The Food Bank of Northern Nevada sits perched on a hill in the industrial park east of Sparks. Just beyond the tastefully decorated lobby, the warehouse hums with motion. A bright mural overlooks the production line, where volunteers pack boxes of food and send them rolling down a conveyor. Forklift operators weave through the bustle, part of a carefully choreographed effort that keeps the Food Bank running and keeps food flowing to families across northern Nevada and the eastern Sierra in California.
As part of Hunger Action Month, the Food Bank of Northern Nevada, or FBNN, recently held a tour of its facilities for volunteers, media, and neighboring businesses.
“It’s important for people to see what we do,” said Jocelyn Lantrip, Director of Marketing.
The FBNN was established in 1983 as a small local food bank in the Reno area. The organization grew substantially following a grant of $8.2 million in 2008 from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation. The numbers tell the story: the FBNN now serves 160,000 Nevadans monthly, through 155 agency partners, covers over 90,000 square miles and spans 23 counties in two states.
Connor Bush, Strategic Gifts Advisor, said the number of people served today is 76% higher than what they saw during the pandemic. While the spike in 2020 was due to people being unable to work, the need remains high because the cost of living continues to rise steeply, pushing family budgets to their limits.
The Feeding America organization estimates that one in seven Nevadans, and one in five children in the state face hunger. A state report from 2023 predicted almost 100,000 older Nevadans will face food insecurity in 2025. That’s why the FBNN has built a strong network of partners to help distribute food across the state.
“We’re basically a logistics company,” said Chris Gleim, Director of Operations, artfully dodging a forklift headed to the truck bay with a pallet of food. The warehouse implements an inventory strategy to prevent food waste or spoilage, and they operate 39 vehicles.
Matt Cooper, Director of Food Sourcing, said Feeding America helped in creating a sourcing plan. The FBNN also has some latitude in who they can buy from because they are considered a wholesaler. For example, the warehouse just received an order of onions direct from the grower in Yerington. Incoming food is sorted and shelved on one side of the warehouse, while the other side holds wrapped pallets with fulfilled orders.
“We don’t have a food shortage, we have a food access issue,” said Chief Executive Officer Nicole Lamboley. The FBNN also focuses on advocacy and helps steer its neighbors to programs that will address their food insecurity.
Lamboley served on the FBNN’s board of directors before taking the leadership role just six months prior to the pandemic in 2020. Her team is crafting an updated strategic plan focused on the next 10 years; the last plan didn’t factor in the Covid-19 pandemic, but still the FBNN served 128,000 people in April 2020, a record high, thanks to the team’s commitment.
Two new projects are helping the FBNN expand its reach. They include The Oddie Project in Sparks, and a warehouse hub in Elko. The Oddie Project is a partnership between FBNN and The Children’s Cabinet to create a community center offering childcare, a food bank, a market, and workforce development opportunities. The new Elko distribution hub is in partnership with the Nevada Department of Agriculture and will help the FBNN better reach communities in rural northeastern Nevada.
More than half the FBNN funding comes from individual donors, while a large portion comes from grants. While federal funding has dropped this year, their partnership with Feeding America helps them connect with national donors and corporate foundations.
Last year, 4,000 volunteers provided 22,000 hours of service at the FBNN, all done in two-hour shifts. Residents who wish to help are encouraged to volunteer at their local distribution sites. The FBNN website has a Food Finder page with an interactive map showing the partners and programs available in each community at fbnn.org/programmap.
Every volunteer hour, every donated dollar, and every partnership adds up to a stronger safety net for northern Nevada.
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