September 22, 2025 • 30 mins
This week’s show featured Capstone Behavioral Health of Nebraska’s Dana Ritterbush discussing how employers and co-worker can help save lives from potential suicide. Then, Boo Bazaar organizers Claire Caswell and John Clark invited the public to their annual event to support local artists. Finally, Food Bank for the Heartland’s Stephanie Sullivan promoted a donation match happening during this Hunger Action Month of September.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:04):
This is Community Matters, a weekly public affairs program to
inform and entertain you with some of the great people, organizations,
and events in and around Omaha. Now here's the host
of the program from news radio eleven ten KFAB It's
Scott for Heats.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Thank you so much for being a part of our
program this week. As you've heard a lot on this show.
This month, the month of September is suicide Prevention Month.
And to talk more about this from a Better Way
Therapy and Capstone Behavioral Health of Nebraska, this is Dana Ritterbusch. Dana,
welcome back to Community Matters.
Speaker 3 (00:41):
Thank you for having me.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
This is part of what you guys have talked about there,
how employers and co workers can help save lives. Please explain.
Speaker 3 (00:52):
Yeah, I think that in the workplace, that's where we
spend a good chunk of our time, and that's a
place where we can carry lot of our stress with us,
whether it's personal stress, whether it's work related stress. And
I think it's important to have an environment that shows compassion,
compassion and really looks at safety in the workplace as
(01:13):
well as health including mental health.
Speaker 2 (01:15):
Sure, obviously safety that's a whole different conversation. But looking
at mental health, it's I think a pretty delicate line.
I was just reading a story today about how there
are a lot of workers, traditionally and stereotypically, maybe younger workers,
who need more positive affirmation in their day, and if
they don't get it, then they feel bad about themselves.
(01:37):
And occasionally if one has to be critical, some of
these workers just kind of fold into themselves. And so
managers are like, I can't criticize my employees. I can't
point out, like, hey, what you're doing is wrong, because
I might lose the employee and make them feel bad,
and I don't know how to do this. There's a
difference obviously between some of that dynamic and recognizing that
(02:00):
a co worker is maybe different than they used to be.
But what do you as it, as a co worker
or a manager, supposed to do about that without maybe
crossing some boundaries.
Speaker 3 (02:11):
Yeah, and I think that there there is a fine
line when it comes to that. Speaking of boundaries, I
think we're all different in different ways, and you're going
to come across that regardless of the age generation. But
I do think it's again, it's just showing up with compassion,
it's having an open door policy being there to discuss things,
(02:32):
and when there is feedback that needs to be given,
I think it's given in a way of what can
I do to support you and help you perform better
or whatever that might be. I think it's all in
the presentation from the leader as well.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
How do you start off that conversation because I think
I speak for a lot of people when you might
come into work maybe it's not the best day ever,
but you're certainly not the worst and just kind of
going about your day and a co worker says, like,
everything okay, and you're like, I didn't realize I had
a look on my face suggest that everything was not okay.
(03:07):
And sometimes that's not as as welcome a conversational topic
first thing in the morning. But how do you start
that conversation with someone to get them to maybe open
up and point them towards the right resources.
Speaker 3 (03:21):
Yeah, I think it's in the way that you just said.
I think it's just approaching them and saying, hey, is
everything okay? I think it's better to bring it up
and ask questions and talk about it than not. It
might be uncomfortable, but I think that still opens the
door for them to excuse me, be able to provide
feedback and talk if there is something on their mind,
(03:42):
or if it does catch them off guard and they're like, yeah,
I'm fine. You know, maybe in that moment they don't
want to talk about it, but they may come back
and talk about it at.
Speaker 4 (03:52):
A later time.
Speaker 2 (03:53):
Talking here with Dana Ritterbusch on community matters, what about
that next step which this is another thing I struggle
with someone. We get to talking, conversation might turn into
a personal way, and suddenly someone presents an issue. I immediately,
again stereotypically maybe man qualities coming through here, I'm like, Okay,
(04:14):
I've been presented a problem. I must fix it. Well, Dana,
I don't know if it's obvious in are just few
minutes we spent here together today, I'm not qualified as
a behavioral health therapist to be able to fix it.
How does someone go from now someone has presented an issue,
the trying to fix it, or to suddenly monopolize the
(04:36):
conversation kind of like I'm doing now and suddenly say like, oh,
I've dealt with something like that, or I know someone
who did that and it's not that big a deal.
Don't worry about it, or what should someone do and
what warning signs should they look for to realize this
is something that you need to try and hand off
to somebody else more professionally.
Speaker 3 (04:56):
Yeah, that's a great question, and I think the key
thing with that is that it's not our job, even
managers in the workplace, it's not their job or co
workers's jobs to fix it. I think to pick up
on some of those signs again, provide support, offer resources,
offer counseling services. If the company has an employee assistance program,
(05:18):
that's a great resource to provide. But again, it's just
that open ear and being willing to be that person
they can lean on in that moment, but not taking
on that challenge of I have to fix this because
there are professionals out there that they can get into
and start to address some of that.
Speaker 2 (05:34):
Are there certain signs that whether it's managers, co workers,
that people should look for in the workplace that might
pretend of a deeper.
Speaker 5 (05:43):
Issue going on.
Speaker 6 (05:44):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (05:44):
One thing I always coach managers and supervisors on is
to look for changes as it relates to performance, attendance, behavior,
safety in the workplace. So if they're seeing performance issues
that kind of come out of the blue, if there's
absentee meaning the person is just all of a sudden
not showing up, or even presenteeism where they do show
(06:05):
up for work but they're just not performing. They're just
kind of there. Of course, behavioral changes or concerns, and
then like in industrial settings or construction sites, safety issues
that might come up, those could all be signs not
to ignore and to be aware of. As well as
then just comments about I don't want to live, it's
not worth being here anymore. Anything like that should be
(06:27):
a red flag and a warning sign to pay attention to.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
What about for those who get this message and now
it's been presented like, hey, we've noticed some changes here
at work, let's address them now. I'm sure there are
people listening to this conversation right now going yeah, maybe
I didn't quite realize it, but I'm the person that
they're talking about. When someone now presents the situation to you,
(06:55):
so you don't immediately make it a bigger problem it
needs to be, obviously, it depends on how it's presented.
If it's like, hey, you schmuck, you know, that's maybe
not the best starting point. But if someone comes to
you with an air of let's work together to make
all this better for all of us here, How do
you internalize that, take it for the offer that it is,
(07:16):
and make it better and not a.
Speaker 3 (07:18):
Worse problem as the person that's providing the supporter.
Speaker 2 (07:22):
As a person who's who's just been presented by a
coworker like, wow, your performance has really slipped. Let's address it.
I mean a lot of people don't take criticism very well.
So now someone's presented this to you. How do we
take that and not make it a not turn it
into a worse problem.
Speaker 3 (07:39):
Yeah, And I think it is all about how we
take that. And I think it's a matter of thinking
about it in a way of hey, this is someone
that cares about me, that's reaching out, that wants to
make sure I'm okay, rather than just automatically going to
that place of they think I'm feeling or I'm not
doing well. So I think it's keeping that open mind
that you know you're getting the feedback others have concerns
(08:00):
and maybe I do need to have an open mind
to look at this and seek the support that maybe
I do need in the moment.
Speaker 2 (08:06):
How is it determined whether there's just like, hey, I've
just I've just been really tired, I've been working extra
hours in this other job.
Speaker 5 (08:14):
Whatever.
Speaker 2 (08:14):
I'm just tired and sorry. I got to deal with it,
versus recognizing that there might be a bigger problem here.
Speaker 3 (08:19):
Yeah, that's a good question, and that's a tough one
because you could have someone show up at work that
appears to be perfectly fine doing well that maybe is
having suicidal thoughts or is struggling with depression, and so
I think regardless, it's just a matter of offering that
support if you see any of those warning signs. Certainly,
(08:39):
if there is any sort of real suicide risk, there's
resources like the Suicide Prevention Lifeline nine A eight. You
can call that, you can text it, you can get
on the website and chat, and then reaching out to
centers like a Better Way Therapy in Capstone.
Speaker 2 (08:56):
Talking here with Dana Ritterbusch for just a couple more minutes,
with a Better Way there being Capstone Behavioral Health of Nebraska,
both located here in Omaha. One of the things you
address here is common workplace factors that can increase that
risk of suicide among employees. We've kind of been talking
about it mostly from the standpoint of there's something going
(09:17):
on outside of work, you bring it into work with you.
But you're saying there are things that can happen at
work that are certainly not Obviously we all know there
are things that happen to work that are not great
for our mental health. But to this point, so what
are some of these factors?
Speaker 3 (09:33):
I think the I mean just looking at the news
these days as a factor. We all have strong emotions
based on what we're seeing in the news, and we
can carry that into the workplace. Aside from that, though,
being in the workplace, I think it is just an
environment that's not the most supportive or where you don't
come together with your coworkers and have some sort of relationship,
(09:58):
feeling isolated, not supported, not having the training that you need.
There's a variety of factors that can really impact how
you feel at work.
Speaker 2 (10:08):
So someone coming up making inappropriate comments every day and
impressing their political views on you at a place where
you're making deli sandwiches maybe is not the best way
to go. And obviously managers need to recognize that not
be part of the problem, and if they see this happening,
address it and find a way to move forward. I
mean we here at the radio station. I try and
(10:33):
have a mantra that you know from my team here
at the radio station, which is pretty easy, have fun,
make money, and you know it's easier said than done
some days. But sometimes you can over complicate things. So
address the problem, sit down and talk about it and
find that common ground and try and find a way
to move forward. So tell me about what you do,
(10:55):
data and how people can reach you at both a
Better Way Therapy and Capstone Behavioral Health of Nebraska.
Speaker 3 (11:01):
Yeah, so both centers provide outpatient mental health counseling as
well as substance use counseling. We offer groups, skills, training groups,
so a variety of services, lots of different providers with
different areas of expertise, and so anyone can call. We
are sister companies. So if someone were to call A
Better Way Therapy in Capstone was a better match for
(11:21):
whatever reason, location, provider, specialty, we can always do a
very smooth transition over to that center for services as well.
Speaker 2 (11:30):
Dana Ritterbusch is a therapist and employee wellness expert. As
we said here with a Better Way Therapy and Capstone
Behavioral Health of Nebraska. Both here in Omaha Data. Always
appreciate the conversation. Thank you so much for having this
with us here today on Community Matters.
Speaker 3 (11:47):
Yeah, thanks for having me.
Speaker 2 (11:48):
Next up on community Matters, there's an event coming up
at the Joslyn Castle next month called the Boo Bazaar,
and it's put on by Wicked Raven Productions. We have
John Clark and haswell with us here.
Speaker 5 (12:01):
Claire. We'll start with you. Welcome to Community Matters.
Speaker 6 (12:03):
Hello, thank you.
Speaker 2 (12:05):
First, I got to hear about Wicked Raven Productions. What
did the raven do that was so wicked that we
needed to name the production company off of it?
Speaker 6 (12:12):
We wonder about that, right, I love the word wicked, wicked.
Speaker 2 (12:17):
Cool, right, I'm I'm a little from Boston.
Speaker 6 (12:19):
I'm not, but I'm I'm of the age that that
that was used.
Speaker 5 (12:23):
Yeah, it was used.
Speaker 2 (12:24):
Yeah in Boston you wicked smat right, So yeah, Wicked
Raven Productions kind of pretends, you know, I suggest this,
you know evermore or ever more exactly?
Speaker 6 (12:36):
Have we kind of like gothic and Halloween vibes and.
Speaker 2 (12:40):
So, and we're getting into that season. Tell me about
the Boo Bizarre.
Speaker 6 (12:46):
So, the Boo Bizarre is a artist and vendor market
with a theme. So we do a Halloween theme, witchy
weird oddities. This year we have an additional theme. It's
the Tim Burton Edition.
Speaker 2 (12:59):
I love Tim Burton. We do that Man, Beetlejuice, Big Fish.
I think Tim Burton has made some of the best
movies of all times.
Speaker 6 (13:08):
Agreed, Agreed, So we've kind of gone full force with
our tim Burton theme. We have an art show also
happening at the Castle at the same time as the
Boo Bazar. So far we have over one hundred venders,
all with products that fit the theme, from artwork to
bath and body to baked goods.
Speaker 5 (13:26):
Yeah, big adventure. Sorry, I'm thinking about to know. That's
all right, just he has he has.
Speaker 2 (13:32):
Something that's not right in his brain in such a
delightfully strange way where he'll take just a normal situation
and just give it just a little twist Frank and
Weeny exactly.
Speaker 5 (13:46):
Film.
Speaker 2 (13:47):
Yeah, I love that man's work. So if for fellow
Tim Burton fans, what can we expect to see, Like,
do we have to get through the sandworms to come
into the Joslyn Castle.
Speaker 6 (13:57):
From that wonderful Yes, we have a sponsor or who's
providing some decorations. So there will be some Timburton props.
For sure. We have amazing artists involved that are all
excited about the theme. So I can't say for sure
what you'll see. You'll be gleefully surprised, though. It's gonna
be wonderful.
Speaker 5 (14:16):
But I can come buy stuff here.
Speaker 6 (14:17):
Right absolutely, that's what it's for to support artists and
small businesses. So you can buy art, you can buy jewelry,
you can buy baked goods. They'll be food trucks, everything
from dolls and crocheted items, fine art, prints, stickers, really,
you name it. It will be available and it all
(14:39):
have that theme.
Speaker 2 (14:42):
And you said this is supporting artists small businesses, tell
me about that component. Obviously, the people who are selling stuff,
they get some of the money, but it seems like
this is a bigger collective that benefits from this wonderful event,
right for sure.
Speaker 6 (14:56):
That's why we do these. We do art Schowsen events
to support local art and makers. I myself am a maker,
an artist and an experienced vendor, and I wanted to
bring what I do in other parts of the country
here to Omaha in a small way.
Speaker 5 (15:11):
And what do you create.
Speaker 6 (15:12):
I am an illustrator, a doll maker and a fiber artist.
Speaker 5 (15:16):
A doll maker mostly.
Speaker 6 (15:17):
My dolls is what I'm known for.
Speaker 5 (15:19):
Yes, creepy doll maker.
Speaker 6 (15:20):
Creepy doll maker.
Speaker 5 (15:21):
If they start off as creepy doll makers.
Speaker 6 (15:23):
Or do all I try to make cute dolls?
Speaker 5 (15:27):
Is that what you're asking?
Speaker 6 (15:28):
If they turn out creepy every time?
Speaker 5 (15:29):
Right?
Speaker 2 (15:30):
I mean it's not really the doll so much as
the situation and sometimes the way the moonlight hits it
in a fairly dark room.
Speaker 6 (15:37):
Well, they're button eye dolls, so that always gets people.
Coraline Coraline exactly, which isn't Tim Burton, but people think
it is. And it's the same sort of vibe for sure.
Speaker 2 (15:48):
All right, very cool. So that is Claire Caswell. We
also have here from Wicked Raven Productions. John Clark is
here on the program as well. The Boo Bizarre that
we're talking about is coming up on October twelve, from
ten to five thirty that day, John, why is this
being done at the Joslin Castle and really, how were
(16:08):
you able to do this at the Joslin Well?
Speaker 7 (16:11):
Actually, Claire and I have been working with the Joslyin
Castle and specifically the carriage House for probably the last
two years now, since they decided to take the carriage
house from kind of a.
Speaker 5 (16:24):
They decided to do something with it.
Speaker 7 (16:25):
Yeah, and so they've turned it into and we actually
were the first to hold the first art show at
the castle in over one hundred years. And so they're
turning that carriage house into a castle, I mean into
an art venue, music venue, things like that. So it's open.
So we've ran what probably ten fifteen art shows very
(16:47):
cool at the carriage House.
Speaker 2 (16:49):
Make yourself a little less comfortable and get a little
closer to that microphone job, because I want to hear
about what what you present on the day of the
Boo Bizarre.
Speaker 5 (16:56):
Are you an artist that is you're okay? So what
are you doing that day?
Speaker 7 (17:01):
So I will be there about five point thirty in
the morning, ushering in all of the vendors.
Speaker 5 (17:06):
Uh.
Speaker 7 (17:06):
It's a big area, so we're using its outdoors, so
it's going to be set up tents everywhere. So we've
had to map it all out. So I'm handling mostly
the logistics on that day and working with people at
the castle just to make sure that it goes smoothly.
Speaker 5 (17:24):
Enjoying it.
Speaker 2 (17:25):
Yeah, logistics are important. What is it that feeds your
soul about being a part of not just this event
but also Wicked Raven productions.
Speaker 5 (17:34):
Well, that's a that's a good question.
Speaker 7 (17:36):
So when I first got involved in this, it was
through my relationship with Claire, and this was all new
to me. I was what you would consider enormy, So
I didn't I wasn't into the creepy stuff. I wasn't
into the odd stuff. And it's not extremely creepy or odd.
It's actually just as cute.
Speaker 5 (17:53):
Delightful creepy. Yes it is.
Speaker 7 (17:55):
And so I have I've picked up a lot of
just insight into all of this, and it's actually really cool.
And that's what I would encourage is for people hearing this,
if you're like, oh, I like Halloween, it's neat, I
kind of think I like odd stuff. Just come check
it out. There's so many cools, so much cool stuff.
Speaker 2 (18:16):
Yeah, and there's probably a lot of stuff that's on
display there that you can buy that's not exactly Halloween
bamed right.
Speaker 7 (18:21):
Yeah, Yeah, there's tons of stuff there, I mean, and
there's going to be over one hundred vendors. So you
get to walk the grounds of the castle, you get
to see inside the carriage house, and the amazing art
from all the local artists. There's gonna be a lot
to do.
Speaker 2 (18:33):
And that's coming up on October twelfth.
Speaker 5 (18:35):
That's a Saturday, Sunday. That's a Sunday.
Speaker 7 (18:38):
Okay, Saturdays are pretty booked for the castle.
Speaker 5 (18:40):
I imagine.
Speaker 2 (18:41):
All right, So coming up on a Sunday there at
the Jocelyn Castle. And for those who are maybe outside
the Omaha area or new to it, the Jocelin Castle
is one of the most fascinating sites in Omaha that
doesn't get a ton of attention. There might be people
who lived here for a few years going, oh, you're
talking about the museum. No, not the Josle Museum. The
(19:02):
Joslin Castle is where this is midtown, Omaha, just north
of about forty second ish and Dodge right.
Speaker 5 (19:10):
Ish, yes, yeah, about fortieth.
Speaker 2 (19:12):
In Dodge, Yes, in that vicinity at midtown. So the
special distinction here. If you go to the museum and
you say this has nothing to do with Tim Burton,
but I'm gonna buy it anyway, and start walking out
with the painting, you will be met by security. But
at the Joslin Castle on Sunday, October twelfth, at the
Boo Bazaar. That's where we're doing all this stuff there.
(19:35):
That is John Clark one more time here with Claire Caswell.
Claire tell me about what people need to do. Do
we need to register in advance or buy tickets or
just show up or how does it work to be
there on Sunday October twelfth.
Speaker 6 (19:48):
If you go to our Facebook event page there is
a ticket link you can buy your ticket in advance
or at the door. Kids are free. Everyone who buys
a ticket gets a raffle ticket a well, so very affordable.
Speaker 5 (20:02):
All right, what are we raffling off?
Speaker 6 (20:04):
Oh? We have art, We have a haunted house, passes,
all kinds of things that have been that we've gathered
up from the vendors and other sponsors.
Speaker 2 (20:14):
All right, that's Wicked Raven Productions, Claire Caswell and John Clark.
They are presenting The Boo Bizarre Sunday, October twelfth, ten
to five thirty at the Joslin Castle. Find the Boo
Bizarre of Omaha on Facebook and get all that stuff
all taken care of and bring your friends and fellow
tim Burton officionados. Do I dress as Beetlejuice or pee
(20:37):
wee Adam Juice is more october Y.
Speaker 6 (20:40):
We're having costume contests, so come as either. I think
Beetlejuice would be fun.
Speaker 5 (20:44):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (20:45):
Oh it's been my dream to do that, all right,
super fun? All right, Claire John, thank you so much
for what you're doing here presenting this wonderful event for
local artists, and thanks for telling us about it. On
Community Matters, thank you. And finally on Community Matters this week,
we welcome back the assistant director of Marketing and Communications
with Food Bank for the Heartland right here in Omaha
(21:06):
and online at Foodbankheartland dot org. It's Stephanie Sullivan. Stephanie,
welcome back to Community Matters.
Speaker 4 (21:14):
Thank you so much for having me. I appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (21:16):
We still have some time left here in Hunger Action Month,
which is not to say that this will not be
an issue for people right here in our community next
month or any time throughout the year, but September is
a special time when your donation to the Food Bank
for the Heartland can go a little bit further. Please
tell me what you guys are doing for Hunger Action Month.
Speaker 4 (21:38):
Yeah, Hunger Action Month is we work in conjunction with
Feeding America and it's really a national campaign asking the
public to join our Hunger Action relief efforts and get
involved in the fight against hunger. And throughout the monthlong campaign,
there are several different ways to get involved. One of
them you already mentioned is making a financial donation to
(21:59):
the Food Bank. For the rest of September, every single
donation will be matched up to seventy five thousand dollars
thanks to generous friends at the Food Bank, and we
need the support now more than ever. We are seeing
significant decreases in federal funding resources and this has obviously
created additional barriers to how our neighbors receive access to
(22:23):
that nutritious food. And it's coming at a time when
food and security levels are at the highest we've ever seen.
Right now, one in seven individuals and one in five
children are facing hunger. This is a fifty percent surge
over the past two years.
Speaker 2 (22:38):
So if someone wanted to donate right now to take
advantage of this match, what do they.
Speaker 5 (22:42):
Need to do?
Speaker 4 (22:44):
They can visit our website Foodbankheartland dot org. And while
they're on their website, if for some reason they can't donate.
If they don't have the funds to donate, there are
other ways to get involved. One of the best ways
to get involved and make an impact is through volunteering.
Our volunteers have dedicated over fifty four thousand hours this
(23:04):
past year, and they are the backbone of our mission.
They are the ones packing and repacking our food that's
going out across the ninety three counties we served, ensuring
that people receive that nutritious food to thrive. So volunteering
is a great way to make a significant impact in
a small amount of time.
Speaker 2 (23:22):
I'd wondered Stephanie, how volunteering was going there at the
Food Bank, because I think a lot of people are
driving by what's going to be the new headquarters for
Food Bank for the Heartland. They're at eighty fourth and
L the old H and H property. You see a big,
beautiful building going up there on that corner, and there
might be some people thinking like, oh, I got to
wait until they move into their new place before I
(23:44):
can volunteer.
Speaker 5 (23:45):
Not the case, right, Not the case at all.
Speaker 4 (23:47):
And thank you for mentioning that. While we are excited
for the new move because it will allow us to
distribute even more food right during this increased time of need.
We need volunteers at our current facility. Right now we
are getting because we're getting less funding and less resources
from the government, we are relying on more donated food
(24:10):
coming into our warehouse and we really need the extra
help from our volunteers to repack that donated food as well.
And so right now there's a huge need to help
out and volunteer, and so there's so many different ways
to get involved. There's a role for everyone to play.
We're hoping that everyone can work together because it's only
when we collectively work together that we can alleviate hunger.
Speaker 2 (24:32):
So let's go through this again here as we're talking
for a few more minutes with Stephanie Sullivan food Bank
for the Heartland. Here on community matters. If someone wants
to volunteer their time, how do they do that?
Speaker 4 (24:44):
If somebody's working to volunteer, they can go to our
website Foodbankheartland dot org. You can sign up as an individual,
you can sign up as a group. Let's say you
have a group of co workers, you want to volunteer with,
a church group, even your family members. We have all
different types of group in there and groups in there,
and we can accommodate up to fifty people during every
(25:05):
single shift. We have eleven convenient shifts throughout the week,
so there's different times really to work with everyone's schedule.
So we encourage you to sign up and we promise
you'll have a great time doing it.
Speaker 2 (25:17):
Yeah, And as far as people who say, like, why
don't I work a lot and I don't have a
lot of time here, Plus I don't know if I
can be throwing giant sacks of potatoes and onions around,
what is the actual shift like there in terms of
time and workload.
Speaker 4 (25:31):
Yeah, the shifts are roughly two hours. And in terms
of workload, we have all different ages. As long as
you're over ten, you can volunteer, and we have people
all the way up to eighty years old volunteering in
our warehouse. And so depending on the specific needs of
that person, if somebody can't stand for two hours, we
will absolutely pivot and give them a different job. We
(25:54):
want to make sure everyone is enjoying the experience and
that they are filling a need, and so sometimes if
we have older people coming into the warehouse, we will
give them the job of stickering and putting the nutrition
labels on our bags because that's you know, obviously an
important job as well. And if somebody is looking for
something different, we will find a job for you. There's
(26:17):
a job for everyone in our volunteer center, and we
will make sure everyone has a great time while making
a significant impact.
Speaker 2 (26:24):
And you can learn more about volunteering your time there
at Foodbank Heartland dot org. What about just donating a
whole bunch of food if they have the opportunity to
do so, Yes, As.
Speaker 4 (26:35):
I mentioned, with federal funding cuts, less food is coming
into our warehouse, so right now, our biggest opportunity is
to work with individuals, processors, retailers to bring more donated
food into the warehouse and individuals help us out with
that too. If you are just going through your pantry
and you see some items that you want to donate,
(26:55):
by all means you can drop that off the food bank.
We are open from eight thirty to four thirty Monday
through Friday. You can drop off those food donations directly
to our warehouse and if you want, you can also
host a food drive with your friends or your family
or your coworkers. There are so many different ways and
so many different creative ways that people are finding to
get involved, to raise money and to donate food to
(27:18):
the food bank.
Speaker 2 (27:19):
And that's at the current warehouse one hundred and fifth
and Jay Street, so not terribly far from eighty fourth
and L where the new place will be.
Speaker 4 (27:26):
How much Sorry, go ahead, no, I was going to say,
it's just a five minute drive, so it's easy access.
Speaker 2 (27:32):
Yep, right down the road, especially if you if you
hit the lights the right way, or take that Jay
Street jog around there, you won't get any headlight, you know,
any traffic lights down there. He used to ride my
bike up and down that street. I live, grew up
in that area. Anyway, it was much easier to head
east because you were riding your bike downhill than coming
back home to the west and going uphill the entire way.
(27:56):
I'm won't bore you with any of those details anymore. Stephanie.
Talk about if someone wanted to donate money here and
take advantage of the Hunger Action Month being able to
increase the impact here thanks to some generous sponsors, and
someone wanted to donate some money again, what's the best
way of going about that?
Speaker 5 (28:17):
What are the needs right now?
Speaker 4 (28:20):
Yeah, cash is king for us right now because we
can take those financial donations and we can stretch those
dollars that much further because of our relationships with retailers
and our ability to purchase in bulk, so our dollar
does go much further then let's say somebody purchasing that
food at the grocery store. So financial donations are key
right now. We're seeing a reduction of two point seven
(28:42):
eight million dollars in federal funding and we are we
are definitely trying to bridge that gap, but it's getting
harder and harder as we're seeing an increased need in
food and security levels. So if someone is able to give,
we asked that they visit our website Foodbankcartland dot org.
The rest of September, your donation will be matched up
to seventy five thousand dollars, so you'll be able to
(29:04):
provide twice the amount of meals to children, family, seniors,
and veterans who truly don't know where their next meal
is coming from.
Speaker 2 (29:11):
Right now, September is Hunger Action Month. This is an
opportunity to double that impact. As Stephanie mentioned, all the
details are on their website Foodbankheartland dot org. Stephanie's Sullivan
is assistant director of Marketing and Communications for Food Bank
for the Heartland again online at Foodbankheartland dot org. Stephanie,
(29:32):
thank you so much for all the details, Thank you
for what you're doing for people right here in our community,
and thanks for telling us about it as always here
on Community Matters.
Speaker 4 (29:41):
Thanks for having me.
Speaker 1 (29:42):
This has been Community Matters, a weekly public affairs special
on CAT one O three, Omaha's Greatest Hits ninety nine
point nine, KGr News Radio, eleven ten KFAB, Country's Greatest
Hits ninety three three The Wolf, and ninety six to
one Kiss FM. Thank you so much for listening, and
enjoy the rest of your day.
This is Community Matters, a weekly public affairs program to
inform and entertain you with some of the great people, organizations,
and events in and around Omaha. Now here's the host
of the program from news radio eleven ten KFAB It's
Scott for Heats.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Thank you so much for being a part of our
program this week. As you've heard a lot on this show.
This month, the month of September is suicide Prevention Month.
And to talk more about this from a Better Way
Therapy and Capstone Behavioral Health of Nebraska, this is Dana Ritterbusch. Dana,
welcome back to Community Matters.
Speaker 3 (00:41):
Thank you for having me.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
This is part of what you guys have talked about there,
how employers and co workers can help save lives. Please explain.
Speaker 3 (00:52):
Yeah, I think that in the workplace, that's where we
spend a good chunk of our time, and that's a
place where we can carry lot of our stress with us,
whether it's personal stress, whether it's work related stress. And
I think it's important to have an environment that shows compassion,
compassion and really looks at safety in the workplace as
(01:13):
well as health including mental health.
Speaker 2 (01:15):
Sure, obviously safety that's a whole different conversation. But looking
at mental health, it's I think a pretty delicate line.
I was just reading a story today about how there
are a lot of workers, traditionally and stereotypically, maybe younger workers,
who need more positive affirmation in their day, and if
they don't get it, then they feel bad about themselves.
(01:37):
And occasionally if one has to be critical, some of
these workers just kind of fold into themselves. And so
managers are like, I can't criticize my employees. I can't
point out, like, hey, what you're doing is wrong, because
I might lose the employee and make them feel bad,
and I don't know how to do this. There's a
difference obviously between some of that dynamic and recognizing that
(02:00):
a co worker is maybe different than they used to be.
But what do you as it, as a co worker
or a manager, supposed to do about that without maybe
crossing some boundaries.
Speaker 3 (02:11):
Yeah, and I think that there there is a fine
line when it comes to that. Speaking of boundaries, I
think we're all different in different ways, and you're going
to come across that regardless of the age generation. But
I do think it's again, it's just showing up with compassion,
it's having an open door policy being there to discuss things,
(02:32):
and when there is feedback that needs to be given,
I think it's given in a way of what can
I do to support you and help you perform better
or whatever that might be. I think it's all in
the presentation from the leader as well.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
How do you start off that conversation because I think
I speak for a lot of people when you might
come into work maybe it's not the best day ever,
but you're certainly not the worst and just kind of
going about your day and a co worker says, like,
everything okay, and you're like, I didn't realize I had
a look on my face suggest that everything was not okay.
(03:07):
And sometimes that's not as as welcome a conversational topic
first thing in the morning. But how do you start
that conversation with someone to get them to maybe open
up and point them towards the right resources.
Speaker 3 (03:21):
Yeah, I think it's in the way that you just said.
I think it's just approaching them and saying, hey, is
everything okay? I think it's better to bring it up
and ask questions and talk about it than not. It
might be uncomfortable, but I think that still opens the
door for them to excuse me, be able to provide
feedback and talk if there is something on their mind,
(03:42):
or if it does catch them off guard and they're like, yeah,
I'm fine. You know, maybe in that moment they don't
want to talk about it, but they may come back
and talk about it at.
Speaker 4 (03:52):
A later time.
Speaker 2 (03:53):
Talking here with Dana Ritterbusch on community matters, what about
that next step which this is another thing I struggle
with someone. We get to talking, conversation might turn into
a personal way, and suddenly someone presents an issue. I immediately,
again stereotypically maybe man qualities coming through here, I'm like, Okay,
(04:14):
I've been presented a problem. I must fix it. Well, Dana,
I don't know if it's obvious in are just few
minutes we spent here together today, I'm not qualified as
a behavioral health therapist to be able to fix it.
How does someone go from now someone has presented an issue,
the trying to fix it, or to suddenly monopolize the
(04:36):
conversation kind of like I'm doing now and suddenly say like, oh,
I've dealt with something like that, or I know someone
who did that and it's not that big a deal.
Don't worry about it, or what should someone do and
what warning signs should they look for to realize this
is something that you need to try and hand off
to somebody else more professionally.
Speaker 3 (04:56):
Yeah, that's a great question, and I think the key
thing with that is that it's not our job, even
managers in the workplace, it's not their job or co
workers's jobs to fix it. I think to pick up
on some of those signs again, provide support, offer resources,
offer counseling services. If the company has an employee assistance program,
(05:18):
that's a great resource to provide. But again, it's just
that open ear and being willing to be that person
they can lean on in that moment, but not taking
on that challenge of I have to fix this because
there are professionals out there that they can get into
and start to address some of that.
Speaker 2 (05:34):
Are there certain signs that whether it's managers, co workers,
that people should look for in the workplace that might
pretend of a deeper.
Speaker 5 (05:43):
Issue going on.
Speaker 6 (05:44):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (05:44):
One thing I always coach managers and supervisors on is
to look for changes as it relates to performance, attendance, behavior,
safety in the workplace. So if they're seeing performance issues
that kind of come out of the blue, if there's
absentee meaning the person is just all of a sudden
not showing up, or even presenteeism where they do show
(06:05):
up for work but they're just not performing. They're just
kind of there. Of course, behavioral changes or concerns, and
then like in industrial settings or construction sites, safety issues
that might come up, those could all be signs not
to ignore and to be aware of. As well as
then just comments about I don't want to live, it's
not worth being here anymore. Anything like that should be
(06:27):
a red flag and a warning sign to pay attention to.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
What about for those who get this message and now
it's been presented like, hey, we've noticed some changes here
at work, let's address them now. I'm sure there are
people listening to this conversation right now going yeah, maybe
I didn't quite realize it, but I'm the person that
they're talking about. When someone now presents the situation to you,
(06:55):
so you don't immediately make it a bigger problem it
needs to be, obviously, it depends on how it's presented.
If it's like, hey, you schmuck, you know, that's maybe
not the best starting point. But if someone comes to
you with an air of let's work together to make
all this better for all of us here, How do
you internalize that, take it for the offer that it is,
(07:16):
and make it better and not a.
Speaker 3 (07:18):
Worse problem as the person that's providing the supporter.
Speaker 2 (07:22):
As a person who's who's just been presented by a
coworker like, wow, your performance has really slipped. Let's address it.
I mean a lot of people don't take criticism very well.
So now someone's presented this to you. How do we
take that and not make it a not turn it
into a worse problem.
Speaker 3 (07:39):
Yeah, And I think it is all about how we
take that. And I think it's a matter of thinking
about it in a way of hey, this is someone
that cares about me, that's reaching out, that wants to
make sure I'm okay, rather than just automatically going to
that place of they think I'm feeling or I'm not
doing well. So I think it's keeping that open mind
that you know you're getting the feedback others have concerns
(08:00):
and maybe I do need to have an open mind
to look at this and seek the support that maybe
I do need in the moment.
Speaker 2 (08:06):
How is it determined whether there's just like, hey, I've
just I've just been really tired, I've been working extra
hours in this other job.
Speaker 5 (08:14):
Whatever.
Speaker 2 (08:14):
I'm just tired and sorry. I got to deal with it,
versus recognizing that there might be a bigger problem here.
Speaker 3 (08:19):
Yeah, that's a good question, and that's a tough one
because you could have someone show up at work that
appears to be perfectly fine doing well that maybe is
having suicidal thoughts or is struggling with depression, and so
I think regardless, it's just a matter of offering that
support if you see any of those warning signs. Certainly,
(08:39):
if there is any sort of real suicide risk, there's
resources like the Suicide Prevention Lifeline nine A eight. You
can call that, you can text it, you can get
on the website and chat, and then reaching out to
centers like a Better Way Therapy in Capstone.
Speaker 2 (08:56):
Talking here with Dana Ritterbusch for just a couple more minutes,
with a Better Way there being Capstone Behavioral Health of Nebraska,
both located here in Omaha. One of the things you
address here is common workplace factors that can increase that
risk of suicide among employees. We've kind of been talking
about it mostly from the standpoint of there's something going
(09:17):
on outside of work, you bring it into work with you.
But you're saying there are things that can happen at
work that are certainly not Obviously we all know there
are things that happen to work that are not great
for our mental health. But to this point, so what
are some of these factors?
Speaker 3 (09:33):
I think the I mean just looking at the news
these days as a factor. We all have strong emotions
based on what we're seeing in the news, and we
can carry that into the workplace. Aside from that, though,
being in the workplace, I think it is just an
environment that's not the most supportive or where you don't
come together with your coworkers and have some sort of relationship,
(09:58):
feeling isolated, not supported, not having the training that you need.
There's a variety of factors that can really impact how
you feel at work.
Speaker 2 (10:08):
So someone coming up making inappropriate comments every day and
impressing their political views on you at a place where
you're making deli sandwiches maybe is not the best way
to go. And obviously managers need to recognize that not
be part of the problem, and if they see this happening,
address it and find a way to move forward. I
mean we here at the radio station. I try and
(10:33):
have a mantra that you know from my team here
at the radio station, which is pretty easy, have fun,
make money, and you know it's easier said than done
some days. But sometimes you can over complicate things. So
address the problem, sit down and talk about it and
find that common ground and try and find a way
to move forward. So tell me about what you do,
(10:55):
data and how people can reach you at both a
Better Way Therapy and Capstone Behavioral Health of Nebraska.
Speaker 3 (11:01):
Yeah, so both centers provide outpatient mental health counseling as
well as substance use counseling. We offer groups, skills, training groups,
so a variety of services, lots of different providers with
different areas of expertise, and so anyone can call. We
are sister companies. So if someone were to call A
Better Way Therapy in Capstone was a better match for
(11:21):
whatever reason, location, provider, specialty, we can always do a
very smooth transition over to that center for services as well.
Speaker 2 (11:30):
Dana Ritterbusch is a therapist and employee wellness expert. As
we said here with a Better Way Therapy and Capstone
Behavioral Health of Nebraska. Both here in Omaha Data. Always
appreciate the conversation. Thank you so much for having this
with us here today on Community Matters.
Speaker 3 (11:47):
Yeah, thanks for having me.
Speaker 2 (11:48):
Next up on community Matters, there's an event coming up
at the Joslyn Castle next month called the Boo Bazaar,
and it's put on by Wicked Raven Productions. We have
John Clark and haswell with us here.
Speaker 5 (12:01):
Claire. We'll start with you. Welcome to Community Matters.
Speaker 6 (12:03):
Hello, thank you.
Speaker 2 (12:05):
First, I got to hear about Wicked Raven Productions. What
did the raven do that was so wicked that we
needed to name the production company off of it?
Speaker 6 (12:12):
We wonder about that, right, I love the word wicked, wicked.
Speaker 2 (12:17):
Cool, right, I'm I'm a little from Boston.
Speaker 6 (12:19):
I'm not, but I'm I'm of the age that that
that was used.
Speaker 5 (12:23):
Yeah, it was used.
Speaker 2 (12:24):
Yeah in Boston you wicked smat right, So yeah, Wicked
Raven Productions kind of pretends, you know, I suggest this,
you know evermore or ever more exactly?
Speaker 6 (12:36):
Have we kind of like gothic and Halloween vibes and.
Speaker 2 (12:40):
So, and we're getting into that season. Tell me about
the Boo Bizarre.
Speaker 6 (12:46):
So, the Boo Bizarre is a artist and vendor market
with a theme. So we do a Halloween theme, witchy
weird oddities. This year we have an additional theme. It's
the Tim Burton Edition.
Speaker 2 (12:59):
I love Tim Burton. We do that Man, Beetlejuice, Big Fish.
I think Tim Burton has made some of the best
movies of all times.
Speaker 6 (13:08):
Agreed, Agreed, So we've kind of gone full force with
our tim Burton theme. We have an art show also
happening at the Castle at the same time as the
Boo Bazar. So far we have over one hundred venders,
all with products that fit the theme, from artwork to
bath and body to baked goods.
Speaker 5 (13:26):
Yeah, big adventure. Sorry, I'm thinking about to know. That's
all right, just he has he has.
Speaker 2 (13:32):
Something that's not right in his brain in such a
delightfully strange way where he'll take just a normal situation
and just give it just a little twist Frank and
Weeny exactly.
Speaker 5 (13:46):
Film.
Speaker 2 (13:47):
Yeah, I love that man's work. So if for fellow
Tim Burton fans, what can we expect to see, Like,
do we have to get through the sandworms to come
into the Joslyn Castle.
Speaker 6 (13:57):
From that wonderful Yes, we have a sponsor or who's
providing some decorations. So there will be some Timburton props.
For sure. We have amazing artists involved that are all
excited about the theme. So I can't say for sure
what you'll see. You'll be gleefully surprised, though. It's gonna
be wonderful.
Speaker 5 (14:16):
But I can come buy stuff here.
Speaker 6 (14:17):
Right absolutely, that's what it's for to support artists and
small businesses. So you can buy art, you can buy jewelry,
you can buy baked goods. They'll be food trucks, everything
from dolls and crocheted items, fine art, prints, stickers, really,
you name it. It will be available and it all
(14:39):
have that theme.
Speaker 2 (14:42):
And you said this is supporting artists small businesses, tell
me about that component. Obviously, the people who are selling stuff,
they get some of the money, but it seems like
this is a bigger collective that benefits from this wonderful event,
right for sure.
Speaker 6 (14:56):
That's why we do these. We do art Schowsen events
to support local art and makers. I myself am a maker,
an artist and an experienced vendor, and I wanted to
bring what I do in other parts of the country
here to Omaha in a small way.
Speaker 5 (15:11):
And what do you create.
Speaker 6 (15:12):
I am an illustrator, a doll maker and a fiber artist.
Speaker 5 (15:16):
A doll maker mostly.
Speaker 6 (15:17):
My dolls is what I'm known for.
Speaker 5 (15:19):
Yes, creepy doll maker.
Speaker 6 (15:20):
Creepy doll maker.
Speaker 5 (15:21):
If they start off as creepy doll makers.
Speaker 6 (15:23):
Or do all I try to make cute dolls?
Speaker 5 (15:27):
Is that what you're asking?
Speaker 6 (15:28):
If they turn out creepy every time?
Speaker 5 (15:29):
Right?
Speaker 2 (15:30):
I mean it's not really the doll so much as
the situation and sometimes the way the moonlight hits it
in a fairly dark room.
Speaker 6 (15:37):
Well, they're button eye dolls, so that always gets people.
Coraline Coraline exactly, which isn't Tim Burton, but people think
it is. And it's the same sort of vibe for sure.
Speaker 2 (15:48):
All right, very cool. So that is Claire Caswell. We
also have here from Wicked Raven Productions. John Clark is
here on the program as well. The Boo Bizarre that
we're talking about is coming up on October twelve, from
ten to five thirty that day, John, why is this
being done at the Joslin Castle and really, how were
(16:08):
you able to do this at the Joslin Well?
Speaker 7 (16:11):
Actually, Claire and I have been working with the Joslyin
Castle and specifically the carriage House for probably the last
two years now, since they decided to take the carriage
house from kind of a.
Speaker 5 (16:24):
They decided to do something with it.
Speaker 7 (16:25):
Yeah, and so they've turned it into and we actually
were the first to hold the first art show at
the castle in over one hundred years. And so they're
turning that carriage house into a castle, I mean into
an art venue, music venue, things like that. So it's open.
So we've ran what probably ten fifteen art shows very
(16:47):
cool at the carriage House.
Speaker 2 (16:49):
Make yourself a little less comfortable and get a little
closer to that microphone job, because I want to hear
about what what you present on the day of the
Boo Bizarre.
Speaker 5 (16:56):
Are you an artist that is you're okay? So what
are you doing that day?
Speaker 7 (17:01):
So I will be there about five point thirty in
the morning, ushering in all of the vendors.
Speaker 5 (17:06):
Uh.
Speaker 7 (17:06):
It's a big area, so we're using its outdoors, so
it's going to be set up tents everywhere. So we've
had to map it all out. So I'm handling mostly
the logistics on that day and working with people at
the castle just to make sure that it goes smoothly.
Speaker 5 (17:24):
Enjoying it.
Speaker 2 (17:25):
Yeah, logistics are important. What is it that feeds your
soul about being a part of not just this event
but also Wicked Raven productions.
Speaker 5 (17:34):
Well, that's a that's a good question.
Speaker 7 (17:36):
So when I first got involved in this, it was
through my relationship with Claire, and this was all new
to me. I was what you would consider enormy, So
I didn't I wasn't into the creepy stuff. I wasn't
into the odd stuff. And it's not extremely creepy or odd.
It's actually just as cute.
Speaker 5 (17:53):
Delightful creepy. Yes it is.
Speaker 7 (17:55):
And so I have I've picked up a lot of
just insight into all of this, and it's actually really cool.
And that's what I would encourage is for people hearing this,
if you're like, oh, I like Halloween, it's neat, I
kind of think I like odd stuff. Just come check
it out. There's so many cools, so much cool stuff.
Speaker 2 (18:16):
Yeah, and there's probably a lot of stuff that's on
display there that you can buy that's not exactly Halloween
bamed right.
Speaker 7 (18:21):
Yeah, Yeah, there's tons of stuff there, I mean, and
there's going to be over one hundred vendors. So you
get to walk the grounds of the castle, you get
to see inside the carriage house, and the amazing art
from all the local artists. There's gonna be a lot
to do.
Speaker 2 (18:33):
And that's coming up on October twelfth.
Speaker 5 (18:35):
That's a Saturday, Sunday. That's a Sunday.
Speaker 7 (18:38):
Okay, Saturdays are pretty booked for the castle.
Speaker 5 (18:40):
I imagine.
Speaker 2 (18:41):
All right, So coming up on a Sunday there at
the Jocelyn Castle. And for those who are maybe outside
the Omaha area or new to it, the Jocelin Castle
is one of the most fascinating sites in Omaha that
doesn't get a ton of attention. There might be people
who lived here for a few years going, oh, you're
talking about the museum. No, not the Josle Museum. The
(19:02):
Joslin Castle is where this is midtown, Omaha, just north
of about forty second ish and Dodge right.
Speaker 5 (19:10):
Ish, yes, yeah, about fortieth.
Speaker 2 (19:12):
In Dodge, Yes, in that vicinity at midtown. So the
special distinction here. If you go to the museum and
you say this has nothing to do with Tim Burton,
but I'm gonna buy it anyway, and start walking out
with the painting, you will be met by security. But
at the Joslin Castle on Sunday, October twelfth, at the
Boo Bazaar. That's where we're doing all this stuff there.
(19:35):
That is John Clark one more time here with Claire Caswell.
Claire tell me about what people need to do. Do
we need to register in advance or buy tickets or
just show up or how does it work to be
there on Sunday October twelfth.
Speaker 6 (19:48):
If you go to our Facebook event page there is
a ticket link you can buy your ticket in advance
or at the door. Kids are free. Everyone who buys
a ticket gets a raffle ticket a well, so very affordable.
Speaker 5 (20:02):
All right, what are we raffling off?
Speaker 6 (20:04):
Oh? We have art, We have a haunted house, passes,
all kinds of things that have been that we've gathered
up from the vendors and other sponsors.
Speaker 2 (20:14):
All right, that's Wicked Raven Productions, Claire Caswell and John Clark.
They are presenting The Boo Bizarre Sunday, October twelfth, ten
to five thirty at the Joslin Castle. Find the Boo
Bizarre of Omaha on Facebook and get all that stuff
all taken care of and bring your friends and fellow
tim Burton officionados. Do I dress as Beetlejuice or pee
(20:37):
wee Adam Juice is more october Y.
Speaker 6 (20:40):
We're having costume contests, so come as either. I think
Beetlejuice would be fun.
Speaker 5 (20:44):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (20:45):
Oh it's been my dream to do that, all right,
super fun? All right, Claire John, thank you so much
for what you're doing here presenting this wonderful event for
local artists, and thanks for telling us about it. On
Community Matters, thank you. And finally on Community Matters this week,
we welcome back the assistant director of Marketing and Communications
with Food Bank for the Heartland right here in Omaha
(21:06):
and online at Foodbankheartland dot org. It's Stephanie Sullivan. Stephanie,
welcome back to Community Matters.
Speaker 4 (21:14):
Thank you so much for having me. I appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (21:16):
We still have some time left here in Hunger Action Month,
which is not to say that this will not be
an issue for people right here in our community next
month or any time throughout the year, but September is
a special time when your donation to the Food Bank
for the Heartland can go a little bit further. Please
tell me what you guys are doing for Hunger Action Month.
Speaker 4 (21:38):
Yeah, Hunger Action Month is we work in conjunction with
Feeding America and it's really a national campaign asking the
public to join our Hunger Action relief efforts and get
involved in the fight against hunger. And throughout the monthlong campaign,
there are several different ways to get involved. One of
them you already mentioned is making a financial donation to
(21:59):
the Food Bank. For the rest of September, every single
donation will be matched up to seventy five thousand dollars
thanks to generous friends at the Food Bank, and we
need the support now more than ever. We are seeing
significant decreases in federal funding resources and this has obviously
created additional barriers to how our neighbors receive access to
(22:23):
that nutritious food. And it's coming at a time when
food and security levels are at the highest we've ever seen.
Right now, one in seven individuals and one in five
children are facing hunger. This is a fifty percent surge
over the past two years.
Speaker 2 (22:38):
So if someone wanted to donate right now to take
advantage of this match, what do they.
Speaker 5 (22:42):
Need to do?
Speaker 4 (22:44):
They can visit our website Foodbankheartland dot org. And while
they're on their website, if for some reason they can't donate.
If they don't have the funds to donate, there are
other ways to get involved. One of the best ways
to get involved and make an impact is through volunteering.
Our volunteers have dedicated over fifty four thousand hours this
(23:04):
past year, and they are the backbone of our mission.
They are the ones packing and repacking our food that's
going out across the ninety three counties we served, ensuring
that people receive that nutritious food to thrive. So volunteering
is a great way to make a significant impact in
a small amount of time.
Speaker 2 (23:22):
I'd wondered Stephanie, how volunteering was going there at the
Food Bank, because I think a lot of people are
driving by what's going to be the new headquarters for
Food Bank for the Heartland. They're at eighty fourth and
L the old H and H property. You see a big,
beautiful building going up there on that corner, and there
might be some people thinking like, oh, I got to
wait until they move into their new place before I
(23:44):
can volunteer.
Speaker 5 (23:45):
Not the case, right, Not the case at all.
Speaker 4 (23:47):
And thank you for mentioning that. While we are excited
for the new move because it will allow us to
distribute even more food right during this increased time of need.
We need volunteers at our current facility. Right now we
are getting because we're getting less funding and less resources
from the government, we are relying on more donated food
(24:10):
coming into our warehouse and we really need the extra
help from our volunteers to repack that donated food as well.
And so right now there's a huge need to help
out and volunteer, and so there's so many different ways
to get involved. There's a role for everyone to play.
We're hoping that everyone can work together because it's only
when we collectively work together that we can alleviate hunger.
Speaker 2 (24:32):
So let's go through this again here as we're talking
for a few more minutes with Stephanie Sullivan food Bank
for the Heartland. Here on community matters. If someone wants
to volunteer their time, how do they do that?
Speaker 4 (24:44):
If somebody's working to volunteer, they can go to our
website Foodbankheartland dot org. You can sign up as an individual,
you can sign up as a group. Let's say you
have a group of co workers, you want to volunteer with,
a church group, even your family members. We have all
different types of group in there and groups in there,
and we can accommodate up to fifty people during every
(25:05):
single shift. We have eleven convenient shifts throughout the week,
so there's different times really to work with everyone's schedule.
So we encourage you to sign up and we promise
you'll have a great time doing it.
Speaker 2 (25:17):
Yeah, And as far as people who say, like, why
don't I work a lot and I don't have a
lot of time here, Plus I don't know if I
can be throwing giant sacks of potatoes and onions around,
what is the actual shift like there in terms of
time and workload.
Speaker 4 (25:31):
Yeah, the shifts are roughly two hours. And in terms
of workload, we have all different ages. As long as
you're over ten, you can volunteer, and we have people
all the way up to eighty years old volunteering in
our warehouse. And so depending on the specific needs of
that person, if somebody can't stand for two hours, we
will absolutely pivot and give them a different job. We
(25:54):
want to make sure everyone is enjoying the experience and
that they are filling a need, and so sometimes if
we have older people coming into the warehouse, we will
give them the job of stickering and putting the nutrition
labels on our bags because that's you know, obviously an
important job as well. And if somebody is looking for
something different, we will find a job for you. There's
(26:17):
a job for everyone in our volunteer center, and we
will make sure everyone has a great time while making
a significant impact.
Speaker 2 (26:24):
And you can learn more about volunteering your time there
at Foodbank Heartland dot org. What about just donating a
whole bunch of food if they have the opportunity to
do so, Yes, As.
Speaker 4 (26:35):
I mentioned, with federal funding cuts, less food is coming
into our warehouse, so right now, our biggest opportunity is
to work with individuals, processors, retailers to bring more donated
food into the warehouse and individuals help us out with
that too. If you are just going through your pantry
and you see some items that you want to donate,
(26:55):
by all means you can drop that off the food bank.
We are open from eight thirty to four thirty Monday
through Friday. You can drop off those food donations directly
to our warehouse and if you want, you can also
host a food drive with your friends or your family
or your coworkers. There are so many different ways and
so many different creative ways that people are finding to
get involved, to raise money and to donate food to
(27:18):
the food bank.
Speaker 2 (27:19):
And that's at the current warehouse one hundred and fifth
and Jay Street, so not terribly far from eighty fourth
and L where the new place will be.
Speaker 4 (27:26):
How much Sorry, go ahead, no, I was going to say,
it's just a five minute drive, so it's easy access.
Speaker 2 (27:32):
Yep, right down the road, especially if you if you
hit the lights the right way, or take that Jay
Street jog around there, you won't get any headlight, you know,
any traffic lights down there. He used to ride my
bike up and down that street. I live, grew up
in that area. Anyway, it was much easier to head
east because you were riding your bike downhill than coming
back home to the west and going uphill the entire way.
(27:56):
I'm won't bore you with any of those details anymore. Stephanie.
Talk about if someone wanted to donate money here and
take advantage of the Hunger Action Month being able to
increase the impact here thanks to some generous sponsors, and
someone wanted to donate some money again, what's the best
way of going about that?
Speaker 5 (28:17):
What are the needs right now?
Speaker 4 (28:20):
Yeah, cash is king for us right now because we
can take those financial donations and we can stretch those
dollars that much further because of our relationships with retailers
and our ability to purchase in bulk, so our dollar
does go much further then let's say somebody purchasing that
food at the grocery store. So financial donations are key
right now. We're seeing a reduction of two point seven
(28:42):
eight million dollars in federal funding and we are we
are definitely trying to bridge that gap, but it's getting
harder and harder as we're seeing an increased need in
food and security levels. So if someone is able to give,
we asked that they visit our website Foodbankcartland dot org.
The rest of September, your donation will be matched up
to seventy five thousand dollars, so you'll be able to
(29:04):
provide twice the amount of meals to children, family, seniors,
and veterans who truly don't know where their next meal
is coming from.
Speaker 2 (29:11):
Right now, September is Hunger Action Month. This is an
opportunity to double that impact. As Stephanie mentioned, all the
details are on their website Foodbankheartland dot org. Stephanie's Sullivan
is assistant director of Marketing and Communications for Food Bank
for the Heartland again online at Foodbankheartland dot org. Stephanie,
(29:32):
thank you so much for all the details, Thank you
for what you're doing for people right here in our community,
and thanks for telling us about it as always here
on Community Matters.
Speaker 4 (29:41):
Thanks for having me.
Speaker 1 (29:42):
This has been Community Matters, a weekly public affairs special
on CAT one O three, Omaha's Greatest Hits ninety nine
point nine, KGr News Radio, eleven ten KFAB, Country's Greatest
Hits ninety three three The Wolf, and ninety six to
one Kiss FM. Thank you so much for listening, and
enjoy the rest of your day.
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