No sign recession is ending, says Food Bank official

McCOOK, Nebraska -- Hunger is often invisible, and it's likely to get worse, even here in one of the most productive agricultural regions in the world, according to an official with the Food Bank for the Heartland.

"If the recession is over, we aren't seeing it," said Brian Barks, director of development and public relations for the organization, which serves 16 counties in Iowa and 77 in Nebraska, including Red Willow County and Southwest Nebraska.

Food banks like the McCook Pantry, which Barks' organization serves, are seeing more "first-timers" than usual, and has distributed about 9 million pounds of food this year, compared to 7.25 million last year and a projected 15 million in a few years.

Yes, part of that growth is due to the organization's commitment to serving the entire state, but most of it is related to hard times.

"We made a commitment that we are going to serve the entire area," Barks said. That includes everything outside 16 counties in Southeastern Nebraska served by the Food Bank of Lincoln.

The most visible benefit for McCook residents may be the BackPack program, which sends meals for about 75 kids, who otherwise might not have adequate food, home on weekends.

McCook, Ogallala, Kearney and O'Neill are among the hosts for BackPack programs which supply food to about 3,000 students, but that number will be capped at about 3,500 next year.

Nebraskans will support a winner, and programs like the BackPack system are good at what they do, Barks said.

But your neighbor might not want you to know he lost his 20-hour per week job, and folks who are struggling to get by might keep it secret.

"It takes a lot of courage to come in, especially for first-timers," Barks said.

"We're very lucky (in Nebraska), in that our donations have kept pace," Barks said. Many food items are collected and distributed locally, he said, to avoid the costs of shipping them across the state and back.

Demographics of the hungry are surprising, he said, for those who expect them to be "alcoholics and crack-heads."

Of the 22,000 served on any given week, about 60 percent are white, 30 percent are black and 10 percent Hispanic, he said. Twenty-five percent are college educated, 40 percent have a high school diploma and 30 percent own their own home.

Food banks "need to make hay now," during the holidays in order to have enough food stocks for next summer.

Barks said nutrition is so critical to learning and education that it is critical that services like the BackPack program continue. And, he said, higher-ups have told local food banks to be prepared for increased demand for their services until at least 2019.

About Food Bank for the Heartland:

The organization is the largest food bank in Nebraska and Iowa, encompassing 93 counties in a two-state region. It was founded in 1981 and has headquarters in Omaha. Approximately seven million pounds of food have been distributed to more than 300 food pantries, emergency shelters, after-school programs, senior housing sites and rehabilitation centers in 2010. Some 21,900 people seek emergency food assistance in any given week in the service area. Macaroni and cheese, peanut butter, canned tuna, chicken, fruit and green beans are always in demand.

Programs include:

* Kids Cafe: 2,000 evening meals each week to at-risk children in partnership with 10 local organizations that offer a safe haven after school.

n Food for Seniors: Boxes of nonperishable food and personal hygiene items are given to nearly 75- seniors living in low-income housing each month.

* BackPack Program: In 21 school districts in Iowa and Nebraska, backpacks are filled for the weekends with non perishable food for 3,000 children who do not have enough to eat at home.

* Mobile Pantry: Nonprofit agencies collaborate with the Food Bank to extend their services by distributing additional food and household items during a one-day pantry to people in need.

* Sack Lunch: Food Bank for the Heartland partners with a church to dispense 3,800 lunches each week to the homeless and near-homeless in the community.

* Fresh Produce: During the summer months, donated fresh fruits and vegetables are distributed weekly to low-income families at stands set up in Omaha, Carter Lake, La Vista and Fremont.

Where does the Food Bank get its food?

* Corporate donations: 66 percent

* Food drives: 8 percent.

* USDA commodities: 16 percent

* Food purchased by Food Bank for the Heartland: 10 percent

Food Bank for the Heartland inspects, sorts and repacks the food for

distribution to more to more than 300 nonprofit agencies across Nebraska

and western Iowa. The Food Bank distributes approximately 8 million

pounds of food annually.

Who receives food from the Food Bank?

* Pantries and meal providers: 74 percent

* Food Bank's children and senior programs: 14 percent

* Distribution partners in Kearney and Sioux City: 9 percent

* Other food banks: 1 percent

* Discarded spoiled food: 2 percent

More information is available here.

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High praise for McCook Pantry

Brian Barks of the Food Bank for the Heartland had high praise for the McCook Pantry, for which his organization provides about 60 percent of the food it distributes.

Barks, who spent more than an hour at the Pantry on Tuesday, said he learned "a ton from them." Pantry officials confirmed that many of the new clients are those who are underemployed and victimized by downsizing.

"What incredible work they are doing there," he said, noting that they pick up donations from the local Walmart twice a week, and have served approximately 7,700 people so far this year, with clients from many adjoining counties as well as Red Willow.

"What an incredible reach!" he said.

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