Food Bank For the Heartland

The mission of Food Bank for the Heartland is to eliminate hunger in Nebraska and western Iowa through community collaboration and making the best possible use of all available resources. Headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, Food Bank for the Heartland is a nonprofit organization that serves more than 300 food pantries, emergency shelters, after-school programs, senior housing sites and rehabilitation centers in our area. We are the largest food bank in Nebraska and Iowa, encompassing 93 counties in the two-state region. Fighting hunger is an ongoing, collaborative effort. We work with individuals, organizations, food manufacturers, food distributors, grocery stores and the USDA to procure food and household products. Food Bank for the Heartland also collects resources from Feeding America, a national network of food banks and food and household product manufacturers. We distribute approximately seven million pounds of food annually to local nonprofit agencies that make sure it gets to those in our community who need a helping hand. The number of people seeking assistance has increased dramatically as families struggle to make ends meet amid rising food costs and other difficult circumstances. Often they are forced to choose between paying for utilities, rent or medicine and buying food. Food Bank for the Heartland operates its own programs that serve vulnerable populations in our community. They include Kids Cafe, Food for Seniors, BackPack Program, Mobile Pantry and Sack Lunch. As the number of hungry children, families and seniors increases, these programs expand to meet the growing need. Food and other items distributed through Food Bank for the Heartland have touched over 150, 000 lives this past year. Individuals, organizations and companies can help us continue our mission of eradicating hunger in our community by donating time, money and food.