- City Sprouts provides free meals and groceries to residents without requiring ID or income verification.
- Director Carol Blood says new SNAP requirements and the government shutdown have worsened food insecurity.
- The nonprofit relies on “food ninjas” — community volunteers and donors — to keep its shelves stocked amid limited grant funding.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Food pantries across Omaha are preparing for what one local organizer calls “the perfect storm” — a convergence of new federal requirements, fewer benefits, and seasonal shortages that are leaving more families hungry.
Here at City Sprouts, Omaha’s oldest community garden, the mission goes far beyond growing fruits and vegetables. The produce harvested here helps stock food pantries and fill grab-and-go bags for families across North Omaha — no ID or proof of income required.
“We cater a lot to the people who are unhomed, to area seniors, and actually to a lot of school kids,” said Carol Blood, Director of City Sprouts.Blood says demand is at an all-time high, driven by a combination of factors: SNAP cutbacks and new eligibility requirements, the ongoing government shutdown, and the end of the garden’s growing season — which limits access to fresh produce.
“It’s really unfortunate because we know — especially for veterans in the area — it’s going to be tough,” Blood said. “Families we serve have told us they aren’t sure what they’re going to do.”Inside the garden’s attic pantry, shelves hold what Blood calls “grab-and-go” bags — meal kits with shelf-stable items that only need a fresh sandwich and vegetables added.
Each bag feeds two people, but City Sprouts can only put out two bags per day — barely enough to meet the growing demand.
“We share those groceries with other pantries — and everybody’s going to be short,” Blood added. “That’s where we really depend on our food ninjas to help us out.”Those “food ninjas” — everyday Good Samaritans, volunteers, and nearby nonprofits — are becoming an essential lifeline. With grant eligibility limited this year, Blood says City Sprouts is relying more than ever on donations and community partnerships to keep neighbors fed.
