Food drive sets new record for donations to Omaha’s Food Bank

A mound of food and household supplies awaits pick up last week in the Durham Research Center. Such piles were common around campus as UNMC and its food drive partners teamed up to donate a record 20,400 pounds of food and other supplies to the Omaha Food Bank.

Staff members from the UNMC Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Anatomy show of the 20 bags of food and supplies they donated during the drive.

It was the kind of charitable partnership never before assembled. It resulted in donated amounts of food and supplies never before amassed in one food drive.

More than 20,400 pounds — or 10 U.S. tons — of food and supplies were gathered at The Nebraska Medical Center/UNMC campus as well as other locations around the heartland.

Dozens of blue Food Bank donation barrels were placed around the medical center campus, but also at UNMC Physicians’ offices across Omaha, in Plattsmouth and at Shenandoah Medical Center in Iowa.

“We knew the response would be tremendous,” said Kelly Goetschkes, co-organizer of the food drive. “But this result exceeded even our best expectations.”

Baggin’ it The following UNMC departments took up the challenge to collect more bags than the folks up in public affairs, who collected 10 bags of food: Family medicine, 12 bags Internal medicine, 19 bags Genetics, cell biology and anatomy, 20 bags. The pharmacology and experimental neuroscience department didn’t collect donations in bags, but it took two trips with large carts to get all the department’s donations to a blue bin. They undoubtedly brought in enough food to fill 10 bags and then some.

The idea for the food drive started in a meeting of the Nurses’ Week Committee at The Nebraska Medical Center. Goetschkes, co-chair of the committee, said everyone agreed it would make more sense to include everyone who works at the medical center to join in one big food drive than to organize several smaller ones.

For the first time, The Nebraska Medical Center, UNMC, UNMC Physicians, Private Practice Associates, Cardinal Health and Sodexo all joined together to help Omaha’s Food Bank.

“Every single donation helps the food bank,” said Don Schinzel, president of the Food Bank. “But knowing so many people gave so much during tough economic times means a lot to us and even more to the people we help. We hope these donations will help inspire others to help out this holiday season.”

The Food Bank’s efforts in creating a hunger-free Nebraska and western Iowa are made possible through food donations, monetary donations and volunteer support. It only takes one person to make a difference in the fight against hunger. For additional information about how to donate food, time or money, visit www.omahafoodbank.org or call 331-1213.