Crete food pantry faces shortages as Smithfield Foods provides support ahead of the holidays
CRETE, Neb. (KLKN) — Food pantries across Nebraska are seeing more people seeking assistance as rising grocery costs continue to put pressure on households.
At Blue Valley Community Action Partnership’s food pantry in Crete, essentials like canned fruit, canned meat, cereal and spaghetti sauce are completely out of stock.
The growing need for assistance extends beyond Saline County.
“We have a food pantry in each of our nine core service counties. I talked to them about it just this week,” said Ben Schwartz, communications and development officer for Blue Valley Community Action Partnership. “They’re all reporting, yes, we’re seeing more people. We’re seeing people that we’ve never seen before, and so that’s the state of our pantries right now.”
Schwartz said rising grocery costs, along with changes to government assistance programs such as SNAP, are making it harder for some households to afford food.
During the 2024-25 fiscal year, Blue Valley Community Action Partnership served nearly 8,000 people across its nine-county service area, including more than 700 households in Saline County alone.
While updated figures aren’t yet available, Schwartz said coordinators across all nine counties are reporting an increase in people seeking assistance.
With the holidays approaching, keeping pantry shelves stocked remains a concern.
“The support that we get especially around this time of year has always been marvelous,” Schwartz said. “This is a time of year where food pantries and things like that are on people’s mind. They’re thinking about it, and we traditionally enjoy a lot of support during this time of year.”
That community support includes contributions from local businesses.
On Thursday afternoon, Blue Valley Community Action Partnership hosted an appreciation event recognizing Smithfield Foods for its continued support, including a donation that helped purchase two new commercial freezers.
The additional freezer space will allow the pantry to store more meat and provide additional protein options to those who rely on its services.
“These freezers are helping us a lot because that way we can store a lot more meat for my clients,” said Sonia Corral, FCS coordinator for Blue Valley Community Action Partnership. “Smithfield actually is always giving me tons of meat, and sometimes I just don’t have the room.”
Corral said Smithfield has supported the organization through food donations and other community programs, including holiday assistance for children.
But food and financial contributions aren’t the only ways community members can help.
Corral said the pantry also needs volunteers to organize shelves, sort donations and assist with daily operations.
Those interested in helping can bring donations to the Crete pantry on Tuesdays and Thursdays, contribute financially or volunteer their time.
As demand continues to grow, staff say community support remains essential to keeping food available for those who need it.
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