Foodbank For The Heartland

FOOD BANK FOR THE HEARTLAND (FBFH) WAS FORMED IN 1981 AS THE OMAHA FOOD BANK AND CHARGED WITH PROVIDING EMERGENCY FOOD TO PANTRIES IN DOUGLAS COUNTY, NEBRASKA. BECAUSE OUR CURRENT MISSION IS TO PROVIDE EMERGENCY AND SUPPLEMENTAL FOOD TO 93 COUNTIES IN NEBRASKA AND WESTERN IOWA, FBFH REORGANIZED IN 2009 AND RECOMMITTED ITS RESOURCES TO SERVING ALL COUNTIES IN ITS ASSIGNED SERVICE AREA. FOOD BANK FOR THE HEARTLAND IS A MEMBER OF THE ALLIANCE FOR A BETTER OMAHA. A COLLECTIVE IMPACT WITH TOGETHER AND HEART MINISTRY CENTER. THIS COLLECTIVE IMPACT AIMS TO DECREASE CHRONIC DEPENDENCE ON SOCIAL SERVICES BY IMPROVING CLIENT ACCESS TO SNAP AND WIC BENEFITS, CASE MANAGEMENT, AND COLLABORATIVE REFERRALS. THE ALLIANCE ALSO SEEKS TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF FOOD PANTRIES BY INTEGRATING BEST PRACTICES THROUGH FORMAL COLLABORATIVE WORK WHILE ALSO IMPROVING ADVOCACY. TWO OF OMAHA'S LARGEST FOOD PANTRIES PARTICIPATE IN THIS IMPORTANT COLLECTIVE COMMITMENT THIS VISTA PROJECT ALIGNS WITH THE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY FOCUS AREA. THIS VISTA PROJECT WILL SEEK TO (1) ESTABLISH AN EFFICIENT DISTRIBUTION NETWORK FOR EMERGENCY AND SUPPLEMENT FOOD THAT CROSSES THE ENTIRE STATE OF NEBRASKA AND WESTERN IOWA IN A RATIONAL AND ACCESSIBLE MANNER; (2) EXPAND LOCAL CAPACITY TO ELIMINATE HUNGER AND HOMELESSNESS BY IDENTIFYING WHAT CURRENTLY EXISTS AND CREATING INNOVATIVE AND COLLABORATIVE PROJECTS THAT BRING GROUPS AND INTERESTS TOGETHER TOWARD SUSTAINED SOLUTIONS TO HUNGER AND HOMELESSNESS; AND (3) INCREASE THE NUMBER OF VOLUNTEERS WORKING ON HUNGER AND POVERTY ISSUES ACROSS THE STATE. SEVEN VISTAS WILL CONTRIBUTE TO THE FOLLOWING GOALS OF THE PROJECT BY PERFORMING THE FOLLOWING ACTIVITIES OVER THE COURSE OF THIS VISTA GRANT. THE VISTAS WILL ENGAGE IN THE FOLLOWING ACTIVITIES: 1. IDENTIFY AND MAKE CONTACT WITH ALL FOOD DISTRIBUTION PARTNERS WITHIN AN ASSIGNED TERRITORY. 2. COMMUNICATE THE MAGNITUDE OF HUNGER IN THAT TERRITORY. 3. COACH AND SUPPORT PANTRIES, MEAL PROVIDERS AND SCHOOLS TO MAXIMIZE THEIR ABILITY TO DISTRIBUTE EMERGENCY AND SUPPLEMENTAL FOOD IN THEIR AREA. 4. ASSIST PANTRIES IN OBTAINING EQUIPMENT, VOLUNTEERS AND OTHER RESOURCES NECESSARY TO INCREASE THE FREQUENCY OF THEIR FOOD DISTRIBUTION. 5. COACH AND SUPPORT PANTRIES, MEAL PROVIDERS AND SCHOOLS TO IMPROVE THE NUTRITIONAL LEVEL OF THE FOOD THEY DISTRIBUTE TO HUNGRY NEBRASKANS. 6. IDENTIFY SPECIAL NEEDS POPULATIONS SUCH AS SENIORS AND PEOPLE WITH CHRONIC HEALTH CONDITIONS IN EACH TERRITORY. 7. DETERMINE LEVEL OF UNMET NEED WITHIN ANY SPECIAL POPULATION. 8. DEVELOP TARGETED PROGRAMS TO BETTER MEET THE NEED OF ANY UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS. 9. ASSIST LOCAL COMMUNITIES IN RECRUITING AND EFFECTIVELY USING DIVERSE VOLUNTEER TALENTS IN ADDRESSING HUNGER ISSUES. 10. CREATE OR PARTNER WITH AN EXISTING STATEWIDE DATABASE TO BETTER MATCH VOLUNTEER AVAILABILITY IN RURAL NEBRASKA WITH NEEDS IN LOCAL PANTRIES AND MEAL PROVIDERS. 11. DISTRIBUTE SNAP INFORMATION TO INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS IN THE TEAM MEMBER'S TERRITORY. 12. CREATE A "HOW TO" MANUAL FOR EACH COUNTY. 13. CREATE AND DEVELOP COMPREHENSIVE, COLLABORATIVE, AND MEASURABLE NUTRITION EDUCATION PROGRAMS FOR FOOD PANTRIES THAT PROMOTE SELF-SUFFICIENCY. 14. CREATE AND DEVELOP COMPREHENSIVE, COLLABORATIVE AND MEASURABLE NUTRITION EDUCATION PROGRAMS FOR TARGETED COMMUNITY POPULATIONS THAT PROMOTE SELF-SUFFICIENCY. 15. CREATE AND DEVELOP NUTRITION MESSAGING IN FOOD PANTRIES THAT ASSIST IN TRANSITIONING FOOD PANTRIES TO NUTRITION CENTERS. 16. CREATE AND STRENGTHEN VOLUNTEER DRIVE EVENTS THAT HELP THE CLIENTS OF THE ORGANIZATIONS IN THE ALLIANCE FOR A BETTER OMAHA AND ADDRESS NEEDS OF CLIENTS. 17. CREATE AND STRENGTHEN VOLUNTEER PROGRAMMING TO BECOME AN ADVOCACY AND EDUCATION PROGRAM AS WELL AS VOLUNTEER PROGRAM. 18. CREATE AND DEVELOP COMMUNITY OUTREACH TO HELP PROGRAMS IN THE ALLIANCE FOR A BETTER OMAHA LISTEN, UNDERSTAND, AND ASSIST VARIOUS MARGINALIZED POPULATIONS IN OMAHA. 19. CREATE AND DEVELOP BEST SUSTAINED PRACTI