Food Pantry named organization of 2020

 

NEBRASKA CITY – The coronavirus pandemic forced countless changes in Nebraska over the past year, but the generosity at food banks has remained.

Nebraska City Tourism and Commerce recognized the Otoe County Food Pantry as the organization of the year at its modified annual banquet this month.

Mary Stevenson and 15 other volunteers gathered at the food pantry Monday to receive the award and prepare for the day’s distribution.

Stevenson: “We have been truly blessed in Nebraska City with the people who want to help us both financially and with their physical skills and we know we have people in our community who have a need because we are serving twice as many people as we were serving a year ago at this time.”

Feeding America reports that four out of five food banks across the country are serving more people than they did a year ago and say one in six Americans could face hunger in the coming months.

Stevenson: “We have had more people coming to the Food Pantry in 2020. Some of those are a victim of their circumstances because they’ve lost a job, they have lost their housing, they are short of finances and they know that the food pantry is a place they can go to and get help.”

Stevenson said people are willing to volunteer for the food pantry because they have time and feel it’s a way to give to a community that is important to them.