Thousands of pounds of food distributed during Heartland United Way’s annual food drive

GRAND ISLAND – Local pantries, shelters and backpack programs were eager to put food back on their shelves Friday, after the Heartland United Way’s Annual Food Drive collected nearly 13,700 pounds of food.

“The needs have increased greatly on an everyday basis,” Jim Elrod, from Free Food and Many Blessings in Grand Island.

“The dollar’s not stretching as far as it used to. People are having to make decisions between paying rent or buying food or a medical bill or putting gas in their car to get to work, so there’s just a lot of need right now,” said First Faith United Methodist Church Pastor Ray Stone.  “To be able to have this much food to start out with to kind of supplement what we can provide as a congregation is incredibly helpful because it does take an entire community to make something like this happen and to take care of our neighbors.”

FFA students from 104 Nebraska, Iowa and Kansas chapters filled a loaned Chief Construction trailer with 12,480 pounds during the three days of Husker Harvest Days.

Palmer Public Schools brought the most food, donating an incredible 419 pounds. McCool Junction, Wilber Clatonia and Gothenburg Public Schools all brought more than 300 pounds.

Grocery stores in Hall, Hamilton, Howard and Merrick Counties collected nearly 970 pounds, an increase from last year.

Bruning Bank also collected around 250 pounds of food.

Eighteen pantries, shelters and backpack programs picked up food on Sept. 18. Rural grocery stores picked their own local organizations to benefit.

Howard/Greeley County Food Pantry President Sandra Mudloff says she’s seeing a lot of families with small children and veterans and retired farmers whose social security isn’t covering their needs.

“A lot of meat and canned items because produce and food has just gone up astronomically and the price of gas, which drives everything up and so we’re seeing more and more of those people that need that extra little bit of help.”

Overall, donations for the Food Drive were down from last year, showcasing the struggles these nonprofits face year-round. Heartland United Way encourages you to continue to support these and other local organizations who are helping to feed our neighbors in Hall, Hamilton, Howard and Merrick Counties:

Blessed Sacrament Parish
Community Food Pantry (Cairo)
Crossroads Mission Ave
First Faith United Methodist Church
Free Food and Many Blessings
Grand Island Elks Lodge #604
Grand Island Public Library
Grand Island Public Schools
Hamilton County Backpack Program
Hamilton County Food Pantry
Hope Harbor
Howard Greeley County Food Pantry
Little Blue Food Pantry
Salvation Army
St Mary’s Food Pantry
Third City Community Clinic
Willow Rising
Wood River Food Pantry

Thank you to the FFA members who continue to show up for those in need every year at Husker Harvest Days, as well as the local grocery stores who collected this year:

Aurora Mall
Central City Mall/Jim’s Foods
Hometown Market, St. Paul
Hy-Vee
Kerry’s Grocery, Dannebrog
Grand Island’s Super Savers
Whitefoot Market, Boelus