The Food Bank of Lincoln serves southeast Nebraska from the state capital, covering Lancaster County and the surrounding counties. With the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, the food bank has long worked closely with university resources, including pantry programs for food-insecure college students. Michaella Kumke became President and CEO in 2021, succeeding longtime leader Scott Young, and the organization moved into a new headquarters, the Scott Young Hunger Solutions Center, after a fundraising campaign. It is a Feeding America member.
The Food Bank of Lincoln sources food at scale and distributes it across southeast Nebraska through partner agencies and its own programs, including mobile distributions and a strong set of child- and student-focused initiatives. Its proximity to the University of Nebraska has shaped a focus on college food insecurity, an often-overlooked problem, alongside its core work with pantries and meal sites.
Michaella Kumke became President and CEO in 2021, an internal promotion after years at the organization, most recently as community engagement director. She succeeded Scott Young, the longtime executive director for whom the food bank’s new headquarters is named. She has led the organization through its move to that new, larger facility.
The service area is southeast Nebraska, centered on Lancaster County and the city of Lincoln and reaching into the surrounding rural counties. Lincoln combines a university-and-government economy with pockets of need, while the surrounding farm counties face the quieter, distance-driven food insecurity common across rural Nebraska.
Yes. The Food Bank of Lincoln is a registered 501(c)(3) and a Feeding America member. Donors can review its financials through Charity Navigator and GuideStar. Bulk buying and donated food mean a gift produces many meals.
Donations and volunteer shifts run through lincolnfoodbank.org. Volunteers sort and pack food and help at distributions, and cash gifts go furthest because of the food bank’s purchasing power.
The Food Bank of Lincoln covers southeast Nebraska from the state capital, while Food Bank for the Heartland covers the Omaha metro and most of the rest of the state. For anyone in the Lincoln area or southeast Nebraska, the Food Bank of Lincoln is the lead organization.
Agencies across southeast Nebraska receive food.
Food support for food-insecure university students.
School and weekend food support for kids at risk of hunger.
Food brought into rural communities far from pantries.
Sources: Food Bank of Lincoln website (lincolnfoodbank.org), and Lincoln Journal Star and Beatrice Daily Sun reporting on the new headquarters and the appointment of Michaella Kumke. We are not affiliated with Food Bank of Lincoln and receive no compensation for this listing. Spotted an error? [email protected]
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