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
Community Volunteer
Brian Barks, President
Food Bank for the Heartland
Eric Arneson
Lindsay Corporation
Jeff Austin
Community Volunteer
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
Jim Winterscheid
Travel & Transport
Stephen Gehring, Legal Counsel
Cline Williams
On July 1, 2019, Food Bank for the Heartland began a new fiscal year, and I celebrated one year as the organization’s new leader. It has been an incredible 12 months!
I’m so proud of everything that the Food Bank accomplished. I’m especially inspired by how we responded to the government shutdown and historic disasters.
We assisted furloughed federal workers who were running out of food after missing two pay periods when the government shut down for 35 days. I’ll never forget meeting a TSA staffer grateful for the food she received to help feed her family. The Food Bank purchased $200,000 worth of food for distribution to our pantry partners who were seeing an increase of clients needing help.
Then came the flood and blizzard in March. The Food Bank sourced thousands of pounds of food, water and cleaning supplies from around the country. We provided assistance in impacted communities including Bellevue, Fremont, Valley, Columbus, Niobrara, Lynch and Winslow in Nebraska along with Council Bluffs, Hamburg and Pacific Junction in Iowa and many others.
Looking ahead to the next 12 months, our plan is to add more mobile pantries across our 93-county Nebraska and western Iowa service area. We are targeting communities where the need for assistance is high but access to help is low. Overall, we plan to increase the amount of food provided by approximately 1.6 million meals compared to the previous 12 months.
We know the 1.6 million meals are connected to people. People like a husband and wife we met in Valley, residents for over 40 years who lost everything in the flood and forced to start over. Or a couple in Plattsmouth who had to find a new place to live when their apartment flooded.
The Food Bank staff is passionate about helping struggling families. We love making a difference and hope you will join us! The feeling is awesome!
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 2017, 46 percent of the food received by the Food Bank came from corporate donors such as manufacturers, grocers and retail stores; 32 percent was purchased by the Food Bank; 20 percent came from USDA commodities; 2 percent from food drives
The Food Bank has an operating budget of $9.4 million and employs 50 people. On average, about 37 percent of the Food Bank’s revenue comes from individual donors; 35 percent is provided by corporate donors; 25 percent comes via foundations. The remaining 3 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.
