United Way of Western Nebraska (UWWN) recently received a $10,200 grant from Arby’s Foundation to help fight hunger in the communities they serve.
Food insecurity remains a huge issue in our communities and has been a main focus of UWWN’s community impact work for years. For seven years United Way facilitated an annual food packaging event where 225 community volunteers packaged 75,000 meals of shelf-stable, microwaveable, fortified meals that stayed in our communities and was distributed through 14 programs serving food insecure families. Arby’s has been one of many long-time partners and supporters of this community project and initiative.
Last year due to COVID-19, UWWN was unable to hold the in-person packaging event but was able to monetarily support the 14 programs normally supported through these efforts. These programs include 5 local school district weekend food backpack programs, local soup kitchens, food pantries and emergency food programs.
The dollars that UWWN raises to support these projects and programs are raised by grants and donations specific to food insecurity. This funding allows those programs to be able to purchase food items specific to the needs of the clients they serve for several months.
This year’s UWWN Food Insecurity Projects will include supporting 17 local programs serving food insecure families, as well as hosting a few emergency food bag packaging pantry events.
For more information, call 308-635-2522. Donations specific to this project can be mailed to or dropped off at the United Way office -1517 Broadway Suite #106 Scottsbluff, NE 69361. (Please note these donations: 2021 Food Insecurity Project)
