Nebraska
Nebraska food bank announces $37M building and relocation plan to help meet 'unforeseen' demand • Nebraska Examiner
OMAHA — Rising demand for food assistance across the 93 counties it serves has pushed the Food Bank for the Heartland to extraordinary measures, including leasing refrigerated trailers to store food in the parking lot.
Volunteers and semitrailer truck drivers that visit the Omaha-based nonprofit often jam the road leading into its current headquarters.
Meanwhile, increased food costs and an end to many pandemic-era government assistance programs have created “disruption” that officials said they’ve not seen in the food bank’s 42-year history.
To help meet growing needs, the food bank on Sunday publicly announced a $37 million plan to build a new office and warehouse complex at a larger, 12-acre campus at the northeast corner of 84th and L Streets in Omaha.
40% larger
Representatives were joined by Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert in publicly unveiling renderings and other details of the 105,000-square-foot facility, which is about 40% larger than the current home.
Parking stalls will nearly double in number, for a new total of about 170 spots at the new base that for more than a half-century had been home to a car dealership.
“Our project is going to transform 84th and L,” said CEO and president Brian Barks. “It’s going to transform the way we do business and the way we are able to serve the community — with an emphasis on healthy foods.”
While planning began in 2020, the nonprofit’s governing board chose to delay the building and relocation announcement until it secured 60% of the $27 million it hopes to raise in philanthropic donations, Barks said. About $10 million is to come internally and from the sale of the existing building at 10525 J St.
The nonprofit continues to seek community contributions for the capital campaign.
Demolition and construction work is to kick off this summer, according to a project timeline, and the projected move-in is in 2026.
Food bank officials say the milestone comes as Nebraskans’ demand for food assistance grows.
Paul Maass, CEO of Scoular, said his involvement with the food bank has shown him that a lack of healthy food is widespread.
“For many, hunger is a hidden issue,” he told the dozens of supporters gathered Sunday under a large tent on the future food bank grounds. “But it is happening all around us, every moment of every day. I learned this is not an urban, rural or suburban problem. Hunger is a problem everywhere.”
26.7 million pounds of food last year
With a reach of 78,000 square miles across 77 Nebraska counties and 16 western Iowa counties, the food bank works with 555 network partners to distribute food items to those in need.
Last year, the network distributed more than 26.7 million pounds of food.
According to the organization’s projections, it will serve 600,548 households this fiscal year. That’s up from nearly 572,000 households a year earlier and about 313,000 five years ago.
Looking at demand from an individual standpoint, the food bank foresees serving 1.62 million persons this fiscal year, up from 1.52 million during the year prior and 843,000 in 2019.
Shedding light on demand, Barks said that Nebraskans have faced increased hardship since the government shutdown in December 2018.
“It’s going to transform the way we do business and the way we are able to serve the community — with an emphasis on healthy foods.”
– Brian Barks, CEO and president of Food Bank for the Heartland
Historic floods followed in March 2019, displacing thousands of people, including some who continue to rebuild.
COVID-19 led to an 89% increase in the number of meals distributed by the food bank. People who lost jobs during the pandemic tapped savings and amassed debt.
“Inflation and the lingering effects of pandemic continue to make hunger a daily reality throughout our communities,” the food bank said in its capital campaign statement. “With skyrocketing food prices, too many of our neighbors are forced to make impossible choices among items needed to survive and thrive — such as paying for food, medicine, utilities, or childcare.”
Pandemic highlight
The agency noted a highlight of its response to the pandemic. During that time, the food bank developed a small USDA-certified “Clean Room,” which accepts and processes bulk donations of nutrient-rich proteins.
Representatives said that the program has been successful, but building it took space away from the Volunteer Center.
The new facility is to include a larger Clean Room to process proteins.
Among other features:
- Increased storage capacity for cold and frozen food items; separate areas for loading and unloading operations.
- Increased space for volunteer groups and for staff collaboration.
- Easy access to main roads and the Interstate system.
Records show the sprawling corner property sold to the Food Bank for $7.1 million.
H&H Chevrolet, which reportedly had been at the site since 1968, moved last year to a larger area at the Steel Ridge development in Sarpy County.
Barks said the food bank visited multiple sites and considered other options, including renovation. He said clearing the 84th and L Streets site and building anew was more economical.
He said if people knew how the staff has managed to increase output in the current facility, they’d be even more impressed. He called the level of demand “unforeseen.”
“It has been an arduous journey,” Barks said. “To get to this point is everything from a relief to joy to thrill all wrapped into one.”
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LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – For many rural hospitals in Nebraska, the challenge isn’t just providing care; it’s staying open.
They said at a press conference Tuesday that they’re facing a financial crisis and struggling to meet the needs of their communities.
In rural Nebraska, a single hospital is often the only source of care for miles.
But they are facing a tough battle as they deal with a shortage of funds.
SEE ALSO: ‘It will save lives’: As rural Nebraska hospitals struggle, one gets a boost
They said large urban hospitals such as the University of Nebraska Medical Center receive higher reimbursement rates from insurance and government programs, while smaller rural hospitals are left to scramble for resources.
“We need to make sure that reimbursement models are fair, and they bring dollars to the table for the services that we do have,” said Arlan Johnson, CEO of Howard County Medical Center.
Sen. Brian Hardin said as health care costs rise, the financial gap only widens.
“In 2023, the average retail value of a Tier 4 drug in America was $257,000 for the year,” he said. “Who can afford that? Short answer, no one.”
He wants to make sure rural hospitals can participate in the 340B program, which allows them to purchase drugs at a discount.
“In order to give top-notch care and provide extra services in the community we have, we have to ensure that Medicaid and 340B programs are protected,” said Laura Gamble, CEO of Pender Community Hospital.
SEE ALSO: Nearly 60% of rural Nebraska hospitals losing money on operations, officials report
Health officials said if rural hospitals don’t get higher reimbursement, some will have to close.
For families living in remote areas, those closures mean longer drives to receive basic care and, sometimes, delayed treatment.
State leaders are aware of the challenges and said it’s one of their top priorities this upcoming legislative session.
But the solutions are far from simple.
Sen. Mike Jacobsen of North Platte said this upcoming year, he plans to work with the Nebraska Medical Association to work on a bill that would allow higher reimbursement for doctors and other practitioners.
Hardin said Congress needs to step up and remodel 340B.
Nebraska
LIVE: Nebraska hospital leaders to highlight critical health care issues, call for policy action
LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – The Nebraska Hospital Association (NHA) and the Nebraska Rural Health Association (NeRHA) will provide an overview of the 2025-26 Roadmap to Strong Rural Health Care during a press conference on Tuesday at 10:30 a.m.
The NHA and NeRHA will be joined by Nebraska hospital leaders and state senators to highlight state and federal issues important to the future of rural health care in the state.
You can watch the news conference when it begins in the video player above.
Rural hospitals make up about 35 percent of all hospitals nationally, and over 68 percent of hospitals in Nebraska, according to a joint press release from NHA and NeRHA. More than 41 percent of those are at risk of closure.
In addition, Nebraska has more rural residents living at least 25 minutes away from an ambulance than all but two other states. About 16 percent of Nebraska mothers must travel at least 30 minutes to find a maternal care provider, about twice the national rate, and more than half of Nebraska’s counties are considered maternity deserts.
NHA and NeRHA said 85 of Nebraska’s rural communities are considered medically underserved areas for primary care services alone. Projections show that Nebraska will experience a workforce shortage of over 5,000 nurses in 2025.
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Copyright 2025 KOLN. All rights reserved.
LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – This Wednesday, Nebraska’s 49 lawmakers will flock to the Nebraska State Capitol to begin the 2025 Legislative Session.
It falls to them to build a biennial budget proposal for the next two years, but already, projections show a roughly $400 million deficit that they need to close.
“We are mandated to pass a balanced budget in the state of Nebraska by the Constitution,” State Sen. Tom Brandt said. “It is going to happen. Will there be pain and suffering? I’m sure, but it will happen on the part of the Legislature.”
Many lawmakers say that means it won’t be a year for bold spending ideas. Instead, they’ll be looking for places to tighten the belt.
“I think working together we’ll be able to mitigate deep cuts on critical human services and key priorities like education,” State Sen. Danielle Conrad said. “Hopefully, we’ll be able to also kind of chart a path together that keeps us on the right path and away from devolving into a divisive session.”
One big difference between this year and last year is time. 2024 was more of a sprint, just 60 days of legislative action. This year, it’s 90 days, dragging lawmakers to the beginning of June and giving them plenty of time to hammer out compromises—so long as there’s an appetite.
And more than a dozen new senators will be sworn in on Wednesday, which some more veteran lawmakers see as a boon.
“My last two years in the legislature have been marked by a lot of tumultuous fights, a lot of culture war issues, things like that,” State Sen. George Dungan, said. “With the new crop of people coming in, I think it gives us an opportunity to kind of hit that reset button and really have a conversation with each about why are we here.”
Every senator 10/11 NOW spoke with on Monday emphasized property taxes, though their approaches varied between targeted relief and more general cuts funded by sales taxes.
Many said they’re greeting the session with hopefulness.
“I think we’ve got an opportunity to make some big changes this year and really dive deep into some of those property tax issues that we spoke about this summer,” State Sen. Carolyn Bosn said.
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Copyright 2025 KOLN. All rights reserved.
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