COLUMBUS AREA UNITED WAY RECEIVES GRANT FROM UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD COMMUNITY TIES GIVING PROGRAM TO SUPPORT FOOD ACCESS FOR SENIORS
Columbus, Nebraska – Columbus Area United Way is the proud recipient of a Union Pacific Railroad Community Ties Giving Program grant, which will help provide supplemental food for a gap in our community, seniors.
“Union Pacific is proud to support organizations doing the hard work on the ground to improve the quality of life for their communities, including those where our employees live and work across our 23-state network,” said Liisa Lawson Stark, vice president – Public Affairs, Union Pacific Railroad. “Investments in high-quality nonprofits yield growth, prosperity and well-being of the communities we serve.”
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 sixty in Nebraska were food insecure with a 4.2% food insecurity rate. To help assist with this gap, Columbus Area United Way is providing monthly food bags for seniors in our community that need assistance. 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 Community Ties Giving Program grant will go directly to putting more food in the hands of the senior population in our communities.