Food Bank Of The Heartland Hosts Stuff The Truck To Help Fight Hunger
OMAHA, Neb. – Its the season of giving and Food Bank of the Heartland is working to give back to those in need.
Saturday they were stationed outside the Bakers at 132nd and West Maple, inviting shoppers to donate just a few groceries as they left the store.
All of the food collected goes to neighbors in need.
Saturdays event goes along with their Shine a Light on Hunger drive. Theyre working to raise the equivalent of 3 million meals to help fight hunger in our community.
Earlier this week the food bank told 6 News theyre seeing more people needing food assistance due to inflation.
Right now our neighbors are making unthinkable decisions deciding between paying for their rent or putting food on the table, or paying for medication or going grocery shopping, said Stephanie Sullivan with Food Bank of the Heartland. No one should have to make that decision. With one in 10 Heartland neighbors right now struggling with food insecurity, we are just hoping to provide them with hope and nutritious meals this holiday season,
Theyre also asking for helping hands before Thanksgiving Day as they still need some volunteers to sign up.
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Thanks To A Generous $15000 Match From Woodmenlife Your Gift Will Make Twice The Impact
Food Bank for the Heartland works with 544 Network Partners, including pantries, schools, churches, emergency shelters and other non-profit organizations to ensure consistent access to nutritious food in 93 counties across Nebraska and western Iowa. The Food Bank is committed to breaking the vicious cycle of food insecurity and continues to be humbled by the outpouring of support from communities throughout the Heartland.
How Food Banking Works
Donors: Individuals, businesses, foundations, governments, and other organizations donate food, funds, and volunteer time. The Food Bank also purchases food to meet the high need.
Food Bank: The Food Bank collects, stores, and prepares food for distribution to 544 Network Partners in 93 counties across Nebraska and western Iowa.
Network Partners: The Food Bank distributes food to pantries, shelters, meal Providers, mobile pantries, and child nutrition programs.
Those in Need: Families, children, seniors, and adults receive critical nutrition that helps them thrive.
Nonperishable food donations may be delivered to the Food Bank for the Heartland located at 10525 J Street, Omaha, NE 68127.
- $1 can provide can provide up to 4 meals for a neighbor in need.
- 1 in 10 people in Nebraska and western Iowa are considered food insecure with 1 in 7 of them being children.
- Food Bank for the Heartland provided more than 27 million meals to neighbors in need in FY 2022.
How You Can Help
The public can help support the Food Bank in a variety of ways, through monetary donations, food donations or volunteer time, says Sullivan. While all are vital in supporting our mission, the Food Bank can take a dollar and stretch it further because of our ability to purchase food in bulk. Right now, every dollar donated can provide up to four meals for a neighbor in need.
Despite the hardships the Heartland has faced in recent years, the Food Bank has soldiered on in its fight against food insecurity. It is a testament to the versatility and strength of our community to rally together in support of one another, says Sullivan. We need their support to continue as we face unprecedented times ahead. For more information on how to donate funds or food or how to volunteer, visit foodbankheartland.org.
This content was produced by Brand Ave. Studios. The news and editorial departments had no role in its creation or display. Brand Ave. Studios connects advertisers with a targeted audience through compelling content programs, from concept to production and distribution. For more information contact .
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Join Our Team And Use Your Skills To Create Change
When you work at Second Harvest Heartland, youre working to end hunger. As one of the countrys largest and most innovative food banks, we deliver food and solutions to our neighbors facing hunger. From truck drivers and forklift operators to volunteer leaders and program staff, our team is on a mission to end hunger in our region.
Th Annual Dish Gala Tickets Available
Dish is an opportunity to join together as a community to honor our collective work to end hunger and to raise essential funds that build on our momentum to ensure that no one goes hungry. Whether you are a longtime supporter of Second Harvest Heartland or a new friend to us, we hope you will join us for this truly special evening.
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What Does Food Bank For The Heartland Do
For over 40 years, Food Bank for the Heartland has functioned as a distribution center of food for 93 counties in Nebraska and western Iowa.
We collect, store and package food for distribution to 589 network partners including pantries, shelters, meal providers, schools, churches and various nonprofits, says Sullivan.
In the last fiscal year, the Food Bank has provided more than 27 million meals to neighbors in need across the Heartland.
Join Us In Ending Hunger Together: Volunteer
Second Harvest Heartland volunteers play a critical role in the fight to end hunger. Sign up for a shift to assist with packing food today to help fuel our hunger fight and bring efficiency to the hunger relief network. Volunteer shifts are available Monday through Saturday at our Brooklyn Park facility. Want to do more? We have ongoing volunteer opportunities as well.
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These people, young and old, wake up some mornings wondering where their next filling meal is going to come from. The reality is, too many neighbors are being forced to make impossible decisions such as paying for food or other necessities like rent and medication, Sullivan says. Its the goal of Food Bank for the Heartland to try to keep those decisions from becoming necessary, even as inflation and rising gas and food prices are working against them. The Food Bank has seen the direct impact of rising costs. From May to June, we served 40% more households through our Network Partners, says Sullivan. Were seeing more people than ever in need of food assistance, with many seeking help from food pantries for the first time.
About Food Bank For The Heartland
Founded in 1981 and headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, Food Bank for the Heartland is a 501 nonprofit organization that distributes food to 535 food pantries, schools, emergency shelters and other nonprofit partners. We are the largest food bank in Nebraska and Iowa, serving 93 counties in the two-state region.
Fighting hunger is an ongoing, collaborative effort. We work with individuals, organizations, food manufacturers and distributors, grocery stores, the USDA and Feeding America to procure food. The Food Bank also purchases food to supplement donations. For every dollar we receive, we can provide three meals.
Food Bank for the Heartland operates its own programs that serve vulnerable populations directly. They include Kids Cafe, BackPack, Mobile Pantry, SNAP and Kids Cruisin Kitchen. As the number of hungry children, families and seniors increases, these programs expand to meet the growing need.
We moved to our current 76,000-square-foot facility in 2011. During FY 2017, we distributed 22 million meals to our nonprofit partners that have touched the lives of people in the community. We are grateful to the individuals, organizations and companies that support our vision of eradicating hunger in our community by donating time, money and food.
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Food Bank For The Heartland Partners With Farm Credit Services Of America To Host Free Mobile Pantry In Logan
Food Bank for the Heartland is partnering with Farm Credit Services of America to host a free Mobile Food Pantry in Logan on Wednesday, November 30, from 4-6 p.m. at the Logan Community Center, 108 West 4th Street.
The one-day distribution will provide shelf-stable products such as canned fruits and vegetables, pasta and peanut butter. Fresh bread and assorted fresh produce will also be distributed.
Items will be placed directly into vehicles. Recipients are asked to stay in their vehicles with the trunk open. The pantry is available to anyone living in Logan and the surrounding communities. No identification is required.
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Funding from FCSAmerica will allow employees to distribute nearly 6,000 pounds of food, serving 160 households.
Because of the extraordinary support of FCSAmerica, we can distribute critical staples to individuals with limited resources through our Mobile Pantry program, said Brian Barks, president, and CEO of Food Bank for the Heartland. As families navigate skyrocketing costs this holiday season, we remain committed to offering nutritious food across our 93-county service area. We are grateful for the opportunity to serve the community of Logan.
Food Bank Of The Heartland: Need Greater Now Than At Start Of Pandemic
Shine the Light on Hunger drive gets underway alongside Omahas Holiday Lights Festival
OMAHA, Neb. – On Thanksgiving evening, the city of Omaha will turn on tens of thousands of lights to kick off the 23rd Holiday Lights Festival.
While they will certainly illuminate the new look of Gene Leahy Mall, organizers are hoping they will also put us in the holiday mood and remind us to share and help those less fortunate.
With its Shine a Light on Hunger drive, the Food Bank for the Heartland has set a goal of raising the equivalent of 3 million meals to help the food bank fight hunger in our community.
RELATED: Holiday Lights returns to Omahas Gene Leahy Mall
Food Bank for the Heartland unloads food for 93 counties across Nebraska and eastern Iowa, in the last fiscal year the food bank provided more than 26 million meals, and its not enough.
I never thought I would stand in front of anybody and say that the need for food assistance is worse than it was at the height of the pandemic but it is were seeing more people needing food assistance because of inflation, said Brian Barks, president and CEO of the Food Bank for the Heartland.
Theyre working hard at the food bank to fill the warehouse. They need boxed meals, cereal, soup, canned tuna, and chicken sauces, macaroni and chese anything that has a longer shelf life.
This food will help families manage their tight budgets.
How to help
If you can make a monetary donation, visit the Food Bank of the Heartland website.
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Food Bank For The Heartland Combatting Food Insecurity For Thousands Of Americans
- Sponsored content by Alyssa Sybertz, Brand Ave. Studios contributing writer
Any person can suddenly face hardship and become vulnerable to food insecurity in the United States. Every day, people struggle to bring home nutritious food for themselves and their families and every day Food Bank for the Heartland, based in Omaha, is working hard to change that across Nebraska and western Iowa.
While every community is facing hunger, not every individual experiences it the same way, says Stephanie Sullivan, communications and media relations manager for Food Bank for the Heartland. Theres the senior in Long Pine who told us she lost her husband to COVID-19 and is now down to a single social security payment the elementary student receiving meals from the Food Banks BackPack program because theres not enough food to eat over the weekend the veteran in Bellevue struggling to pay his medical bills and the woman in Central City who was unable to support herself after an unexpected injury.
Volunteer Numbers Are Rising
It’s not entirely bad news, though. Feeding America has “full volunteer centers” because “people are really eager to come back in and be part of the solution,” Fitzgerald told Insider.
Sullivan has a similar story: “In the past year, our volunteers donated 33,000 hours of service to Food Bank for the Heartland and we saw a 67% increase in the number of first-time volunteers.”
There’s also a silver lining from the pandemic. “The visibility of the charitable food system during the pandemic has helped make people more comfortable turning to us for help,” said Fitzgerald.
One such individual is a “married mom of four” from Indiana, who launched the TikTok account NoShameFoodPantryVisits after the pandemic pushed her into financial difficulty. She does not identify herself in her posts.
After much hesitation, the woman finally paid her local food pantry a visit. “I got in line. I cried. I was embarrassed,” she told Insider. “The people were so kind and told me to come back.”
She now channels her experiences into combating stigma on TikTok: “I wanted others to know it’s okay to ask for help. You don’t need to wait till your power is cut off, your car is taken away, or you’re about to lose your home.”
Read the original article on Business Insider
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How Much Does Food Bank For The Heartland In The United States Pay
Average Food Bank for the Heartland hourly pay ranges from approximately $13.35 per hour for Warehouse Specialist to $23.49 per hour for Community Representative. The average Food Bank for the Heartland salary ranges from approximately $28,000 per year for Customer Service Team Lead to $86,831 per year for Senior Director of Human Resources.
Salary information comes from 35 data points collected directly from employees, users, and past and present job advertisements on Indeed in the past 36 months.
Please note that all salary figures are approximations based upon third party submissions to Indeed. These figures are given to the Indeed users for the purpose of generalized comparison only. Minimum wage may differ by jurisdiction and you should consult the employer for actual salary figures.
- 4.0Great place to work overall!I can’t say enough positive things about working at the foodbank! The culture, the benefits, the pay and the leadership is incomparable to any other place I have worked for in the past. They truly appreciate their employees and treat everyone like fa…Bilingual SNAP Direct Service Specialist Omaha, NE – September 18, 2019
Who We Are
In 1981, The Food Bank was formed as a non-profit 5013 with a 38,000 square foot warehouse and 21 agencies. The Food Bank began because of the efforts of the Omaha Pantry Association. In the first year we distributed 38,000 pounds of food. Currently, The Food Bank distributes between 5 and 7 million pounds of food annually.
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