Founded in 1981 and headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, Food Bank for the Heartland is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that distributes food to 600 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 2018, 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.
Mary Balluff, Chairman
Community Volunteer
Denise McCauley, Chair-elect
WoodmenLife
Craig Kinnison, Secretary
Farm Credit Services of America
Nate Christ, Treasurer
Total Respiratory & Rehab Inc.
Brian Barks, President
Food Bank for the Heartland
Eric Arneson
Lindsay Corporation
Jeff Austin
Huffman Engineering
Tom Burke
Dell EMC
Roger Deal
Sequoia Wealth Partners, Inc.
Matthew DeBoer
HDR Architecture
Zac Fredrickson
Holland Basham Architects
Rick Hansen
Conagra Brands
Steve Hutchinson
Hastings College
Tom McLaughlin
One World Health Center
Elizebeth Murphy
Emspace + Lovgren
Susan Nelson
Angels Among Us
Melissa Taylor
Mutual of Omaha
Pamela Tuma
Gavillon
David Ulferts
UNL Extension
Susan Violi
Omaha World-Herald
Steve Wallace
PayPal
Chad Werner
First Data Corporation
Stephen Gehring, Legal Counsel
Cline Williams
The start of a new year is an exciting time. It’s a time to take a deep breath and look back at accomplishments of the past year while considering opportunities ahead over the next 12 months.
2019 was a remarkable year for Food Bank for the Heartland! Thanks to the support of the community, we successfully served our neighbors in need, including those impacted by the partial government shutdown and historic flooding. In our last fiscal year, more food was distributed and more dollars were raised than ever before in the Food Bank’s 39 year history.
Looking ahead to 2020, the Food Bank will continue to serve Nebraskans and Iowans still experiencing the effects of the flooding. This year our organization is focusing not just on overall food distribution but what kind of food is being distributed. Families struggling to put food on the table deserve food options with higher nutritional value. While fresh produce is the number one food item distributed by the Food Bank, we want to provide more healthy foods. We are also beginning the process of upgrading our technology to help us be more efficient. Doing more and better business will be difficult without better technology.
Meantime, there is a common thread weaving through the accomplishments of the past and the plans moving forward. It is you! Your partnership in our mission is something our employees never take lightly. Whether you make a financial contribution, donate food, volunteer your time or advocate for our neighbors in need, you are a vital component of what we do. So, thank you for partnering with the Food Bank in 2019. We look forward to our journey together in 2020.
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With gratitude,
Brian Barks
President & CEO
Individuals, businesses, foundations, USDA, and organizations donate food, funds and volunteer time
The Food Bank collects and distributes food to network partners and direct distribution programs
Food pantries, shelters, schools, soup kitchens, mobile pantries and child nutrition programs organize distribution
Food is provided to people who are struggling with hunger in Nebraska and western Iowa
A food bank is a non-profit organization that collects and distributes food to hunger-relief charities. Food Bank for the Heartland works with individuals, organizations, food manufacturers and distributors, grocery stores, the USDA and Feeding America to procure food. We also purchase food to supplement donations. The food is warehoused in our distribution center, and with help from volunteers, it is sorted, packed and re-distributed across Nebraska and western Iowa.
The Food Bank distributes food to 600 non-profit organizations in Nebraska and western Iowa such as pantries, schools, emergency shelters and meal providers. These organizations then distribute food to individuals and families in need in their communities.
Items in the highest demand include those the Food Bank often buys. The list includes macaroni and cheese, peanut butter, rice, pancake mix, canned chicken, boxed potatoes, canned fruit and canned green beans.
In FY 2019, 45 percent of the food received by the Food Bank came from corporate donors such as manufacturers, grocers and retail stores; 28 percent was purchased by the Food Bank; 25 percent came from USDA commodities; 2 percent from food drives
The Food Bank has an operating budget of $8.2 million and employs 55 people. On average, about 35 percent of the Food Bank’s revenue comes from individual donors; 25 percent is provided by corporate donors; 28 percent comes via foundations. The remaining 12 percent consists of gifts from civic groups, churches and schools.
No. The IRS prohibits food banks from selling food. The IRS does allow food banks to request partner organizations to contribute a shared maintenance fee to defray the cost of soliciting, collecting, storing and distributing food. The shared maintenance fee differs per item ranging from 0-16 cents per pound. There is no shared maintenance on produce, bakery, government commodities and soda. About 50 percent of the food distributed by the Food Bank has no shared maintenance fee. Partner organizations are not allowed to sell food they receive from Food Bank for the Heartland and must distribute to individuals. If a partner organization cannot pay the recommended shared maintenance fee, the Food Bank will work with that organization to address the costs in another way.
