July 9, 2025 • 42 mins
· Website – https://www.lincolnfoodbank.org/
· LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/company/food-bank-of-lincoln/
· Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/FoodBankofLincoln/
· Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/foodbankoflincoln/
What does hunger really look like in Nebraska? Behind the staggering numbers are real people, many masterfully hiding their struggles while wondering if there will be enough food at home today. Michaela Kumke and Amanda Farr from the Food Bank of Lincoln share how they're fighting hunger through innovation, advocacy, and compassion across Southeast Nebraska, serving neighbors with dignity while addressing the root causes of food insecurity.
The Food Bank of Lincoln serves 16 counties across Southeast Nebraska, delivering more than 10 million meals annually through a powerful network of partnerships. But their work goes far beyond distribution. They're fighting hunger through advocacy, innovation, and a profound commitment to human dignity.
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Episode Transcript
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Michaella Kumke (00:01):
So what if your voice quivers?
So what?
Say what needs to be said andtrust that that is courage and
the sound of compassion.
Announcer (00:15):
Welcome to Agency for Change, a podcast from KidGlove
that brings you the stories ofchangemakers who are actively
working to improve ourcommunities.
In every episode, we'll meetwith people who are making a
lasting impact in the places wecall home.
Lyn Wineman (00:39):
Hey everyone, welcome back to another episode
of the Agency for Change podcast.
This is Lynn Weinman, presidentand Chief Strategist of
KidGlove.
So today's guests are leadingthe charge in the fight against
hunger right here in Nebraska.
Michaela Kumpke, president andCEO, and Amanda Farr,
(01:00):
communications Director, arepart of the incredible team at
the Food Bank of Lincoln, whichactually serves most of
Southeast Nebraska as well.
Together, these two help leadan organization that goes far
beyond distributing food.
They are fighting hungerthrough advocacy, through
innovation and compassion, andthey're serving their neighbors
(01:23):
with dignity and care.
We will talk about foodinsecurity, leadership and the
power of communication toinspire change.
Plus.
Stick around.
I've got a little surprise toshare later in the show, so stay
tuned.
Let's dive in.
Amanda and Michaela, welcome tothe podcast.
(01:43):
Pleasure to be here.
Thanks for having us All right.
I'd love to start by having oneof you tell us more about the
Food Bank of Lincoln.
With a name like Food Bank,people generally have an idea of
what you do, but I'm guessingyou do a lot more than that name
suggests.
Michaella Kumke (02:02):
We sure do, Lynn.
Our name, as you said, FoodBank of Lincoln, is slightly
deceptive, because not only dowe serve Lincoln, Nebraska and
Lancaster County here inNebraska, we serve in total 16
counties in southeast Nebraskaand our mission is to alleviate
hunger in that 16 county servicearea.
And we do that through avariety of partnerships,
(02:27):
frontline service, variousprograms and one stellar team.
Lyn Wineman (02:32):
I love that.
I have heard that you have astellar team, Michaela, and I'm
so glad that actually both youand Amanda are on with us today.
I mean one thing that I want toask you about the food bank,
and this is going to sound likethe silliest question in the
world, but I think the answer isgoing to be deeper than we
(02:53):
expect.
Why is addressing foodinsecurity so critical, and not
just for individuals, but why isit critical for communities as
a whole?
Amanda Fahrer (03:07):
just for individuals, but why is it
critical for communities as awhole?
Yeah, so I can speak, maybefrom the individual.
Lens Lynn.
As we have shared, I'm a mom oftwo right now, and so when you
can see the impact and you canhear the impact and you can feel
the impact when there's notenough food going into the
bodies of those little bellies,there's not enough food going
into the bodies of those littlebellies, and so it makes it
(03:30):
really difficult for kids tohave energy to focus, to be able
to learn, but also to be in astate that makes them open to
doing all of those things.
When we're hungry, we aren't asmentally excited, right and
able to focus, and it makes us alittle more angry.
And so, for kiddos at least,and especially for mine, I know
what that's like when there'snot enough food on the table or
(03:50):
food going into those bellies.
Those same effects are feltfrom adults too.
We don't outgrow the importanceof food, so it's really
significant to be able to haveaccess to that on the daily.
Lyn Wineman (04:01):
Amanda, way to pull at our heartstrings right there
.
Because, being a mom and agrandmother myself, I have two
thoughts about that.
One is I always hate thethought of having to tell my
family you know, no, or youcan't have that, or we can't
provide that.
And to take that to somethingthat is such an important need
(04:23):
like food, I mean, I can'timagine what that must feel like
as a parent.
Second thing that comes to mindI just got back from a
three-generation family vacationand our strategy for the family
vacation was the momentsomebody gets grouchy, give them
a snack, like that was thestrategy and the mantra of the
(04:45):
whole trip.
And so, once again, likeknowing that you're starting
your day, you're ending your day, you're trying to sleep, you're
trying to go to school, you'retrying to go to work, with
hunger, that's a that's adifficult, difficult thing.
Michaela, I'd love to have youweigh in on this.
You know, from a communitylevel.
(05:06):
Why is addressing foodinsecurity on a food community
level that important?
Michaella Kumke (05:14):
Yeah, I think about it.
Simply taking Amanda's words astep farther, would be the
stability, the safety that comesfrom having enough food to eat.
Like when, when food, when foodseems scarce, are we tend to go
into this worry and fear andsort of a danger mode, right
(05:36):
like it can be cranky, yeah, ifyou know that you actually are
going to have access to food.
But if you grew up in anenvironment or you're in a
current situation where maybethat's not a given, the brain
can do funny things.
And I think about communitysafety, community stability,
health of our community mattersLike that is what food provides
(05:59):
and then, just like cutting tothe core, is the human dignity
that we all need food and water.
And so that's why this work, onboth a very narrow lens but in
the wider scope, matters so muchto both of us and to our team,
absolutely.
Lyn Wineman (06:19):
You know what comes to mind for me.
I don't know if this is a quote, I don't know if it's a proverb
, but you can't be a greatcommunity unless you take care
of everyone right, and it seemslike food insecurity is the most
basic of needs.
So I love what you're doing.
(06:39):
I'm curious for both of you.
I'm always on the podcast, veryinterested in how people got
into their current roles, and so, like Michaela, I'm imagining
you on the playground as a childsaying you're going to be the
CEO of the food bank.
Is that how it went?
Michaella Kumke (06:57):
Well, that's funny, Lynn.
I will tell you it's maybe.
Yes, At one time when I was ayoung girl, I thought I wanted
to be a nun.
Lyn Wineman (07:07):
A nun Uh huh Yep.
Wow Well, you've always been agiver than a caretaker.
Michaella Kumke (07:14):
I don't know exactly what that is, but life
is a funny mystery and I'm froma family of 12 kids.
First of all, I'm number 11 of12.
Big family.
Lyn Wineman (07:25):
You had a community in and of yourselves, didn't
you?
Michaella Kumke (07:29):
Yes, we sure did, and like every or most
every family, food was alwaysthe thing right.
It was what brought us togetherat celebrations.
It's the chore that we had todo, whatever, whatever.
So I think I came into thiswork both because of that sense
of big family and community andthe gardening that we did
(07:49):
growing up and all those things.
But then at some point I alsothought maybe I would be a
journalist or writer and fastforward.
I had great influencers andmentors in the nonprofit space
and my heart has always feltlike this is the kind of work
(08:11):
for me, nonprofit work.
And when I ultimately landed atthe Food Bank of Lincoln I say
this to people, I know it soundscheesy, I admit it, I get it
but it felt like I was exactlywhere I was meant to be.
And 10 years later, after beingat the food bank and four years
(08:31):
as president and CEO, I don'twaver from that feeling at all,
and so it feels like a gift tobe here.
Lyn Wineman (08:39):
Michaela, I love that so much and that would be
my wish for every single person,right?
Because when you have landed inthat seat, when you have found
your calling, when you get upevery morning, that doesn't mean
every day is easy I know thingsaren't easy but it does mean
that there's a bigger reason,there's a bigger why that gets
(09:03):
you out of bed every morning andhas you doing that work.
Amanda, I'm curious about yourjourney.
How did you get in this role atthe food bank?
Amanda Fahrer (09:13):
Yeah, Lynn.
So I never really knew what Iwanted to be when I grew up.
The closest I got was I'm goingto be on TV, and I pursued a
career in journalism, beingreally naive, thinking that you
didn't have to report the news,that you just got to read the
news.
And so in my first semester ofcollege I went out and attempted
(09:37):
a broadcast news story and puttogether what I thought was a
pretty great piece, only torealize I had not hit record on
any of those interviews that Ihad done.
Lyn Wineman (09:45):
I'm going to peek and make sure we're recording
right now.
That's my greatest fear.
I'd probably check.
If you see my eyeballs lookingto the upper right, it's because
I'm going.
Are we recording?
We are recording, in fact.
So, Amanda, but I feel youthere.
I feel you.
Amanda Fahrer (10:01):
And it broke things a little bit, but I still
said you know, I enjoy news andI enjoy writing.
So away with this electronicsbusiness, I'm going to go to
paper and pen.
And so pursued a career inwritten journalism for about
(10:26):
eight years, but the world ofhigher education was not for me
for much longer.
And so in the middle of thepandemic Lynn, there was this
job opening at a food bank here,and the stars just kind of
aligned.
It was passion meets skillsetand right timing, and so I felt
pretty unqualified at the timebut thought I'd throw my hat in
the ring anyway.
And luckily one.
(10:51):
Michaela at the time was thehiring manager and took a, took
a leap of faith and was happy tostay put.
And so I have been here, justcoming up on five years and,
like Michaela, shared, eventhough I never really knew what
I wanted to be when I grew up,once I settled into the work
have found what I want to bewhen I grow up.
Lyn Wineman (11:03):
I love that, amanda .
I am a huge fan of the Collegeof Journalism at the University
of Nebraska and I've talked toso many people who have that
experience of getting thatjournalism degree, that have
gone into other fields but findthat that critical thinking, the
question asking a lot of thoseskills from a journalism
(11:24):
background benefit them in manydifferent ways, and I can see
that as you tell your story aswell.
So now I want to turn the pagea little bit into how you, in
your roles right now, arefinding new and effective ways
to meet the growing needs of thecommunity as it relates to the
food bank and food insecurity.
(11:45):
Who'd like to jump into thatone first?
Michaella Kumke (11:48):
I'll give a go.
Okay, all right, and thenhere's.
Here's what I'm going to say upfront to everybody, not in
Amanda's role.
She always makes me soundsmarter.
She edits my writing and italways sounds a little bit
better Like hire people who arebetter at things than you.
And I'm man, I got lucky when,I hired her.
Lyn Wineman (12:09):
I'll tell you that, kayla, I am right with you.
I got a whole team of peoplesitting outside of my office
that I think are smarter andmore talented than I am, and my
talent is somehow to haveinvited them into a circle where
they enjoy working together.
So I hear you although you arepretty eloquent yourself.
So you got to give yourselfthat credit there too.
Michaella Kumke (12:33):
Well, thank you , thank you.
But what are we doing and whatare we proud of?
How are we responding?
Lyn Wineman (12:38):
Yes, how are you staying on top of and finding
new and effective ways to meetthe need?
Michaella Kumke (12:44):
First, thing that I would say is that we're
putting an emphasis on beingneighbor-centered.
You know that our programs, ourapproach, our questions that we
have about our work and aboutour mission, we are really
putting energy and resourcesinto speaking directly to
(13:05):
neighbors to understand what isworking and what isn't.
Some of that is attached to ourstrategic plan, which we're in
the throes of right now.
But I would say, just makingsure that we're hearing that
neighbor voice, whether that's aquick interaction at a mobile
food distribution or sittingdown and having a longer
conversation about advocacy andhow different things are
(13:27):
affecting folks.
So we're able to be innovativebecause we're centering
neighbors.
And then after that I would sayit's our partner agency network
.
We cannot do this work alone.
I think about more than 10million meals connected last
fiscal year, and that doesn'tjust happen.
(13:49):
You know, I have heard fromfolks that the food bank makes
it all look so easy and you knowall these things.
It's not.
It is not.
It is a group of team and anetwork of partner agencies.
It's volunteers and communityunderstanding that the work
matters and it's us doing ourwork to help educate and inspire
(14:12):
that.
But I think the programs also.
We do really big programs likemobile food distributions where
we're serving, you know,anywhere from couple hundred at
a rural distribution to almost athousand at a distribution here
in Lincoln.
We also have other programsthat are really intentionally
(14:33):
designed to be a more intimate,slower environment where maybe
senior citizens or veterans orlittle kids don't, you know,
can't have all that noise of abigger distribution.
So trying to find ways where wecan connect with folks in those
more intimate ways, and then Iwould say innovating by looking
(14:57):
at food sourcing.
This became a major endeavorduring the pandemic and is
rising again when we look atgrowing need and shrinking
resources.
So establishing newrelationships and continuing
those relationships, expandingthem where we can and truly
(15:20):
advocacy is another area ofinnovation for us.
Absolutely for us, absolutelyIn and of itself, advocacy is
not anything new or novel, butthe way that we are thinking
about how this organizationapproaches it, in partnership
with our peer at Food Bank forthe Heartland and other
nonprofit agencies.
(15:41):
So I think those are a fewexamples of ways that we're
trying to push ourselves to bebetter in these areas for the
good of our neighbors.
Lyn Wineman (15:49):
I really, really appreciate that and I want to
circle back on advocacy in aminute here.
But, Amanda, I want to give youan opportunity to answer that
question too.
You know what are some of theways that you are finding new
and effective ways actually tomeet the growing needs in the
community?
Amanda Fahrer (16:08):
Yeah.
So of course I would echoeverything Michaela said and
elaborate a little bit on thecommunication side, because
that's the perspective that Ibring is Michaela referenced the
volunteers and the communitysupporters, and that's the core
that helps make those mealspossible.
Alongside all of the programsand partners that Michaela
shared, we're constantly lookingat different ways that we can
(16:34):
reach folks within our communitywho want to help and how can we
connect those audiences to thework, and so exploring different
communication channels andalways doing a little bit of
testing and trial and error tosee what sticks and what lands.
But knowing that there'shelpers out there and finding
ways to engage those helpers isalso a lot of what we're
focusing on, right now?
Lyn Wineman (16:54):
Absolutely, amanda.
Being in marketing myself, itseems like right now, things can
just change so fast, right, andthe things that we did even two
or three or five years ago maynot be working right now, and
you've got to let a lot ofpeople know information about
(17:15):
what's available.
You've got to communicate withall of these partners.
You've got to communicate withneighbors, so I really
appreciate what you said.
Let's take a moment, though,and talk about advocacy, because
I think this is something aboutnonprofit work that those who
are not in nonprofits don'trealize perhaps how much time or
(17:36):
how important this aspect ofyour work is For those of you
that are listening.
To this later we're recordingthis in the summer of 2025.
To this later, we're recordingthis in the summer of 2025.
There's a lot going on rightnow in the economy from the
political aspect, fundingsources changing.
Would any of either of you liketo tackle a little bit more
(17:58):
about what's going on on thisfront and maybe even include in
there how those of us who arelistening can support you?
Amanda Fahrer (18:07):
That's a big, bold question.
Lynn, there's a lot going on.
Lyn Wineman (18:11):
We could take an hour just right here.
Give us your best, oh, Amanda,as a journalist.
Amanda Fahrer (18:16):
give us your best talking points on this issue.
You know, lynn, when you saythat marketing and communication
changes pretty rapidly, I willargue that advocacy has been
changing even faster, especiallywith where we are at at this
point in time, as of this day,in the summer, we are currently
looking at some federal activitythat's happening regarding
(18:39):
budget reconciliation, so thereare some packages on the table.
Nothing has been passed yetthat would present some
structural changes to programsthat impact food security.
We know that local, state,federal policies can have a
really significant impact onfood access and what that means
(18:59):
for us to be able to, asMichaela referenced, access food
through sourcing, but also interms of the response and the
demand that we'll experience asa result of those policies.
Lyn Wineman (19:11):
Oh yeah, I didn't think about that.
It's not just getting the food,it's also balanced with how
many people are going to need itbecause of the impact.
Oh wow, that's a big deal,exactly.
Amanda Fahrer (19:24):
Right, and so when we threaten programs like
SNAP and Medicaid that folksrely on to put food on the table
or to access health care, whenthose are cut out or changed,
then all of a sudden we'relooking for additional dollars
in our budget that may not exist, and so now we have extra gaps
that we need to fill.
That's one of the big reasonswhy we've really leaned in to
(19:47):
this work is to make sure thatwe don't put neighbors in that
situation.
To begin with, how can wepreserve the integrity of those
programs and all the good thatcomes along with them?
So when we look at things likeSNAP, there's a lot of choice
involved with SNAP that agencyto be able to take your own
dollars into the grocery storeto select the foods that work
(20:07):
best for you, and our teamalways does the best that we can
getting that food out the door.
But it's a little bit differentwhen you're able to choose what
you want versus what we haveavailable to share that day, and
so have really been leaninginto that as of late?
Lyn Wineman (20:22):
Absolutely.
I want to dig into a couple ofthings there a little bit deeper
.
Just to make sure peopleunderstand.
I wrote down here, you saidthis so eloquently and so nicely
, but you said there's astructural change that would
impact food insecurity.
Can you just dive a little bitdeeper for those of us that
(20:42):
don't speak in that lingo likewithout getting political,
because I know we're all tryingto be very careful about all of
this what does that actuallymean?
Amanda Fahrer (20:53):
So there have been some things proposed and
again it's ever evolving and sothings change kind of every hour
here.
But when we're looking atstructural changes,
traditionally the federalgovernment has paid for the
entirety of the SNAP benefitsdollars.
So what goes on the cards thatour neighbors can take into the
stores to purchase?
And there have been somechanges proposed that the states
(21:16):
could take on a portion ofthose costs as well.
For the first time ever kind ofsituation.
Putting that burden on statesto be able to take on those
extra dollars would be reallysignificant when we know a lot
of states are already strappedfor cash From the news headlines
.
Lyn Wineman (21:33):
I don't know of very many, if any, states that
have excess budget this year,right, Like the states, are also
grappling with budgetshortfalls, budget shortfalls,
and now we're shifting a burdento them which, even if they can
handle it, I think one thingpeople don't realize about
(21:57):
government funded programs isthere can be gaps even though
the money or the food orwhatever is promised to you when
you make a big shift fromfederal to state.
There's potentially going to bea gap while they spin up, but
yet there's not a gap inpeople's hunger, right, the need
for food.
Amanda Fahrer (22:13):
Exactly and beyond that proposal.
There's also other structuralchanges that come into play for
some red tape that has beenadded in for reporting and work
requirements it's a tough phraseto say.
We're looking at now adding,for the first time ever, parents
with kiddos that are above theage of 10 now being subject to
(22:36):
those work requirements, whenpreviously parents were exempt
from that.
And so again, that's a bigstructural change and we know
that just because your kiddomight be over the age of 10
doesn't mean they need any lesscare.
That could also have a reallystrong ripple effect to folks in
our community.
Michaella Kumke (22:54):
If that were to go through again fingers
crossed that we don't get there.
Lyn Wineman (22:58):
Thank you so much for going deeper in that,
Michaela.
What does advocacy look likefor you as president and CEO?
Michaella Kumke (23:08):
I would say, first of all, you know we talk.
We talk often about like foodis not a political topic.
Yeah, now there's opinions likedo you like creamy peanut
butter or crunchy peanut butter,or can you not have any?
You know those butters, but butthe work itself is not
political work.
(23:28):
However, food policies, that isa place where we firmly believe
there is a responsibility forour organization to lock arms
with other nonprofits and aspart of the Feeding America
Network I guess I'll go intothat in a minute but just to
lock arms and say folks, we're,we are on the front lines with
(23:49):
neighbors and we're not going tospeak for others.
They have voice and we'll helpencourage that.
But here's what we see and howit affects our work.
Advocacy, to me is, is anotherform of getting food onto the
table.
It is another way to feedStarts by feeding our brains
(24:11):
with information and the facts.
Lyn Wineman (24:13):
Yeah.
Michaella Kumke (24:13):
And then it leads to ways that we can help
our neighbors eat and accessfood through food and nutrition
services, through USDA programs,these strong foundational
programs that link farmers andbusiness owners and folks who
need food and benefit all theways.
(24:34):
So it's just that constant workof educating to get meals on
the table.
Lyn Wineman (24:41):
Yeah, one thing I've learned about advocacy work
is that it's just.
It's a constant right.
If you wait until the momentsomething's been cut or changed,
you are too late, and it is alot of work to stay on top of
what's going on and have yourvoice ever present in a
(25:02):
meaningful way.
So I appreciate what you'redoing there and, michaela, you
just said this phrase that Ithink was a little invitation
for me.
You said we need to feed ourbrains, and so I'm curious from
each of you what is one thingthat you wish more people
understood about hunger inNebraska?
Amanda Fahrer (25:23):
You know at a basic level, Lynn.
I would say just to understandthat it is here.
I grew up in rural Nebraska, atown with a booming 600 people
on a good day, and was under theimpression that everyone was
all right in my small community.
Right, we took care of eachother and we did.
But I'll tell you, one of thefirst distributions I went to
(25:48):
when I started in this role fiveyears ago was back to that
small community and I was inshock to see over 100 neighbors
come through that line in mytown of 600, right, that's a
one-sixth of the population.
Lyn Wineman (26:02):
Wow, that's a big percentage.
Amanda Fahrer (26:04):
Yes, Exactly, and so that was really eye-opening
for me, because I did not by anycapacity expect that that would
be what I experienced.
I think just the fact that itis here and present, and even if
we may not see it I think a lotof times we can be good at
hiding hunger and so justbecause you don't see it doesn't
(26:24):
mean that it doesn't exist.
And if that's not your truth,know that that could be
something your neighbor isexperiencing.
Lyn Wineman (26:31):
Absolutely.
I fully believe everyone aroundus has something going on below
the surface that we don't knowabout, and, for quite a few,
more than we even imagine.
Hunger or food insecurity isthat issue, michaela?
How about you?
What's the thing that you wishpeople knew about?
Hunger in Nebraska.
Michaella Kumke (26:54):
I would add a visual to what Amanda just said,
that yes, it is here and it'shere to the level of for those
who are tuned in and are, youknow, husker volleyball football
fans, we think about MemorialStadium on.
We kind of referencedVolleyball Day in Nebraska.
Lyn Wineman (27:11):
You know that world record breaking event 92,000
people in a football stadium towatch volleyball.
Are you going to tell me thatyou could fill that stadium?
Michaella Kumke (27:23):
Yes, not once, not twice, but nearly three
times with the number of foodinsecure Nebraskans based on our
Map, the Meal Gap informationfrom Feeding America.
And so when Amanda says it'shere and it's personal and it's
close, it is.
And Food Bank of Lincoln, it is.
(27:45):
And Food Bank of Lincoln,alongside Food Bank for the
Heartland, we serve all 93counties in Nebraska and again,
(28:12):
we don't do it alone.
We have a great network ofpartner agencies, school
partners, community partners and, you know, a major group of
volunteers and funders.
But but to Amanda's point, itis here and we can't pretend
that it's not.
We have this strong, you know,Midwest or Great Plains pride.
And that serves us so well?
Yeah, in so many ways, butpretending that hunger isn't
real is not one of those ways.
Lyn Wineman (28:28):
Yep, absolutely.
Wow.
You just gave me goosebumpswith that example there, and I'm
actually going to give you aninvitation to take this a bit
further, because I'd love tohear if either of you could
share a story or a moment thatreally illustrates the impact of
the Food Bank of Lincolnillustrates the impact of the
(28:49):
Food Bank of Lincoln.
Amanda Fahrer (28:50):
So I shared recently with Michaela an
exchange I had earlier in theyear and it is not one of many
words but the story was told innonverbals.
Lynn and so I was helping atone of our school pantries and a
family had come in seeminglyfor the first time.
Two parents and a teenage boywere shopping the pantry and
they were very mindful of thepolicies and procedures, very
(29:12):
respectful, always doublechecking.
Can I have more of this, lessof this?
You know, checking in on thosenumbers, and the pantry was
bustling that day.
So there were a lot of visitorsand a lot of activity going on,
bustling that day.
So there were a lot of visitorsand a lot of activity going on
(29:33):
and as this family went to leave, the mother and son were
checking out and the father cameup to me and down to the
mustache he reminded me of myown right, so very much a quiet,
soft-spoken gentleman, and hejust made eyes with me, gave me
a little squeeze on the shoulderand in the quietest of voices,
said thank you.
And it appeared that you knowthere was a lot of emotion
(29:53):
behind that, thank you, but Ihave never felt a message of
gratitude so deeply because hedidn't need to say anything more
than that to be able to feelthe weight of what that food
meant for him and his familythat day.
Lyn Wineman (30:07):
Wow, what a beautiful story.
Yeah, you got me all in thefeels.
Amanda, Michaela, I don't knowif you need to add anything, but
do you want to?
Michaella Kumke (30:18):
I'm just gonna let that one be.
I mean, I think that's thepower of this work and, yes, I
have experiences similar toshare, but I think that that's
it.
That says it.
Lyn Wineman (30:31):
Yeah, that says it.
Well, you two, what's on thehorizon for the food bank?
What's coming up?
What are you excited about?
What are you working on?
What should we know?
Michaella Kumke (30:43):
I mentioned our strategic planning process, you
know, a little earlier in theconversation and I would say
that's something that is reallyexciting me.
Like Amanda, I have a backgroundin journalism and marketing and
just think about what astrategic plan provides turn by
(31:09):
turn map.
It's the big picture and I getexcited about that.
I get excited about the synergythat happens when we have the
conversations with folks, withour neighbors, with the other
partners involved.
So that that to me is it's anexciting time and it's a
challenging time, truthfully,because we're looking at a three
year strategic plan and wethink about politically,
(31:30):
economically, what has happenedin in just, you know, six, nine
months.
So to forecast something in atypical year that's three years
out is a challenge.
So there's just this addeddynamic.
And I say that and know that'snot going to stop us, like that
(31:52):
is what I love about foodbankers and our network of
supporters.
It's hard, but we didn't signup for easy.
We never signed up for easy.
We come into this knowingthat's the work and it matters,
and so we're going to keep at it.
Lyn Wineman (32:12):
Michaela, I love a good strategic plan because I
just know, right, that it makesyou more effective.
It makes you more efficient, itgets everybody on the same page
.
And I even think, if you've gotthat three year strategic plan
but realistically, you knowthings are going to change and
you don't know how I always feellike you're more ready to ride
(32:34):
the waves If you do have thatplan in place and if this also
might sound cheesy, but if, ifeverybody's rowing in the same
direction, right, if the waveshit and you're all going your
own different ways, you aregoing to be stuck.
So I appreciate that, all right, I'd love to ask you this what
(32:54):
is because you've got us in thefeels here?
You've pulled at ourheartstrings, you've given me
goosebumps, you've told a greatstory.
What is one small actioneverybody who's listening today
can do and I want to use yourlanguage and honor it to help
their neighbors who may befeeling food insecurity in our
(33:16):
communities?
Amanda Fahrer (33:17):
I think it's just looking out for one another.
I don't know that there's atangible thing I would attach to
that beyond keeping an eye outfor your neighbors If that's
offering to go and help pick upa bag of food from our
distributions to be able to dosome form of delivery or pickup,
but again, just having thoseeyes open and lending a hand
(33:41):
when you can, in whatevercapacity that makes the most
sense.
If that's coming here tovolunteer, we'd love to have you
.
If that's checking in on yourneighbor on a hot day in the
middle of summer, that goes along way too, and so I would
just say keep that eye open andlend a hand when you can.
Lyn Wineman (33:56):
I love it Just be neighborly, right Just be,
neighborly.
I like it.
Michaela, what do you want toadd to that?
What's one small thing we canall do.
Michaela, what do you want?
Michaella Kumke (34:05):
to add to that.
What's one small thing we canall do?
Yeah, challenge yourstereotypes and biases.
I would say, like we werejoking earlier with your family,
the three-generation vacation,right, and that cue?
Okay, you don't have to knowfood insecurity to know a little
bit about what it means to behungry.
You don't have to know foodinsecurity to know a little bit
about what it means to be hungry.
(34:27):
You don't have to experience thefull blown effects to care and
to understand that it is extremefor some people, enough or any
(34:51):
food at home, if there's a home,is a real question for people,
even if they are masters athiding it.
Lyn Wineman (34:53):
Yeah, and it's a question for more.
What I hear kind of part ofthis story is it's a question
for more people than any of ussuspect, more of our neighbors,
our friends than any of usprobably realize.
Yeah.
Michaella Kumke (35:09):
And to Amanda's point like what if it were you
or your favorite person in theworld?
What if that you know?
What if?
Announcer (35:20):
Yeah.
Michaella Kumke (35:20):
How would you?
How would you respond?
How would you want other peopleto respond?
And then do that.
Lyn Wineman (35:28):
I love it.
That is great advice.
Great advice.
All right, Amanda, I think thisone's for you, For our
listeners who would like tolearn more.
Where can they find informationabout the Food Bank of Lincoln?
Amanda Fahrer (35:42):
So we'd invite you to visit our website,
lincolnfoodbankorg, and we're onthe socials as well Facebook,
instagram and LinkedIn so giveus a follow and stay up to date
with the information that wehave available.
Lyn Wineman (35:55):
Perfect, we'll get all of those links in the show
note on Kid Glove's website.
All right, I have a differentkind of question for you, coming
from the world of marketing andbranding, I mean, one thing I
admire about both of you is thatat the food bank, I know that
you lead with clarity, you leadwith heart, so I want to ask you
(36:15):
a question about your brand,and that is what does Food Bank
of Lincoln's brand mean to eachof you personally, and how do
you see it showing up in thecommunity?
Amanda Fahrer (36:27):
For me and this is something I learned early on
in the work and have appreciatedabout it ever since is our
brand tries to present from theperspective of food as power.
What do we do when we have foodVery strength-based, focused,
rather than the opposite of whathappens when we don't?
And so, when we think aboutfood as a fuel for all of those
(36:49):
things that we mentioned at thevery beginning of this
conversation, is that makes itpossible, and that's the lens
that we try to take from ourbranding standpoint is what can
food make possible?
Not the opposite of whathappens when we don't have
access to food.
Lyn Wineman (37:06):
Wow, that is so powerful.
Michaela, I know you've gotthat good marketing background
too.
What are you feeling?
How does the food bake brandshow up in the community?
Michaella Kumke (37:23):
I would steal right from our vision, which is
nourishing our communities toend hunger, and I think about
the ways that we nourish.
It is physically, through food.
It is through relationships, itis providing commitment and
confidence.
It is by educating and bringingpeople in and along and forward
through some of our otherprograms where we address root
(37:43):
cause and help people find andcreate their own future story.
So I think it's that sense ofnourishment.
Lyn Wineman (37:51):
I love that.
I also want to honor and Imentioned this a minute ago.
I have heard you very carefullyuse the word, the term neighbor
, which is so on brand.
It's so fueling and empoweringand providing that nourishment
of the soul that ties back towhat you say.
So I want to recognize that aswell, because I believe that
(38:14):
words really matter.
And you know, something ourlisteners know is that I've just
published a book calledUntangling Spaghetti.
It's a branding fable.
That's why I like to askbranding questions.
But I want you to know thatwe're making the commitment for
the month of July of 2025.
(38:36):
All of the proceeds from thatbook are going to be donated to
the Food Bank of Lincoln inappreciation for the work that
you do, and I think theuntangling spaghetti theme and
your work really go together.
So we are honored to do thatand appreciate you joining us
here on the podcast.
(38:57):
All right, I'm going to switchgears one more time.
One more switch of gears.
Michaella Kumke (39:02):
Do I get to thank you first?
Oh yes, Thank you Absolutely.
We're pretty big on thankingLynn.
First of all.
Congratulations on the book.
That is such a hugeaccomplishment and a dream that
you made a reality.
Thank you, that's a big deal,and thank you for deciding that
(39:22):
a part of this will help us feedour neighbors.
Thank you Absolutely.
Lyn Wineman (39:27):
Honored to do it, and I'm going to say, michaela,
I couldn't have this book if itwasn't for the great team around
me at KidGlove as well.
So thank you so much for that,and leave it to me to not pause
for a thank you and just keepplowing right on.
Because we are coming to.
I saved my favorite questionfor almost the end, and it's a
(39:50):
question I've asked on everysingle episode.
I love motivational quotes andI am hoping that either one or
both of you can provide me anoriginal quote to inspire our
listeners.
Michaella Kumke (40:05):
I would tell you this is a spin off, one of
my favorites, and I would put itthis way so what if your voice
quivers?
So what?
Say what needs to be said andtrust that that is courage and
the sound of compassion.
So what?
Just say what needs to be said.
So what?
Lyn Wineman (40:25):
Just say what needs to be said.
Wow, Michaela, so powerful.
I need to put that on a posterand put it on the wall either
behind me or in front of me.
That's beautiful, Amanda.
You want to add one?
I'm drawing a blank right now,Lynn, I think similar to the
story question.
I think you had the mic dropmoment on the stories, Michaela
(40:47):
had the mic drop moment on thequotes.
We'll leave it at that, Allright.
One final question here as wewrap up our time together today
what is the most important thingyou would like our listeners to
remember about the work thatyou're doing?
Michaella Kumke (41:03):
It matters, we each matter, every neighbor, we
all have worth, we all havevalue.
And food, like Amanda saidearlier, is the fuel that keeps
us achieving new goals andreaching, you know,
accomplishing new dreams, evenif the dream is simply to get
(41:25):
through today feeding yourfamily.
Lyn Wineman (41:28):
Oh, that's amazing, Amanda.
Anything to add to that Now?
Amanda Fahrer (41:33):
that's a mic drop right there.
I was supposed to add to thatthat we're here.
Right, we're here for you.
If you've never visited usbefore, the door is open.
You don't need to share yourstory to join us, but if our
food or the food that we have tooffer is able to help you or
your family in any way, it'smeant for you.
Lyn Wineman (41:56):
That's amazing.
You know, amanda and Michaela,I'm going to say that the two of
you matter, and you matter anawful lot.
I really, really believe theworld needs more people like you
, more organizations like theFood Bank of Lincoln, and I just
really thank you for takingtime out of your busy schedules
(42:16):
to talk with us today.
Michaella Kumke (42:18):
Thanks for the invitation, Lynn.
Thank you Absolutely.
Announcer (42:37):
We hope you enjoyed today's Agency for Change
podcast Absolutely.
If you like what you've heardtoday, be sure to rate, review,
subscribe and share.
Thanks for listening and we'llsee you next time.
So what if your voice quivers?
So what?
Say what needs to be said andtrust that that is courage and
the sound of compassion.
Announcer (00:15):
Welcome to Agency for Change, a podcast from KidGlove
that brings you the stories ofchangemakers who are actively
working to improve ourcommunities.
In every episode, we'll meetwith people who are making a
lasting impact in the places wecall home.
Lyn Wineman (00:39):
Hey everyone, welcome back to another episode
of the Agency for Change podcast.
This is Lynn Weinman, presidentand Chief Strategist of
KidGlove.
So today's guests are leadingthe charge in the fight against
hunger right here in Nebraska.
Michaela Kumpke, president andCEO, and Amanda Farr,
(01:00):
communications Director, arepart of the incredible team at
the Food Bank of Lincoln, whichactually serves most of
Southeast Nebraska as well.
Together, these two help leadan organization that goes far
beyond distributing food.
They are fighting hungerthrough advocacy, through
innovation and compassion, andthey're serving their neighbors
(01:23):
with dignity and care.
We will talk about foodinsecurity, leadership and the
power of communication toinspire change.
Plus.
Stick around.
I've got a little surprise toshare later in the show, so stay
tuned.
Let's dive in.
Amanda and Michaela, welcome tothe podcast.
(01:43):
Pleasure to be here.
Thanks for having us All right.
I'd love to start by having oneof you tell us more about the
Food Bank of Lincoln.
With a name like Food Bank,people generally have an idea of
what you do, but I'm guessingyou do a lot more than that name
suggests.
Michaella Kumke (02:02):
We sure do, Lynn.
Our name, as you said, FoodBank of Lincoln, is slightly
deceptive, because not only dowe serve Lincoln, Nebraska and
Lancaster County here inNebraska, we serve in total 16
counties in southeast Nebraskaand our mission is to alleviate
hunger in that 16 county servicearea.
And we do that through avariety of partnerships,
(02:27):
frontline service, variousprograms and one stellar team.
Lyn Wineman (02:32):
I love that.
I have heard that you have astellar team, Michaela, and I'm
so glad that actually both youand Amanda are on with us today.
I mean one thing that I want toask you about the food bank,
and this is going to sound likethe silliest question in the
world, but I think the answer isgoing to be deeper than we
(02:53):
expect.
Why is addressing foodinsecurity so critical, and not
just for individuals, but why isit critical for communities as
a whole?
Amanda Fahrer (03:07):
just for individuals, but why is it
critical for communities as awhole?
Yeah, so I can speak, maybefrom the individual.
Lens Lynn.
As we have shared, I'm a mom oftwo right now, and so when you
can see the impact and you canhear the impact and you can feel
the impact when there's notenough food going into the
bodies of those little bellies,there's not enough food going
into the bodies of those littlebellies, and so it makes it
(03:30):
really difficult for kids tohave energy to focus, to be able
to learn, but also to be in astate that makes them open to
doing all of those things.
When we're hungry, we aren't asmentally excited, right and
able to focus, and it makes us alittle more angry.
And so, for kiddos at least,and especially for mine, I know
what that's like when there'snot enough food on the table or
(03:50):
food going into those bellies.
Those same effects are feltfrom adults too.
We don't outgrow the importanceof food, so it's really
significant to be able to haveaccess to that on the daily.
Lyn Wineman (04:01):
Amanda, way to pull at our heartstrings right there
.
Because, being a mom and agrandmother myself, I have two
thoughts about that.
One is I always hate thethought of having to tell my
family you know, no, or youcan't have that, or we can't
provide that.
And to take that to somethingthat is such an important need
(04:23):
like food, I mean, I can'timagine what that must feel like
as a parent.
Second thing that comes to mindI just got back from a
three-generation family vacationand our strategy for the family
vacation was the momentsomebody gets grouchy, give them
a snack, like that was thestrategy and the mantra of the
(04:45):
whole trip.
And so, once again, likeknowing that you're starting
your day, you're ending your day, you're trying to sleep, you're
trying to go to school, you'retrying to go to work, with
hunger, that's a that's adifficult, difficult thing.
Michaela, I'd love to have youweigh in on this.
You know, from a communitylevel.
(05:06):
Why is addressing foodinsecurity on a food community
level that important?
Michaella Kumke (05:14):
Yeah, I think about it.
Simply taking Amanda's words astep farther, would be the
stability, the safety that comesfrom having enough food to eat.
Like when, when food, when foodseems scarce, are we tend to go
into this worry and fear andsort of a danger mode, right
(05:36):
like it can be cranky, yeah, ifyou know that you actually are
going to have access to food.
But if you grew up in anenvironment or you're in a
current situation where maybethat's not a given, the brain
can do funny things.
And I think about communitysafety, community stability,
health of our community mattersLike that is what food provides
(05:59):
and then, just like cutting tothe core, is the human dignity
that we all need food and water.
And so that's why this work, onboth a very narrow lens but in
the wider scope, matters so muchto both of us and to our team,
absolutely.
Lyn Wineman (06:19):
You know what comes to mind for me.
I don't know if this is a quote, I don't know if it's a proverb
, but you can't be a greatcommunity unless you take care
of everyone right, and it seemslike food insecurity is the most
basic of needs.
So I love what you're doing.
(06:39):
I'm curious for both of you.
I'm always on the podcast, veryinterested in how people got
into their current roles, and so, like Michaela, I'm imagining
you on the playground as a childsaying you're going to be the
CEO of the food bank.
Is that how it went?
Michaella Kumke (06:57):
Well, that's funny, Lynn.
I will tell you it's maybe.
Yes, At one time when I was ayoung girl, I thought I wanted
to be a nun.
Lyn Wineman (07:07):
A nun Uh huh Yep.
Wow Well, you've always been agiver than a caretaker.
Michaella Kumke (07:14):
I don't know exactly what that is, but life
is a funny mystery and I'm froma family of 12 kids.
First of all, I'm number 11 of12.
Big family.
Lyn Wineman (07:25):
You had a community in and of yourselves, didn't
you?
Michaella Kumke (07:29):
Yes, we sure did, and like every or most
every family, food was alwaysthe thing right.
It was what brought us togetherat celebrations.
It's the chore that we had todo, whatever, whatever.
So I think I came into thiswork both because of that sense
of big family and community andthe gardening that we did
(07:49):
growing up and all those things.
But then at some point I alsothought maybe I would be a
journalist or writer and fastforward.
I had great influencers andmentors in the nonprofit space
and my heart has always feltlike this is the kind of work
(08:11):
for me, nonprofit work.
And when I ultimately landed atthe Food Bank of Lincoln I say
this to people, I know it soundscheesy, I admit it, I get it
but it felt like I was exactlywhere I was meant to be.
And 10 years later, after beingat the food bank and four years
(08:31):
as president and CEO, I don'twaver from that feeling at all,
and so it feels like a gift tobe here.
Lyn Wineman (08:39):
Michaela, I love that so much and that would be
my wish for every single person,right?
Because when you have landed inthat seat, when you have found
your calling, when you get upevery morning, that doesn't mean
every day is easy I know thingsaren't easy but it does mean
that there's a bigger reason,there's a bigger why that gets
(09:03):
you out of bed every morning andhas you doing that work.
Amanda, I'm curious about yourjourney.
How did you get in this role atthe food bank?
Amanda Fahrer (09:13):
Yeah, Lynn.
So I never really knew what Iwanted to be when I grew up.
The closest I got was I'm goingto be on TV, and I pursued a
career in journalism, beingreally naive, thinking that you
didn't have to report the news,that you just got to read the
news.
And so in my first semester ofcollege I went out and attempted
(09:37):
a broadcast news story and puttogether what I thought was a
pretty great piece, only torealize I had not hit record on
any of those interviews that Ihad done.
Lyn Wineman (09:45):
I'm going to peek and make sure we're recording
right now.
That's my greatest fear.
I'd probably check.
If you see my eyeballs lookingto the upper right, it's because
I'm going.
Are we recording?
We are recording, in fact.
So, Amanda, but I feel youthere.
I feel you.
Amanda Fahrer (10:01):
And it broke things a little bit, but I still
said you know, I enjoy news andI enjoy writing.
So away with this electronicsbusiness, I'm going to go to
paper and pen.
And so pursued a career inwritten journalism for about
(10:26):
eight years, but the world ofhigher education was not for me
for much longer.
And so in the middle of thepandemic Lynn, there was this
job opening at a food bank here,and the stars just kind of
aligned.
It was passion meets skillsetand right timing, and so I felt
pretty unqualified at the timebut thought I'd throw my hat in
the ring anyway.
And luckily one.
(10:51):
Michaela at the time was thehiring manager and took a, took
a leap of faith and was happy tostay put.
And so I have been here, justcoming up on five years and,
like Michaela, shared, eventhough I never really knew what
I wanted to be when I grew up,once I settled into the work
have found what I want to bewhen I grow up.
Lyn Wineman (11:03):
I love that, amanda .
I am a huge fan of the Collegeof Journalism at the University
of Nebraska and I've talked toso many people who have that
experience of getting thatjournalism degree, that have
gone into other fields but findthat that critical thinking, the
question asking a lot of thoseskills from a journalism
(11:24):
background benefit them in manydifferent ways, and I can see
that as you tell your story aswell.
So now I want to turn the pagea little bit into how you, in
your roles right now, arefinding new and effective ways
to meet the growing needs of thecommunity as it relates to the
food bank and food insecurity.
(11:45):
Who'd like to jump into thatone first?
Michaella Kumke (11:48):
I'll give a go.
Okay, all right, and thenhere's.
Here's what I'm going to say upfront to everybody, not in
Amanda's role.
She always makes me soundsmarter.
She edits my writing and italways sounds a little bit
better Like hire people who arebetter at things than you.
And I'm man, I got lucky when,I hired her.
Lyn Wineman (12:09):
I'll tell you that, kayla, I am right with you.
I got a whole team of peoplesitting outside of my office
that I think are smarter andmore talented than I am, and my
talent is somehow to haveinvited them into a circle where
they enjoy working together.
So I hear you although you arepretty eloquent yourself.
So you got to give yourselfthat credit there too.
Michaella Kumke (12:33):
Well, thank you , thank you.
But what are we doing and whatare we proud of?
How are we responding?
Lyn Wineman (12:38):
Yes, how are you staying on top of and finding
new and effective ways to meetthe need?
Michaella Kumke (12:44):
First, thing that I would say is that we're
putting an emphasis on beingneighbor-centered.
You know that our programs, ourapproach, our questions that we
have about our work and aboutour mission, we are really
putting energy and resourcesinto speaking directly to
(13:05):
neighbors to understand what isworking and what isn't.
Some of that is attached to ourstrategic plan, which we're in
the throes of right now.
But I would say, just makingsure that we're hearing that
neighbor voice, whether that's aquick interaction at a mobile
food distribution or sittingdown and having a longer
conversation about advocacy andhow different things are
(13:27):
affecting folks.
So we're able to be innovativebecause we're centering
neighbors.
And then after that I would sayit's our partner agency network
.
We cannot do this work alone.
I think about more than 10million meals connected last
fiscal year, and that doesn'tjust happen.
(13:49):
You know, I have heard fromfolks that the food bank makes
it all look so easy and you knowall these things.
It's not.
It is not.
It is a group of team and anetwork of partner agencies.
It's volunteers and communityunderstanding that the work
matters and it's us doing ourwork to help educate and inspire
(14:12):
that.
But I think the programs also.
We do really big programs likemobile food distributions where
we're serving, you know,anywhere from couple hundred at
a rural distribution to almost athousand at a distribution here
in Lincoln.
We also have other programsthat are really intentionally
(14:33):
designed to be a more intimate,slower environment where maybe
senior citizens or veterans orlittle kids don't, you know,
can't have all that noise of abigger distribution.
So trying to find ways where wecan connect with folks in those
more intimate ways, and then Iwould say innovating by looking
(14:57):
at food sourcing.
This became a major endeavorduring the pandemic and is
rising again when we look atgrowing need and shrinking
resources.
So establishing newrelationships and continuing
those relationships, expandingthem where we can and truly
(15:20):
advocacy is another area ofinnovation for us.
Absolutely for us, absolutelyIn and of itself, advocacy is
not anything new or novel, butthe way that we are thinking
about how this organizationapproaches it, in partnership
with our peer at Food Bank forthe Heartland and other
nonprofit agencies.
(15:41):
So I think those are a fewexamples of ways that we're
trying to push ourselves to bebetter in these areas for the
good of our neighbors.
Lyn Wineman (15:49):
I really, really appreciate that and I want to
circle back on advocacy in aminute here.
But, Amanda, I want to give youan opportunity to answer that
question too.
You know what are some of theways that you are finding new
and effective ways actually tomeet the growing needs in the
community?
Amanda Fahrer (16:08):
Yeah.
So of course I would echoeverything Michaela said and
elaborate a little bit on thecommunication side, because
that's the perspective that Ibring is Michaela referenced the
volunteers and the communitysupporters, and that's the core
that helps make those mealspossible.
Alongside all of the programsand partners that Michaela
shared, we're constantly lookingat different ways that we can
(16:34):
reach folks within our communitywho want to help and how can we
connect those audiences to thework, and so exploring different
communication channels andalways doing a little bit of
testing and trial and error tosee what sticks and what lands.
But knowing that there'shelpers out there and finding
ways to engage those helpers isalso a lot of what we're
focusing on, right now?
Lyn Wineman (16:54):
Absolutely, amanda.
Being in marketing myself, itseems like right now, things can
just change so fast, right, andthe things that we did even two
or three or five years ago maynot be working right now, and
you've got to let a lot ofpeople know information about
(17:15):
what's available.
You've got to communicate withall of these partners.
You've got to communicate withneighbors, so I really
appreciate what you said.
Let's take a moment, though,and talk about advocacy, because
I think this is something aboutnonprofit work that those who
are not in nonprofits don'trealize perhaps how much time or
(17:36):
how important this aspect ofyour work is For those of you
that are listening.
To this later we're recordingthis in the summer of 2025.
To this later, we're recordingthis in the summer of 2025.
There's a lot going on rightnow in the economy from the
political aspect, fundingsources changing.
Would any of either of you liketo tackle a little bit more
(17:58):
about what's going on on thisfront and maybe even include in
there how those of us who arelistening can support you?
Amanda Fahrer (18:07):
That's a big, bold question.
Lynn, there's a lot going on.
Lyn Wineman (18:11):
We could take an hour just right here.
Give us your best, oh, Amanda,as a journalist.
Amanda Fahrer (18:16):
give us your best talking points on this issue.
You know, lynn, when you saythat marketing and communication
changes pretty rapidly, I willargue that advocacy has been
changing even faster, especiallywith where we are at at this
point in time, as of this day,in the summer, we are currently
looking at some federal activitythat's happening regarding
(18:39):
budget reconciliation, so thereare some packages on the table.
Nothing has been passed yetthat would present some
structural changes to programsthat impact food security.
We know that local, state,federal policies can have a
really significant impact onfood access and what that means
(18:59):
for us to be able to, asMichaela referenced, access food
through sourcing, but also interms of the response and the
demand that we'll experience asa result of those policies.
Lyn Wineman (19:11):
Oh yeah, I didn't think about that.
It's not just getting the food,it's also balanced with how
many people are going to need itbecause of the impact.
Oh wow, that's a big deal,exactly.
Amanda Fahrer (19:24):
Right, and so when we threaten programs like
SNAP and Medicaid that folksrely on to put food on the table
or to access health care, whenthose are cut out or changed,
then all of a sudden we'relooking for additional dollars
in our budget that may not exist, and so now we have extra gaps
that we need to fill.
That's one of the big reasonswhy we've really leaned in to
(19:47):
this work is to make sure thatwe don't put neighbors in that
situation.
To begin with, how can wepreserve the integrity of those
programs and all the good thatcomes along with them?
So when we look at things likeSNAP, there's a lot of choice
involved with SNAP that agencyto be able to take your own
dollars into the grocery storeto select the foods that work
(20:07):
best for you, and our teamalways does the best that we can
getting that food out the door.
But it's a little bit differentwhen you're able to choose what
you want versus what we haveavailable to share that day, and
so have really been leaninginto that as of late?
Lyn Wineman (20:22):
Absolutely.
I want to dig into a couple ofthings there a little bit deeper
.
Just to make sure peopleunderstand.
I wrote down here, you saidthis so eloquently and so nicely
, but you said there's astructural change that would
impact food insecurity.
Can you just dive a little bitdeeper for those of us that
(20:42):
don't speak in that lingo likewithout getting political,
because I know we're all tryingto be very careful about all of
this what does that actuallymean?
Amanda Fahrer (20:53):
So there have been some things proposed and
again it's ever evolving and sothings change kind of every hour
here.
But when we're looking atstructural changes,
traditionally the federalgovernment has paid for the
entirety of the SNAP benefitsdollars.
So what goes on the cards thatour neighbors can take into the
stores to purchase?
And there have been somechanges proposed that the states
(21:16):
could take on a portion ofthose costs as well.
For the first time ever kind ofsituation.
Putting that burden on statesto be able to take on those
extra dollars would be reallysignificant when we know a lot
of states are already strappedfor cash From the news headlines
.
Lyn Wineman (21:33):
I don't know of very many, if any, states that
have excess budget this year,right, Like the states, are also
grappling with budgetshortfalls, budget shortfalls,
and now we're shifting a burdento them which, even if they can
handle it, I think one thingpeople don't realize about
(21:57):
government funded programs isthere can be gaps even though
the money or the food orwhatever is promised to you when
you make a big shift fromfederal to state.
There's potentially going to bea gap while they spin up, but
yet there's not a gap inpeople's hunger, right, the need
for food.
Amanda Fahrer (22:13):
Exactly and beyond that proposal.
There's also other structuralchanges that come into play for
some red tape that has beenadded in for reporting and work
requirements it's a tough phraseto say.
We're looking at now adding,for the first time ever, parents
with kiddos that are above theage of 10 now being subject to
(22:36):
those work requirements, whenpreviously parents were exempt
from that.
And so again, that's a bigstructural change and we know
that just because your kiddomight be over the age of 10
doesn't mean they need any lesscare.
That could also have a reallystrong ripple effect to folks in
our community.
Michaella Kumke (22:54):
If that were to go through again fingers
crossed that we don't get there.
Lyn Wineman (22:58):
Thank you so much for going deeper in that,
Michaela.
What does advocacy look likefor you as president and CEO?
Michaella Kumke (23:08):
I would say, first of all, you know we talk.
We talk often about like foodis not a political topic.
Yeah, now there's opinions likedo you like creamy peanut
butter or crunchy peanut butter,or can you not have any?
You know those butters, but butthe work itself is not
political work.
(23:28):
However, food policies, that isa place where we firmly believe
there is a responsibility forour organization to lock arms
with other nonprofits and aspart of the Feeding America
Network I guess I'll go intothat in a minute but just to
lock arms and say folks, we're,we are on the front lines with
(23:49):
neighbors and we're not going tospeak for others.
They have voice and we'll helpencourage that.
But here's what we see and howit affects our work.
Advocacy, to me is, is anotherform of getting food onto the
table.
It is another way to feedStarts by feeding our brains
(24:11):
with information and the facts.
Lyn Wineman (24:13):
Yeah.
Michaella Kumke (24:13):
And then it leads to ways that we can help
our neighbors eat and accessfood through food and nutrition
services, through USDA programs,these strong foundational
programs that link farmers andbusiness owners and folks who
need food and benefit all theways.
(24:34):
So it's just that constant workof educating to get meals on
the table.
Lyn Wineman (24:41):
Yeah, one thing I've learned about advocacy work
is that it's just.
It's a constant right.
If you wait until the momentsomething's been cut or changed,
you are too late, and it is alot of work to stay on top of
what's going on and have yourvoice ever present in a
(25:02):
meaningful way.
So I appreciate what you'redoing there and, michaela, you
just said this phrase that Ithink was a little invitation
for me.
You said we need to feed ourbrains, and so I'm curious from
each of you what is one thingthat you wish more people
understood about hunger inNebraska?
Amanda Fahrer (25:23):
You know at a basic level, Lynn.
I would say just to understandthat it is here.
I grew up in rural Nebraska, atown with a booming 600 people
on a good day, and was under theimpression that everyone was
all right in my small community.
Right, we took care of eachother and we did.
But I'll tell you, one of thefirst distributions I went to
(25:48):
when I started in this role fiveyears ago was back to that
small community and I was inshock to see over 100 neighbors
come through that line in mytown of 600, right, that's a
one-sixth of the population.
Lyn Wineman (26:02):
Wow, that's a big percentage.
Amanda Fahrer (26:04):
Yes, Exactly, and so that was really eye-opening
for me, because I did not by anycapacity expect that that would
be what I experienced.
I think just the fact that itis here and present, and even if
we may not see it I think a lotof times we can be good at
hiding hunger and so justbecause you don't see it doesn't
(26:24):
mean that it doesn't exist.
And if that's not your truth,know that that could be
something your neighbor isexperiencing.
Lyn Wineman (26:31):
Absolutely.
I fully believe everyone aroundus has something going on below
the surface that we don't knowabout, and, for quite a few,
more than we even imagine.
Hunger or food insecurity isthat issue, michaela?
How about you?
What's the thing that you wishpeople knew about?
Hunger in Nebraska.
Michaella Kumke (26:54):
I would add a visual to what Amanda just said,
that yes, it is here and it'shere to the level of for those
who are tuned in and are, youknow, husker volleyball football
fans, we think about MemorialStadium on.
We kind of referencedVolleyball Day in Nebraska.
Lyn Wineman (27:11):
You know that world record breaking event 92,000
people in a football stadium towatch volleyball.
Are you going to tell me thatyou could fill that stadium?
Michaella Kumke (27:23):
Yes, not once, not twice, but nearly three
times with the number of foodinsecure Nebraskans based on our
Map, the Meal Gap informationfrom Feeding America.
And so when Amanda says it'shere and it's personal and it's
close, it is.
And Food Bank of Lincoln, it is.
(27:45):
And Food Bank of Lincoln,alongside Food Bank for the
Heartland, we serve all 93counties in Nebraska and again,
(28:12):
we don't do it alone.
We have a great network ofpartner agencies, school
partners, community partners and, you know, a major group of
volunteers and funders.
But but to Amanda's point, itis here and we can't pretend
that it's not.
We have this strong, you know,Midwest or Great Plains pride.
And that serves us so well?
Yeah, in so many ways, butpretending that hunger isn't
real is not one of those ways.
Lyn Wineman (28:28):
Yep, absolutely.
Wow.
You just gave me goosebumpswith that example there, and I'm
actually going to give you aninvitation to take this a bit
further, because I'd love tohear if either of you could
share a story or a moment thatreally illustrates the impact of
the Food Bank of Lincolnillustrates the impact of the
(28:49):
Food Bank of Lincoln.
Amanda Fahrer (28:50):
So I shared recently with Michaela an
exchange I had earlier in theyear and it is not one of many
words but the story was told innonverbals.
Lynn and so I was helping atone of our school pantries and a
family had come in seeminglyfor the first time.
Two parents and a teenage boywere shopping the pantry and
they were very mindful of thepolicies and procedures, very
(29:12):
respectful, always doublechecking.
Can I have more of this, lessof this?
You know, checking in on thosenumbers, and the pantry was
bustling that day.
So there were a lot of visitorsand a lot of activity going on,
bustling that day.
So there were a lot of visitorsand a lot of activity going on
(29:33):
and as this family went to leave, the mother and son were
checking out and the father cameup to me and down to the
mustache he reminded me of myown right, so very much a quiet,
soft-spoken gentleman, and hejust made eyes with me, gave me
a little squeeze on the shoulderand in the quietest of voices,
said thank you.
And it appeared that you knowthere was a lot of emotion
(29:53):
behind that, thank you, but Ihave never felt a message of
gratitude so deeply because hedidn't need to say anything more
than that to be able to feelthe weight of what that food
meant for him and his familythat day.
Lyn Wineman (30:07):
Wow, what a beautiful story.
Yeah, you got me all in thefeels.
Amanda, Michaela, I don't knowif you need to add anything, but
do you want to?
Michaella Kumke (30:18):
I'm just gonna let that one be.
I mean, I think that's thepower of this work and, yes, I
have experiences similar toshare, but I think that that's
it.
That says it.
Lyn Wineman (30:31):
Yeah, that says it.
Well, you two, what's on thehorizon for the food bank?
What's coming up?
What are you excited about?
What are you working on?
What should we know?
Michaella Kumke (30:43):
I mentioned our strategic planning process, you
know, a little earlier in theconversation and I would say
that's something that is reallyexciting me.
Like Amanda, I have a backgroundin journalism and marketing and
just think about what astrategic plan provides turn by
(31:09):
turn map.
It's the big picture and I getexcited about that.
I get excited about the synergythat happens when we have the
conversations with folks, withour neighbors, with the other
partners involved.
So that that to me is it's anexciting time and it's a
challenging time, truthfully,because we're looking at a three
year strategic plan and wethink about politically,
(31:30):
economically, what has happenedin in just, you know, six, nine
months.
So to forecast something in atypical year that's three years
out is a challenge.
So there's just this addeddynamic.
And I say that and know that'snot going to stop us, like that
(31:52):
is what I love about foodbankers and our network of
supporters.
It's hard, but we didn't signup for easy.
We never signed up for easy.
We come into this knowingthat's the work and it matters,
and so we're going to keep at it.
Lyn Wineman (32:12):
Michaela, I love a good strategic plan because I
just know, right, that it makesyou more effective.
It makes you more efficient, itgets everybody on the same page
.
And I even think, if you've gotthat three year strategic plan
but realistically, you knowthings are going to change and
you don't know how I always feellike you're more ready to ride
(32:34):
the waves If you do have thatplan in place and if this also
might sound cheesy, but if, ifeverybody's rowing in the same
direction, right, if the waveshit and you're all going your
own different ways, you aregoing to be stuck.
So I appreciate that, all right, I'd love to ask you this what
(32:54):
is because you've got us in thefeels here?
You've pulled at ourheartstrings, you've given me
goosebumps, you've told a greatstory.
What is one small actioneverybody who's listening today
can do and I want to use yourlanguage and honor it to help
their neighbors who may befeeling food insecurity in our
(33:16):
communities?
Amanda Fahrer (33:17):
I think it's just looking out for one another.
I don't know that there's atangible thing I would attach to
that beyond keeping an eye outfor your neighbors If that's
offering to go and help pick upa bag of food from our
distributions to be able to dosome form of delivery or pickup,
but again, just having thoseeyes open and lending a hand
(33:41):
when you can, in whatevercapacity that makes the most
sense.
If that's coming here tovolunteer, we'd love to have you
.
If that's checking in on yourneighbor on a hot day in the
middle of summer, that goes along way too, and so I would
just say keep that eye open andlend a hand when you can.
Lyn Wineman (33:56):
I love it Just be neighborly, right Just be,
neighborly.
I like it.
Michaela, what do you want toadd to that?
What's one small thing we canall do.
Michaela, what do you want?
Michaella Kumke (34:05):
to add to that.
What's one small thing we canall do?
Yeah, challenge yourstereotypes and biases.
I would say, like we werejoking earlier with your family,
the three-generation vacation,right, and that cue?
Okay, you don't have to knowfood insecurity to know a little
bit about what it means to behungry.
You don't have to know foodinsecurity to know a little bit
about what it means to be hungry.
(34:27):
You don't have to experience thefull blown effects to care and
to understand that it is extremefor some people, enough or any
(34:51):
food at home, if there's a home,is a real question for people,
even if they are masters athiding it.
Lyn Wineman (34:53):
Yeah, and it's a question for more.
What I hear kind of part ofthis story is it's a question
for more people than any of ussuspect, more of our neighbors,
our friends than any of usprobably realize.
Yeah.
Michaella Kumke (35:09):
And to Amanda's point like what if it were you
or your favorite person in theworld?
What if that you know?
What if?
Announcer (35:20):
Yeah.
Michaella Kumke (35:20):
How would you?
How would you respond?
How would you want other peopleto respond?
And then do that.
Lyn Wineman (35:28):
I love it.
That is great advice.
Great advice.
All right, Amanda, I think thisone's for you, For our
listeners who would like tolearn more.
Where can they find informationabout the Food Bank of Lincoln?
Amanda Fahrer (35:42):
So we'd invite you to visit our website,
lincolnfoodbankorg, and we're onthe socials as well Facebook,
instagram and LinkedIn so giveus a follow and stay up to date
with the information that wehave available.
Lyn Wineman (35:55):
Perfect, we'll get all of those links in the show
note on Kid Glove's website.
All right, I have a differentkind of question for you, coming
from the world of marketing andbranding, I mean, one thing I
admire about both of you is thatat the food bank, I know that
you lead with clarity, you leadwith heart, so I want to ask you
(36:15):
a question about your brand,and that is what does Food Bank
of Lincoln's brand mean to eachof you personally, and how do
you see it showing up in thecommunity?
Amanda Fahrer (36:27):
For me and this is something I learned early on
in the work and have appreciatedabout it ever since is our
brand tries to present from theperspective of food as power.
What do we do when we have foodVery strength-based, focused,
rather than the opposite of whathappens when we don't?
And so, when we think aboutfood as a fuel for all of those
(36:49):
things that we mentioned at thevery beginning of this
conversation, is that makes itpossible, and that's the lens
that we try to take from ourbranding standpoint is what can
food make possible?
Not the opposite of whathappens when we don't have
access to food.
Lyn Wineman (37:06):
Wow, that is so powerful.
Michaela, I know you've gotthat good marketing background
too.
What are you feeling?
How does the food bake brandshow up in the community?
Michaella Kumke (37:23):
I would steal right from our vision, which is
nourishing our communities toend hunger, and I think about
the ways that we nourish.
It is physically, through food.
It is through relationships, itis providing commitment and
confidence.
It is by educating and bringingpeople in and along and forward
through some of our otherprograms where we address root
(37:43):
cause and help people find andcreate their own future story.
So I think it's that sense ofnourishment.
Lyn Wineman (37:51):
I love that.
I also want to honor and Imentioned this a minute ago.
I have heard you very carefullyuse the word, the term neighbor
, which is so on brand.
It's so fueling and empoweringand providing that nourishment
of the soul that ties back towhat you say.
So I want to recognize that aswell, because I believe that
(38:14):
words really matter.
And you know, something ourlisteners know is that I've just
published a book calledUntangling Spaghetti.
It's a branding fable.
That's why I like to askbranding questions.
But I want you to know thatwe're making the commitment for
the month of July of 2025.
(38:36):
All of the proceeds from thatbook are going to be donated to
the Food Bank of Lincoln inappreciation for the work that
you do, and I think theuntangling spaghetti theme and
your work really go together.
So we are honored to do thatand appreciate you joining us
here on the podcast.
(38:57):
All right, I'm going to switchgears one more time.
One more switch of gears.
Michaella Kumke (39:02):
Do I get to thank you first?
Oh yes, Thank you Absolutely.
We're pretty big on thankingLynn.
First of all.
Congratulations on the book.
That is such a hugeaccomplishment and a dream that
you made a reality.
Thank you, that's a big deal,and thank you for deciding that
(39:22):
a part of this will help us feedour neighbors.
Thank you Absolutely.
Lyn Wineman (39:27):
Honored to do it, and I'm going to say, michaela,
I couldn't have this book if itwasn't for the great team around
me at KidGlove as well.
So thank you so much for that,and leave it to me to not pause
for a thank you and just keepplowing right on.
Because we are coming to.
I saved my favorite questionfor almost the end, and it's a
(39:50):
question I've asked on everysingle episode.
I love motivational quotes andI am hoping that either one or
both of you can provide me anoriginal quote to inspire our
listeners.
Michaella Kumke (40:05):
I would tell you this is a spin off, one of
my favorites, and I would put itthis way so what if your voice
quivers?
So what?
Say what needs to be said andtrust that that is courage and
the sound of compassion.
So what?
Just say what needs to be said.
So what?
Lyn Wineman (40:25):
Just say what needs to be said.
Wow, Michaela, so powerful.
I need to put that on a posterand put it on the wall either
behind me or in front of me.
That's beautiful, Amanda.
You want to add one?
I'm drawing a blank right now,Lynn, I think similar to the
story question.
I think you had the mic dropmoment on the stories, Michaela
(40:47):
had the mic drop moment on thequotes.
We'll leave it at that, Allright.
One final question here as wewrap up our time together today
what is the most important thingyou would like our listeners to
remember about the work thatyou're doing?
Michaella Kumke (41:03):
It matters, we each matter, every neighbor, we
all have worth, we all havevalue.
And food, like Amanda saidearlier, is the fuel that keeps
us achieving new goals andreaching, you know,
accomplishing new dreams, evenif the dream is simply to get
(41:25):
through today feeding yourfamily.
Lyn Wineman (41:28):
Oh, that's amazing, Amanda.
Anything to add to that Now?
Amanda Fahrer (41:33):
that's a mic drop right there.
I was supposed to add to thatthat we're here.
Right, we're here for you.
If you've never visited usbefore, the door is open.
You don't need to share yourstory to join us, but if our
food or the food that we have tooffer is able to help you or
your family in any way, it'smeant for you.
Lyn Wineman (41:56):
That's amazing.
You know, amanda and Michaela,I'm going to say that the two of
you matter, and you matter anawful lot.
I really, really believe theworld needs more people like you
, more organizations like theFood Bank of Lincoln, and I just
really thank you for takingtime out of your busy schedules
(42:16):
to talk with us today.
Michaella Kumke (42:18):
Thanks for the invitation, Lynn.
Thank you Absolutely.
Announcer (42:37):
We hope you enjoyed today's Agency for Change
podcast Absolutely.
If you like what you've heardtoday, be sure to rate, review,
subscribe and share.
Thanks for listening and we'llsee you next time.
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