit has been set aside to give wild Alaska seafood to the Food Bank of Alaska each year. Since we began the Give Fish Project, we have donated over 81,044 pounds of wild salmon, which have been distributed to communities large and small, across the state. This amounts to around 324,289 servings of wild salmon for hungry Alaskans! During the pandemic in 2020, we knew people needed good fish to eat more than ever and donated 13,000 cans of salmon to the Food Bank of Alaska. We also found creative ways to donate quality frozen fish from our Wild Fish Boxes to local food pantries. We worked with brand partners like Xtratuf and Kaladi Brothers Coffee to donate additional funds to the Food Bank of Alaska through our collaborative product sales.
Close to 1 in 7 people, and 1 in 5 children struggle with hunger in Alaska. Nearly 100,000 Alaskans can’t always be sure of their next meal. We have been proud to play a part in tackling food insecurity by filling plates and nourishing communities with the ocean’s wild bounty, and have hoped to inspire other businesses and individuals to find creative ways to address challenges in their own communities. Eating wild Alaska seafood makes us feel healthy and strong, and we want to share this good food with as many people as possible. What’s more, we are grateful that our state’s sustainably managed renewable resources is able to provide healthy food and healthy communities for countless generations.
THANK YOU FOR HELPING US GIVE FISH + A NEW INITIATIVE
As we head into a new decade, a big thank you to Alaska and Alaskans for inspiring us, supporting us, and giving us the opportunity to tell the story of wild Alaska seafood and our coastal communities. A big thank you from our crew to yours for helping us give fish over the years and making our donations possible; a rising tide floats all boats.
In 2024, we are wrapping up our philanthropic efforts with the Give Fish Project and pointing our compass towards a new initiative of equal importance to us: supporting the Kachemak Bay Heritage Land Trust's efforts to help protect wild salmon habitat in our local watersheds near Homer, Alaska. We are proud of the impact the Salmon Sisters community is able to make together and look forward to helping steward the land and waterways for generations of salmon and people to come. We are so grateful for your ongoing support, which helps us give back to the health of our coastal communities and the wild places we all depend on.
We respectfully acknowledge the land of the Dena’ina and Sugpiaq People, now the jurisdiction of the Ninilchik Village Tribe, on which we live and work in Homer, Alaska. We respectfully acknowledge the waters of the Alutiiq, Yup’ik, Unangax̂ and Eyak People on which our family fishes and makes a living. We deeply thank these individuals, communities and tribes for their original and continued stewardship.
Stay tuned for more details as we dig in and if you'd like to learn more about the Give Fish Project and how Salmon Sisters gives back, please contact customerservice@salmonsisters.com.
Show your pride for the Give Fish Project with a limited edition pocket tee, now available on our webshop.
