Lincoln nonprofit sees 500% increase in food pantry users; now preparing for ‘second wave’

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — Matt Talbot Kitchen & Outreach usually prepares for a busy holiday season, but this year, the need arrived early, and in staggering numbers.

Due to the government shutdown, many SNAP recipients faced uncertainty about where their next meal would come from.

SEE ALSO: Remainder of November SNAP benefits issued to Nebraskans

And at Matt Talbot – that was evident.

“So many new people were coming in. We saw a 500% increase,” said Alynn Sampson, the Executive Director. “We were not expecting that response, but it’s been great. I think for us, that’s exactly what we wanted. We wanted to make sure that we were just another resource available. It was a little bit chaotic, but I think that we wanted to be here.”

The nonprofit saw a 500% increase in the number of people who turned to their food pantry in the first two weeks of November, compared to the same period in 2024.

“I think it just goes to show that there is so much insecurity happening in the community,” Sampson said.

And with that came more mouths to feed at lunch and dinner, with a 34% increase in the number of dinner meals served, and a 24% increase in the number of lunch meals served.

“We were just constantly buying food to fill that pantry, relying on community support to bring in food to fill it, relying on the Food Bank,” Sampson said. “It was just constantly filling it, every single day.”

Due to recent changes in who can receive SNAP benefits, Sampson said the large number of people showing up won’t be reduced just yet.

SEE ALSO: Local nonprofits weigh in on the impact of new federal requirements for SNAP

“There’s going to be this second wave of individuals who are going to face some pretty big food insecurity issues that we’ll be seeing at our doors, at other agencies,” she said. “Even though it’s easy to think, ‘OK, the government’s back open, everything is solved,’ there’s still going to be a large increase in food insecurity.”

But despite so many new people showing up, Sampson said they are staying prepared and can’t do it without the community’s help.

“I think Lincoln is so unique that we have such a small community, even though it’s growing, that we step up in these times of need,” she said. “That was such a great thing to see, and we just can’t thank the community enough for what they did in these last few weeks.”