The Food Bank of Lincoln officially opened its doors on August 16, 1982, but its origins began about a year earlier, when Cooper Foundation’s program officer Peg Huff visited Second Harvest, a food bank in Phoenix, Arizona. She came back to Lincoln and suggested that this was an idea that could benefit our community.
(Food Bank of Lincoln, original sign, 36th & Adams)
Cooper Foundation’s President E.N. “Jack” Thompson was interested. They conducted a survey of food providing agencies, the number of meals they were providing, and how many pounds of food were distributed. The survey results made clear that there was a great need for emergency food in Lincoln. A food bank would benefit those agencies as well as grocery stores and other food donors and get more food to the families that needed it.
(The early days of shopping at the Food Bank)
Jack Thompson recruited other leaders – Rich Bailey agreed to chair the new organization, Peg Huff became Vice President and Secretary, and Harry Seward, III, was Treasurer. Jack chaired the Funding Committee. Many people were part of that effort, working on legal matters, business management plans, public relations, and recruiting volunteers.
In late 1981 the Cooper Foundation hired Robert Troyer as a consultant. Bob had experience with the new Omaha Food Bank, and he worked as a consultant for 6 months before becoming the Food Bank’s first executive director, with his office at the Cooper Foundation. Our first official grant to the Food Bank was for $15,000 in start-up funding in March of 1982 and the Food Bank opened in August.
The first location was at 36th and Adams, in a small garage sized building. In 1983, they distributed 405,988 pounds of food or approximately 317,170 meals.
(Donation drop at 36th & Adams, Wende Baker, executive director)
By 1986, the Food Bank needed more space and launched a $270,000 campaign to build a new 7,000 sq. ft. facility at 57th and Russell Drive. The organization had grown significantly and gained many supporters, volunteers, and donors. Cooper Foundation supported the campaign, but many donors gave much more, including $90,000 from Lincoln Community Foundation and $50,000 from Woods Charitable Fund.
(The Food Bank gains more space at 57th and Russell Drive)
As Lincoln grew, the Food Bank’s mission and services expanded to the surrounding areas, eventually covering 16 counties in Southeast Nebraska. In 1997, the organization moved to its third location, 4840 Doris Bair Circle, with nearly triple the space. They continued to add programs and address community and youth hunger, developing the Backpack Program and High School Food Markets to increase direct access to food, and worked to connect clients to other community resources including SNAP and financial literacy programs. They developed Lincoln Fresh to provide free fresh produce in high-need areas.
(Food Bank staff at Doris Bair location)
The COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 created major upheaval in our communities, spurring a huge increase in food insecurity, including for people who had never faced that issue. The Food Bank of Lincoln immediately pivoted to implement regular drive-through food distributions that were open to anyone in need. To keep volunteers safe, the Food Bank staff pulled together to work the distributions with support from the Nebraska National Guard.
(Drive-through distribution during COVID, 2020)
In 2020 the Food Bank connected neighbors to more than 11.5 million meals, which included their single-largest month of meals in response to COVID-19. In 2022, that number had grown to 13.5 million meals, a record high for the agency.
After a capital campaign to raise over $10 million for the construction of a modern and more efficient facility, the Food Bank of Lincoln moved to its fourth location, 1221 Kingbird Road, in 2023. This space enables the Food Bank to connect more people to more meals, increase access to healthy food, and shorten food lines.
(The Food Bank moved to its fourth location, 1221 Kingbird Road, in 2023)
Over the years the Cooper Foundation has provided support for many purposes, including operational funding, Child Hunger programs, facilities and equipment, and staffing. Our initial concept quickly grew with support from others in the community to create a resource that is much larger than anything we could support on our own.
We are grateful for the visionary leadership from executive directors Bob Troyer, Wende Baker, Scott Young, and Michaella Kumke, in addition to the committed board members, steadfast employees, and dedicated volunteers who built this vital community agency over the last 40 years. We consider the Food Bank a touchstone and its formation a signature accomplishment. When we look for new opportunities in the community, we ask ourselves, “What is the next Food Bank of Lincoln?”
(Ribbon cutting at the Kingbird location with past and present
Executive Directors, elected officials, and community leaders)