Food Bank Team Visits North Platte During Annual Partner Conference: A Journey to Serve the Heartland

NORTH PLATTE, Neb. (KNOP) — The Food Bank for the Heartland serves more than 500 partner organizations spanning 93 counties in Nebraska and western Iowa. As part of their ongoing efforts, they are touring various locations throughout central Nebraska with their Whistle-Stop Tour.

On Friday morning, the Food Bank crew paid a visit when they were holding their yearly Partner Conference at the Prairie Arts Center.

Representatives from several partner organizations convened at the summit to gain insights into the current rates of food insecurity within the state. Brian Barks, who serves as both the President and CEO of Food Bank for the Heartland, noted that he has observed an increase in these numbers over recent years.

We all thought things would return to normal following the pandemic," Barks stated. "But normal isn’t returning. We won’t be seeing those figures from 2018 again, which is truly devastating.

Michelle O'Dea, who manages the North Platte Community Food Pantry, mentioned that although her tenure at the pantry has been brief, she quickly realized the immediate demand.

When I began, the demand for food had increased twofold compared to the prior year, yet within just these brief six months, it has grown threefold," O'Dea stated. "Food insecurity poses a significant worry for our community.

The number of individuals requesting food aid throughout Nebraska is increasing, with Food Bank’s partner organizations now serving a quantity that is four times greater than what was seen in 2018.

We understand that households with lower incomes allocate roughly one-third of their earnings towards food expenses," Barks explained. "It becomes extremely hard to manage all costs as prices keep rising across various sectors such as food, housing, childcare, and more, making financial stability quite tough for many individuals.

It's quite an extensive region, where we encounter numerous large households, often consisting of six, seven, or even eight members," O'Dea stated. "Someone earning as much as $50,000 annually might struggle to support such sizable groups. Despite being employed, individuals can find themselves unable to make ends meet. Our observations include senior citizens, young parents with kids, and every demographic you could think of. This isn't merely a localized issue affecting only certain segments; this affects everyone.

Charities such as the Food Bank for the Heartland cannot offer support without your aid.

If you're in North Platte, volunteering your time is something you could consider doing, be it at your local pantry or mobile pantry," Barks stated. "Donating food items is another excellent method for getting engaged with your nearby community. Additionally, making a monetary donation works wonders too. Our organization spends $5 million annually buying food. This amount originates from charitable contributions; hence, having funds allows us to purchase more food which then gets distributed among the various communities we support.

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