BACKPACK MEAL PROGRAM FUELS STUDENTS ACROSS THE HEARTLAND
“For kids who are missing meals, they come to school not ready to learn. They don’t have the energy to sustain themselves throughout the day. It’s hard to concentrate with an empty stomach. Their brains just aren’t ready to be powered up and thinking,” says Michelle Schaffer, a first-grade teacher at Kreft Primary School in Council Bluffs.
Right now, 1 in 5 children across the Heartland experiences food insecurity. That means more than 87,000 children are walking into classrooms distracted by hunger instead of being ready to learn, grow, and thrive. Michelle sees it every day.
“We’ve noticed that as the cost of living has gone up—especially groceries—families are struggling to get food on the table. Some kids share that they didn’t have breakfast or dinner because Mom and Dad were waiting for a paycheck.”
No child should have to face hunger. That’s why the Food Bank’s BackPack Program is so critical. Each week, 8,002 children receive a pack filled with easy-to-prepare, nutritious food to carry them through the weekend.
In FY 25 alone, the Food Bank partnered with 244 schools across 110 districts in Nebraska and western Iowa to provide more than 1.2 million weekend meals to children in our communities.
Michelle says the excitement for the food is palpable.
“The first time students get their backpack, it feels like magic. They open it and say, ‘Oh, look at this!’ When they see mac and cheese or their favorite foods, they light up.”
Today, you can make twice the difference and provide that same hope to children. Thanks to the generosity of Woodhouse Auto Family, every gift made to the BackPack Program will be matched dollar for dollar, up to $500,000. That means your support can help twice as many children who don’t know where their next meal will come from.
For Michelle and teachers across our region, your generosity changes what happens in the classroom on Monday morning. It turns distraction into focus. Worry into confidence. Hunger into hope.
“I just want to say thank you. Your support means everything to these kids and families. Without you, a lot of children would go home hungry and wouldn’t have the tools they need to be successful.”
A NOTE FROM OUR PRESIDENT & CEO
I am beyond proud to share that on February 2, 2026, we opened the doors to our new facility at 84th & L in Omaha—marking the beginning of a transformative new chapter in our organization’s mission to eliminate hunger.
Food insecurity has risen nearly 50% in the last two years across our 93-county service area. To help meet the growing need, our new facility expands the Food Bank’s footprint by 41%, creating greater capacity and improved efficiency for staff, volunteers, partners, and Heartland neighbors facing hunger.
Thoughtfully designed to better deploy our mission, the building enhances operations at every level. From upgraded meeting spaces to foster collaboration, improved truck access for drivers, solar panels to support sustainable energy costs, and an expanded Volunteer Center—the facility streamlines logistics and increases accessibility.
Organizational efficiencies and new equipment within the building are already making an impact. Projects that previously required 25 volunteers to accomplish can now be done by 12 volunteers. As staff continue to refine processes and maximize output, the community is eager to be part of this new era. “The facility is really nice, and we look forward to volunteering here each week!”
—Food Bank Volunteer
More than a building, this facility represents a long-term investment in the region—positioning us to meet the growing and evolving needs of our service area, as more Heartland neighbors than ever need food assistance.
Our new home also allows us to better serve the public by having our SNAP Outreach Team on-site to assist neighbors with the SNAP application process. An 86-year-old man recently visited our building and was extremely hungry. We provided him with emergency food and helped him apply for SNAP benefits. He expressed his gratitude to our staff because he “didn’t know where else to go.”
Being located on one of the busiest intersections in Omaha also gives us much greater visibility, allowing us to amplify our reach, deepen our impact, and ignite lasting change. To everyone who played a role in this project and supported our Capital Campaign—THANK YOU! Your belief in our mission and compassion for our neighbors will provide critical nutrition to children, families, seniors, and veterans—for years to come.
Brian Barks President & CEO
STRIKE OUT HUNGER!
The 19th anniversary of our Strike Out Hunger campaign kicks off June 1st, and we want your organization to play ball! Your support plays a key role in alleviating summer hunger across the Heartland, when children may not have access to free or reduced-price breakfast and lunch.
Strike Out Hunger is a friendly competition among Heartland companies to determine who can generate the most support through donations of funds, food, and volunteer time.
Our online tools, support materials, and dedicated staff make the process easy.
Interested in signing up? Connect with our Corporate Relations Officer, Erin Burke today at EBurke@FoodBankHeartland.org.
VOLUNTEERS MAKE LASTING IMPACT
In April, we proudly celebrate National Volunteer Month—a time dedicated to honoring our volunteers and the incredible impact they make. In FY 25, volunteers gave more than 53,000 hours of service the equivalent of more than 26 full-time employees! Those hours represent meals packed, families supported, and hope delivered. We could not do this work without you.
We look forward to celebrating you in our new home, as this space reflects how deeply we value the time and talent you share with the Food Bank. Thank you for showing up, for giving back, and for being the heart of our mission!
CELEBRITY CHEF RAISES 2.5 MILLION MEALS!
Thank you to everyone who joined and supported us on Thursday, February 19 at CHI Center for our 25th annual Celebrity Chef fundraiser. It’s because of generous supporters like you that the Food Bank raised more than $850,000. Your gifts will allow us to distribute more than 2.5 million meals—filling hearts with hope and tables with nutritious food across Nebraska and western Iowa.
We look forward to seeing you at next year’s fundraiser. Mark your calendars for Thursday, February 25, 2027!
View and download event photos at FoodBankHeartland.org/Chef26Photos
Photo credit: Casie Schlueter Photography
Chefs pictured left to right— Jessica Urban, Paul Urban, Joel Hassanali, Winner Ben Maides, Aarón Sánchez
ADVOCACY FOR OUR NEIGHBORS IS CRITICAL
“Everything combined, housing prices and minimum wage not going up. We’re not making enough money to sustain all of our bills. Everything goes up, and you’re making the same amount of money.” — Iowa Pantry Participant
The quote above is from a neighbor in Council Bluffs, yet it could be from any of the 259,000 people across Nebraska and western Iowa facing hunger. This is one of the many reasons the Food Bank’s team continues to advocate and engage at multiple levels on behalf of Heartland neighbors.
At the federal level, we joined food banks across Iowa, Nebraska, and the country in Washington, D.C., during the annual Feeding America Fly-in. During this important time on Capitol Hill, food bankers met with our federal delegation to advocate for strong investment in nutrition programs, including enhancements to both TEFAP and SNAP. We continue to monitor progress on the 2026 Farm Bill and future appropriation packages that support the Food Bank’s strong partnership in expanding access to healthy foods for our neighbors.
Stateside, we have been engaged at both the Nebraska and Iowa capitol, working to protect access to nutrition programs. In January, our team joined the Iowa Food Bank Association for a Day on the Hill in Des Moines, where we met with lawmakers to discuss the importance of SNAP and walk through the impacts from last summer’s budget reconciliation bill—which will cut approximately $186 billion in federal funding from the entire SNAP program over ten years. In Nebraska, we continue to provide testimony and advocate for stronger access to SNAP. Both states’ focus for the remainder of their sessions is centered on building a balanced budget. We will continue to monitor any potential impacts on the Food Bank.
Visit our website for more information on our advocacy work. You can also contact our Government Affairs Officer directly at TWilliams@FoodBankHeartland.org.
HONOR LOVED ONES WITH A TRIBUTE GIFT
With Mother’s Day and Father’s Day around the corner, a tribute gift is a fitting opportunity. When you make a tribute or memorial gift to the Food Bank, you are honoring a loved one’s memory or thoughtfully celebrating a special person or occasion, while providing urgently needed meals. The person you are honoring (or another designated individual) will receive a colorful card by email or postage mail notifying them of your gift in their name. All donations benefit neighbors experiencing food insecurity.
To make a tribute or memorial gift, visit FoodBankHeartland.org/tribute.
Tiffany Murray & Amanda Fahrer (Food Bank of Lincoln)
Tim Williams & Steve Wallace (Food Bank for the Heartland)
