Columbus- Every little spark counts, at least when it comes to impacting our local communities. The Columbus Area United Way recently received a grant for $1,000 from the local Columbus, Nebraska Walmart. Being an active part of their communities has always been important to Walmart and the Spark Good platform is one way they are impacting their local communities. They believe that you can turn small actions into big ripples that provide meaningful impact because when we all come together, we can Spark Good.
The Columbus Area United Way is putting this funding to good use, using the funds to help provide food assistance to a large gap in our community, seniors. According to 2023 data from feedingamerica.org, over 20,000 individuals over the age of 60 in Nebraska were food insecure with a 4.2% food insecurity rate. To help assist with this gap, Columbus Area United Way provided almost 1,100 bags of food for seniors from November 2025 to February 2026, assisting 2,800 individuals with food access. Hope Freshour, Executive Director, Columbus Area United Way said, “Thanks to this funding, we can make a meaningful impact in the lives of seniors in our community who face food insecurity. By providing access to nutritious food, we are not only meeting an immediate need but also supporting the health and well-being of our senior population.”
The funds received from the Spark Good grant will go directly to putting more food into the hands of the senior population in our communities.