‘Hand-in-hand’: Star City Pride hosts food drive for those in need during SNAP freeze

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — From canned goods to boxed meals, Star City Pride is turning support into action this weekend.

The organization partnered with shops and restaurants around Lincoln and Omaha to set up donation boxes for those in need.

“We’re right there with you,” said Vice President Ryan Ostendorf. “We stand hand-in-hand with the community of Lincoln. They’ve always supported us, and we support them. I think everyone’s just trying to pitch in, and that’s the beauty of what happens when we all come together to do it.”

SNAP benefits are currently frozen across the nation because of the ongoing government shutdown.

Ostendorf said with the lack of food stamp access, the group decided to step up.

All of the donations will go to two nonprofits, including Matt Talbot Kitchen & Outreach in Lincoln, and Omaha’s For Us Community Center.

And he said the work Matt Talbot does is similar to the Star City Pride’s mission to empower everyone.

“That’s what the focus is for me,” he said. “I want people to be proud and loud about that, because we are. And it doesn’t matter who you are, we will support you in any way that we can. When I was reading up on the food banks, that really popped out to me on the Matt Talbot Kitchen & Outreach.”

The food drive will go until the end of the day on Sunday.

Ostendorf said it’s a way to show that community pride goes beyond celebration, it’s about taking care of each other year-round.

“The food turnout has actually been huge, and fast,” he said. “I really thought that maybe it was just a social media push with 60 shares. People are really into it, but every tote that we have right now is pretty much full. They’ve got all sorts of different things.”