A Surprising Call Came in Yesterday

I took a call yesterday that surprised me. It was from a small food bank we’ve worked with many times and the caller asked if I thought we could get them some fish. When I asked when she needed it, she said, “As soon as possible,” and when I asked how much, she said “As much as you can give. Our freezers are empty, and we haven’t had a meat donation in a while.”

That part didn’t surprise me. Protein is only 2% of donations to food banks and seafood is a fraction of that percent. We know food banks are struggling.

What surprised me was what she said next. “I was afraid to call you, but a volunteer said, give it a try.”

First, the donation will go out this week. In Alaska we have access and funding that allows us to respond quickly in a way we wish we could throughout the US. Second, I hope all our partners know to call me any time. Asking for donations is part of the job. And I respect it because it’s my job too!

We saw a big drop in donations from Q1 to Q2- both monetary and seafood, so we’re sending emails, making calls, placing ads, F43 seeks mature fish to give a good home!

SeaShare is always seeking new donors and we hope this new FAQ Sheet helps make the process easy for everyone.

We also recently published our 2024 Annual Report which has given us a moment to look back and to think about the future.

2024 was a great year. The industry came together to donate 6.8 million servings of seafood to those in need. Wild or farmed, at the end of the day, we all hate the idea of waste and want to see people fed. And with that in mind, if you’ve got something that might be right for a donation- call me!

Thank you!

Hannah

206-842-3609

Upcoming Events:

Join us on Aug. 5 at Reuben’s Brews in Seattle for an evening of beer and fun! Those attending will have an opportunity to enter our raffle and win big prizes from our generous donors, ASMI and Unisea!

GAPP Annual Meeting on September 18, 2025 (see you there!)

Alaska Symphony of Seafood on October 23rd, 2025