Lincoln South Rotary Club members know that with the number of people with food insecurities increasing, there is more need for community support.
(Pictured above left to right - Lincoln South Rotary Club President DeEtta Vrana (also pictured below), Community Action CEO Heather Loughman and Gathering lace Administrator Lisa Janssen.)
 
News Release continues:
One program that is helping meet that need is the Little Free Pantry. These pantries are independently installed on privately owned property. They are freely stocked by members of the community – anyone who wishes to help can stock the pantries.
 
“We heard about the number of Little Free Pantries around Lincoln and how quickly the stock is depleted – the need is there,” said DeEtta Vrana, Lincoln South Rotary Club president.
The club applied for, and received, a matching grant from Rotary District 5650 to provide items for the Little Free Pantry installed on the property of the Gathering Place. The Gathering Place is one of the programs of Community Action Partnership of Lancaster and Saunders Counties, and Lincoln South Rotary members worked with its staff to determine the items to purchase – food staples and snacks.
 
“Community Action is so thankful for Lincoln South Rotary’s support in keeping our Little Free Pantry at the Gathering Place stocked with food,” said Heather Loughman, CEO of Community Action. “Financial support provided support efforts to increase food access in one of Lincoln’s highest poverty neighborhoods.”
 
Recently, Lincoln South Rotary and staff from Community Action Partnership met to stock the Little Free Pantry. Within a matter of hours, much of the food inventory had found new homes – evidence that this is a wonderful addition to this neighborhood.
 
“Community Action Partnership is dedicated to supporting the Little Free Pantry," Vrana said. "The passionate staff at Community Action Partnership and the Gathering Place efficiently manage the resources available to them to meet the needs of the individuals in the community. It is obvious our donations are in good hands.”
 
Besides supporting the Little Free Pantry, other recent community support projects of Lincoln South Rotary Club include Food Bank of Lincoln, Tabitha Meals on Wheels, blankets for the People’s City Mission, Early Head Start, trail cleanup, Nebraska Community Blood Drive, The Hub Central Access Point for Young Adults, White Cane Foundation, polio eradication, supporting the hungry and needy in the Republic of Georgia, and President’s Award for educational support to Zaineb Aljumayaat.
 
Rotary International includes 1.2 million members in over 35,000 clubs around the world. Together, Rotary members see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change – across the globe, in our communities and in ourselves. To learn about Lincoln South Rotary Club, visit www.lincolnsouthrotary.org.
 
To read the story as published in the Lincoln Journal Star - click here.