Comfort in Crisis: The Power of Traditional Foods

Wednesday, March 18
3:00pm ET/ 12:00pm PT

This webinar will explore the importance of traditional foods in Indigenous communities and the role of the 2014 Farm Bill in expanding access to those foods. We will discuss how this legislation allowed for the donation and serving of traditional foods in public facilities and nonprofit venues that primarily serve Indigenous people. Drawing from professional culinary experience and community-centered food service work, the webinar will highlight practical approaches to sourcing, planning, and delivering culturally meaningful meals while maintaining safe and effective operations. The discussion will also address food service response during times of community crisis, emphasizing the healing power of traditional foods in offering comfort and healing.

Learning Objectives: 
  1. Analyze how the Agricultural Act of 2014 (Farm Bill) authorizes the donation and service of traditional Indigenous foods in public and nonprofit facilities, including schools and hospitals.
  2. Describe and evaluate the role traditional foods play in providing comfort and supporting healing for Alaska Native communities.
  3. Apply principles of community cultural awareness to deliver respectful and effective food service support during emergencies or displacement.
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  • Duration:  1 hour 
  • Accreditation: 1.0 CEU - CDR (Health Equity credit ) & ANFP 
  • Type: Monthly Webinar

This webinar is generously supported by the following AHF Annual Sponsors: 

MEET THE SPEAKERS:

Chef Rachel Juliussen
Chef
Alaska Native Medical Center

Chef Rachel Juliussen, from Anchorage, Alaska, is a member of the Kenaitze Indian Tribe. She developed a deep appreciation for fresh, local ingredients when she began hunting, fishing, and gardening with her dad from a young age, which served as her family’s main source of food throughout the year.
Rachel graduated from the Art Institute of Seattle with a Bachelor’s Degree in Culinary Arts and Business Management (2018). During her schooling, she launched a private chef business offering cooking classes, private course dinners, and small event catering. After four years in Seattle, she traveled and studied different cuisines before returning to Alaska.

In 2025, Rachel began working for ANTHC at the Alaska Native Medical Center, where she partnered with World Central Kitchen and was featured in their marketing outreach to provide traditional Alaskan food to those displaced by the Halong typhoon in Kipnuk, Alaska.
Karissa Sampson, CDM, CFPP
Patient Services Manager
Alaska Native Medical Center


Karissa Sampson, CDM, CFPP, is a lifelong Anchorage resident with 13 years of experience serving the Alaska Native community at the Alaska Native Medical Center. A descendant of the Inupiat people through her grandmother, Leota of Unalakleet, Karissa brings both personal and professional perspective to her work. She began her career in entry-level food service positions and progressively gained experience across most Food Services roles, leading to her current position as Patient Services Manager in Food and Nutrition Services. While she did not grow up with traditional Alaska Native foods, her work at ANMC has provided the opportunity to learn and support the preparation of culturally meaningful meals that offer comfort and healing to Alaska Native patients in the inpatient setting. Outside of work, Karissa enjoys spending time with her 7-year-old daughter and embracing Alaska’s summer months by walking, taking scenic drives, and exploring trails. 

Chef Nicole Thoms
Kitchen Manager
Alaska Native Medical Center

Chef Nichole Thoms is a culinary leader who blends skill, culture, and service in every role she takes on. A Yupik chef from Palmer, Alaska and a member of the Knik Tribe, she has spent the past eight years with the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, rising to become the first Alaska Native Kitchen Manager at the Alaska Native Medical Center. Nichole’s culinary path began at Alaska Vocational Technical Center (2014), where she graduated in the top three of her class. She returned home to the Matanuska Valley and quickly advanced from baker’s assistant to a leadership role defined by her commitment to Alaska Native foodways. Her work has been featured by NPR, the Anchorage Daily News, Edible Alaska, Outdoor Boys, and America’s Test Kitchen, as well as in an educational video demonstrating traditional harbor seal processing. Outside the kitchen, Nichole is grounded by family, culture, and the outdoors. She spends her time fishing, camping, kayaking, cooking, and continuing to learn the traditions that inspire her every day.

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