Watch the awards live tonight at 6 PM
https://www.serve.nebraska.gov/2020stepforwardawards.html
The Voices for Food Team will be recognized tonight by the Governor of Nebraska
At the Step Forward awards for disaster relief. (link above is available to watch the ceremony 6pm – Thursday 10/29/20) – you can watch or share with friends and family-
Its important that you know- that this relief effort and the subsequent award were made possible by 5 years of work by an entire team of people in the garden, In the community, at the health center, in the marketing, in the connections that were made over 5 years of work…
BY ALL OF YOU….. Whether you served on this specific outreach that (they chose to address) or you worked in the garden or, served at the health center, run a food pantry, or provided outreach to apartments, or helped with marketing…..
When an Omaha foundation contacted South Sioux City to reach out and offer assistance because South Sioux City had (at the time) the highest infection rate in the state and later was 2nd only to Omaha…
Two different people they talked to in the community sent them to the University of Nebraska and Voices for Food-
The five years of ground work by this team, made this connection possible, and this outreach available to many community members who sick, quarantined, lost jobs and were hungry- and you responded.
17 different agencies, received food and 23 community stakeholders participated in this outreach, packed over 1400 boxes of food which provided for over 5,000 people.
The team also worked with Pastor Doug Dill and the Food Bank of Siouxland and kept all four food pantries up and running, and from March- Sept operated 26 food pantries, served over 2,600 households which provided food to over 10,000 recipients.
The original application (below) was written and applied for, on behalf of our entire program-for volunteer service-
I wanted to acknowledge all of you-
The disaster relief was only possible because we have established ourselves as committed organization to food insecurity and we were a trusted entity to respond.
Each and every one who works with Voices for Food has truly changed the food system in South Sioux City, by providing fresh produce to a pantry system, bringing fresh produce to low income apartments and agencies, providing disaster relief during a pandemic, and providing education to a community.
I am so honored to work with each and every one of you- I love to tell your story- because no one has a heart like our community.
No one serves like you do. You truly are a special group of people who serve… I am so honored to be a part of what YOU DO…
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to work along side of you, and see a piece of the human race that is truly good- and cares for people.
Congrats— Voices for Food team—for each and every contribution you have made-
Brenda Sale
The Dakota County Voices for Food Council was established in 2015 to address food insecurity issues by collaborating with community partners and coordinating community resources.
The Voices for Food Council (VFF) assessed community needs and then established programs to increase food access and healthy options for low income families. This group was started by Nebraska Extension, but is community led and driven by volunteers who serve on the council.
The Cooperative Learning Garden, utilizes community volunteers to raise produce, collect community produce and donate it to food pantries.
In 2019, the Voices for Food project in Dakota County, raised, collected and distributed 17,343 pounds of produce which accounted for almost half of the 35,408 pounds donated across the state as part of the Growing Together Nebraska project. The VFF garden committee led by Master Gardener Marion Cain, raised over 12,000 pounds. In 2019, the Dakota County VFF volunteers accounted for half of the volunteers in the Growing Together Nebraska Project.
In five years, the project has decreased food insecurity by distributing 46,462 pounds of produce (yielding-139,386 servings of fresh fruits and vegetables) for low income families.
The VFF council also started, and currently funds and coordinates the only evening food pantry in the county. In 2020 ,it served 1,136 households and provided food for 3,862 individuals. Started in 2016, in a town with no grocery store, this pantry has provided food for 15,840 participants (4,635 households) in five years.
Additional Comments (255 words max)
The VFF council is composed of 10-12 active community volunteers. Co-Coordinated by Bill Garvey, the council identified the food needs during the COVID-19 pandemic and put together a food access committee. They collected and raised over $40,000 for food relief, coordinated community resources, ordered food supply from Food Bank of Siouxland and Hy-Vee. Coordinated and secured and safe packing site and collaborated with over 17 agencies and 23 community stakeholders distribute food. The council solicited funds, coordinated community resources, which included involvement with Hy-Vee, Pepsi Cola of Siouxland, Gill Hauling, South Sioux City School District, Food Bank of Siouxland, Growing Community Connections, Siouxland Community Health Center of Nebraska, local ministries , city administrators, Dakota County Fire and Rescue, Somali outreach, local youth and many community volunteers who donated funds and packed 1449 boxes of food in 12 weeks for impacted families.
The VFF committee also provided volunteer coordination for the food pantry system in Dakota County. Churches were closing their doors in March and unable to host the pantries, and elderly volunteers were unable to assist. The VFF committee and a local minister coordinated volunteers to keep all four pantries open and served food to over 10,000 people since March 19th. Outside of Omaha, Dakota County, had the highest outbreak of COVID-19 cases in the state. The Voices for Food team stepped and increased food access for those most in need.
Updated 9/29 current pantry numbers and current boxes packed , number of pantry clients served with 2020 data.