The Scratch

One ticket, 3,000 meals

Just a few days before Christmas 2018, the Food Bank for the Heartland received a donation at their Omaha office that was just a little bit different than the usual brown paper bag of non-perishable food or a check to help them feed hungry people across Nebraska and western Iowa.

Someone had anonymously mailed the Food Bank a Lucky Numbers Super Ticket Scratch ticket from the Nebraska Lottery, but rather than offering them a chance to win a cash prize, this one had already been scratched and revealed a $1,000 prize.

You’ll occasionally hear about someone donating a winning lottery ticket to a charity, but it’s definitely not an everyday occurrence, said Food Bank for the Heartland vice president of external affairs Kelly Ptacek.

In fact, it’s the first time anyone at the Food Bank can remember it happening, Ptacek said.

The $1,000 prize, which was claimed on December 20 by the Food Bank for the Heartland, was originally purchased at the Speedee Mart at 13804 Manderson Circle in Omaha, about a 15 minute drive from the Food Bank for the Heartland’s office.

That money will go a long way to feeding a lot of people, Ptacek said. Even more than you might think.

“One dollar can make a difference,” she said. “It can buy up to three meals. With this we can provide up to 3,000 meals.”

Food Bank for the Heartland distributes food across 535 partner organizations across 93 counties in Nebraska and in western Iowa. You’ll find food sourced to food pantries and emergency shelters all the way west from Scottsbluff in the panhandle to Clarinda, Iowa.

A good portion of the food distributed by the Food Bank comes from corporate and other donors, but the Food Bank for the Heartland still purchases about 32 percent of the food that goes out.

If you’re interested in donating items to Food Bank for the Heartland, they’re always in need of shelf stable foods like crackers, cookies, canned foods, peanut butter and other non-perishable pantry staples.

To volunteer time or to donate cash, checks or even winning Scratch tickets, call the Food Bank at (402) 331-1213 or go to their website at foodbankheartland.org.