'Food Basket' System Sends Unopened Snacks To Seattle Shelters

If you're down on your luck and live near the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, you might come home from the food bank with some first-class cuisine. Literally.

In an economic environment which has sensitized us all to spotting examples of waste, officials of Alaska Airlines reportedly didn't want to see unopened snacks served to first-class passengers go to waste. The Portland Business Journal reports they started what is referred to as its food basket system.

The effort to save the unused food began in January. So far, Alaska -- with the help of its catering contractor, LSG Sky Chefs -- has been able to send almost 19,000 pounds of bagged, dried fruit, salami, cheese spread, crackers, cookies and other items to the Oregon Food Bank, which serves smaller regional food banks throughout the state.

In Washington state, the effort has brought more than 61,000 pounds of food to the Tukwila Pantry, which provides food in neighborhoods around Sea-Tac.

Alaska Airlines is a subsidiary of Alaska Air Group Incorporated, based in Seattle.

FMI: www.alaskaairlines.com, www.tukwilapantry.org