Ten years ago this week the Food Bank of Lincoln began serving needy students through their school food markets. President and CEO Michaela Kumke tells KLIN News every month they provide students with a wide range of food items, including cereal, canned fruits and vegetables, fresh produce, frozen items and bread and other baked goods.
“One in six kids don’t have enough to eat, so this program is a way to help connect those kids and their families to a little bit of food to help make ends meet,” Kumke says.
The Food Bank opened the first market on October 26, 2011 at Lincoln High School and served 117 students. Now the school food markets serve an estimated 4,500 students and their families each month at 24 Lincoln schools, three Catholic schools and two rural schools.
There are no eligibility requirements for students to receive food.