ENCAP Partners with State Farm Agent Matt Ricchini for Mobile Food Pantry
On June 20, Eastern Nebraska Community Action Partnership (ENCAP) (www.encapnebraska.org) partnered with local State Farm Insurance Agent Matt Ricchini to provide food to nearly 100 households (296 individuals) in Bellevue, NE through a mobile food pantry event at Thanksgiving Church. Ricchini provided 150 insulated cooler bags to keep the produce cool, and even set -up a tent and snow cone machine to add some fun.
Leading up to the event, Ricchini and his team generously organized a community food drive June 10–17 to collect healthy protein items for distribution at the event, including fresh produce, peanut butter, nuts, and canned meat, to name a few. The goal was to fill four barrels of food. Upon achieving the goal, Ricchini wrote a check of $500 to go towards purchasing produce for the mobile food pantry. Along with Agent Matt Ricchini’s State Farm location, ENCAP would like to thank Dave Boever from Farrell’s eXtreme Bodyshaping and Dr. Todd Niemeyer of Niemeyer Family Chiropractic for their partnership and willingness to be food collection sites!
“ENCAP works to provide supports to help stabilize households experiencing crisis, so that they can move forward with their lives” said Aaron Bowen, ENCAP executive director. “This event was a success thanks to several community partners who came together to address the increasing need in Bellevue. We cannot do this work alone, and we don’t take for granted that this work would not be possible without the support of the community. Thank you to all who helped make this day possible.”
ENCAP is a nonprofit community based organization that has been providing social and human services to people facing poverty since 1965. For more information, find ENCAP online at www.encapnebraska.org or go to the Facebook page (@encapnebraska).
Pictured (L-R): ENCAP Deputy Director, Meredith Metcalf; ENCAP nutrition center staff, Brandi Curtis-Ford; ENCAP Commodity Supplemental Food Distribution Coordinator, Tiffany Turner.
Matt Ricchini (left) presents Aaron Bowen with a $500 check for mobile pantry event.