‘Food is fundamental’ — Lincoln organizations step up to tackle rising food insecurity
By ALYSSA JOHNSON – Lincoln Journal Star, Neb. (TNS)
Food Bank, 3.15
Lincoln Food Bank staff members Cameron Ronspies (from left), Ken Havlicek and Tim Dishman place food in a trunk on March 15. Data from the nonprofit Feeding America showed that in 2022, 13.6% of Nebraskans and 13.4% of those living in Lancaster County faced food insecurity.
During the pandemic, many people for the first time faced a problem they never thought they would have: Where to find their next meal.
At the Food Bank of Lincoln, for example, many individuals during COVID lined up for its services who had never before accessed emergency food programs.
Meanwhile, in April 2020, the Gathering Place Soup Kitchen at 1448 E St. expanded its services dishing out hot meals from 5-6 p.m. on weekdays to include weekends.
With food insecurity on the rise, food banks, soup kitchens and other programs have attempted to reach more people and fill a growing need.
“Food is fundamental and access to nutritious food really does have a direct impact on overall community health and wellness, whether that is physical, mental or even social,” said Michaella Kumke, president of the Food Bank of Lincoln.
About 13.5% of U.S. households were food insecure, or had limited or uncertain access to adequate food, at some point during 2023 according to the USDA.
From July 2019 to June 2020, more than 193,000 households in Southeast Nebraska were served through the Food Bank — which includes services like a mobile food bank, pantries and its long-running Backpack Program in area schools. The Food Bank covers 16 counties in Southeast Nebraska.
The following fiscal year, that number increased to 256,000 households and leaped to 477,000 for the period from July 2023 to June 2024.
Data from the nonprofit Feeding America showed that in 2022, 13.6% of Nebraskans and 13.4% of those living in Lancaster County faced food insecurity.
At the Gathering Place, the increase in need has translated to more meals served. Since 2019, there has been an 87.5% increase in free, nightly meals dished out, according to Lisa Janssen, program administrator. In the 2023-24 fiscal year about 55,600 meals were served.
Gathering Place, 12.18
Volunteers from Raymond Community Church, including Monty Woodward (from left), Wayne Anderson, Linda Feiler, Krista and Chuck Kohles dish out chicken noodle soup into meal boxes on Dec. 18 at the Gathering Place Soup Kitchen. The Gathering Place has seen an 87.5% increase in free, nightly meals served since the pandemic started.
“We see a lot more people at the end of every month when the bills are paid, but the money is running out and it’s harder to access basic needs,” Janssen said.
People from all different walks of life enter the Gathering Place including young families, single adults and senior citizens.
“I think 72% of our guests live within 12 blocks of the Gathering Place,” Janssen said. “We’re meeting the community where they are.”
Matt Talbot Kitchen and Outreach at 2121 N. 27th St. has also seen an increase in visitors. In 2023, more than 250,000 meals were served on site, in emergency food pantries and through other food distributions — a 39% increase from 2022.
Lisa Janssen
Lisa Janssen
As of November 2024, more than 84,200 meals have been served on site this year, a number expected to surpass 2023’s total of 89,300 meals. Last year’s numbers also included guests who requested additional servings, a practice that was ended in June 2024 to handle the increasing number of people.
Alynn Sampson, director of Matt Talbot, pointed to the pandemic for the increase in food insecurity.
“It doesn’t discriminate with gender or class or race or any of that,” Sampson said. “We’re all just one job, one health scare, one situation from experiencing food insecurity.”
Alynn Sampson
Alynn Sampson
Sampson said they are expecting that need to only rise.
“It’s trending that way and we’re adjusting and making sure that we’re equipped and ready to handle that,” Sampson said. “I just think there’s just too many moving parts that are at play here. … We’re still seeing the effects of not having enough affordable housing units for folks, and that contributes to this.”
In some ways, the pandemic helped those in need as the pandemic made food insecurity a more visible problem.
“It really opened our eyes to how many people were living on the edge, really struggling to make ends meet,” Kumke said. “It became evident to so many people because we saw our lines, our food lines, increase drastically.”
Food organizations have also had to deal with higher costs for food, labor and transportation, forcing adjustments in how much food is doled out.
Kumke said the Food Bank of Lincoln has had to adjust the amount of food given to households during a distribution.
Michaella Kumke
Kumke
“Moving forward, we’re expecting a little bit more adjustment to come,” Kumke said. “It’s just making sure that we’re dialing it back because we know that there are more people in line so that everybody gets something.”
Sampson has worked in community food service for many years and has seen firsthand the progress that nonprofits can make. But she also knows they can’t do it alone.
“It truly is a societal issue that’s completely solvable if we all just come together to find solutions,” Sampson said. “That’s the nonprofits, that’s the government, that’s neighborhoods, that’s jobs, it’s all of this at play … People not having access to food is not something that should be OK in 2024.”
Gathering Place, 12.18
Chuck Kohles, a volunteer from Raymond Community Church, scoops chicken noodle soup into a cup while putting together meal boxes on Dec. 18 at the Gathering Place Soup Kitchen.
Families are experiencing food insecurity as Americans grapple with higher grocery costs
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