The Food Bank of the Heartland Needs Help as Federal Government Hands Out Less

In 2010 and 2011 25% of the food the food bank distributed was from the USDA Commodities Program. This year they’ve gotten 10-12%

By Fatima Rahmatullah

CREATED Nov. 16, 2012

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  • In 2010 and 2011 25% of the food the food bank distributed was from the USDA Commodities Program. This year they've gotten 10-12% Video by kmtv.com

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Omaha, NE – Food prices are up for everyone. It’s hitting all of us in our pockets including food banks, which are having a hard time providing for families in need.

The Food Bank of the Heartland serves more than 150,000 people a year in Nebraska and Western Iowa.
Spokesman, Brian Barks says their two major sources of food, the government and food companies have dwindled. Normally this time of year shelves are stocked with food this year they’re bare.
“What the government does is they buy excess food. In the past they’ve bought that food in order to keep farm prices high,” says Barks.
But fuel prices have been so high; it’s costing farmers more to produce food, keeping the cost of food up.
In 2010 and 2011 25% of the food the food bank distributed was from the USDA Commodities Program. This year they’ve gotten 10-12%
“That’s a significant hit and so we’ve had to try to make up that shortage by simply buying food. The amount of food that we’re buying right now is certainly substantially higher than it ever has been before,” says Barks. 
The economy hasn’t fully recovered therefore donations from food companies are down. 
“That extra food which is normally donated to us they don’t carry anymore so therefore that’s another supply being cut,” says Barks.
Last year food companies donated roughly 60% of what the food bank would distribute, this year that’s down to 45%.
If you’d like to help there are major staple items that the food bank needs: canned meats, canned fruit and peanut butter.
If you’d like to donate go to: http://www.omahafoodbank.org/