ENCAP Nebraska

10/02/2026

October 1 marked a decade at ENCAP for me and 21 years in the Community Action movement, and the month leading up to this date included several things that make this work so meaningful.

🥳 We honored Chalis Bristol as she finished six years as a rock-solid board member, ending her term as President.

🥳 I attended the always-inspiring Community Action Partnership National Office annual convention with Mary Spurgeon, another rock-solid ENCAP board member and Omaha Public Power District board member, and Deanna Wagner, Bellevue Food Pantry Manager.

🥳 We celebrated Annetta and Sandy, two team members who have been adding value and helping folks with thoughtfulness and compassion since I arrived in 2016.

🥳 Jill Connor, Deputy Director, and I accepted the Game Changer award on behalf of the Bellevue Food Pantry from the Bellevue Chamber of Commerce, an outstanding partner of ours.

🥳 We continued work transforming the former Bellevue Public Library into the new Bellevue NE Food Pantry.

This work is always rewarding, sometimes challenging, and ever-changing. With a great board of directors, committed partners, and an all-star team, we aim to keep getting better each day.

09/27/2026

We are so excited about this transformation! Every dollar gets us closer to expanding our capacity, offering more nutritious foods, and helping people move beyond food insecurity to stability.

08/27/2026

Last Thursday, August 20th, marked 66 years since the Economic Opportunity Act (EOA) was signed into law. Following through on President Johnson’s declaration of unconditional war on poverty in America, the EOA created the Office of Economic Opportunity and a diversity of innovative programs aimed at helping people in every corner of the country gain the skills, jobs, healthcare, and education they needed to reach economic stability and create a brighter future.

Community Action Programs were one of these transformational programs, and ENCAP is proud to uphold its part of this legacy as the Community Action Agency for Douglas and Sarpy Counties.

In honor of this anniversary, we want to share a few recent events that exemplify how Community Action changes lives and strengthens communities.

❤️We celebrated the participants in our Matched Savings Program who reached the halfway point of this year’s program. They are exploring their individual relationships with money and figuring out how to spend, save, borrow, and plan in ways that meet their needs and goals. In return for their hard work, we invested in them, matching their first six months of savings 2:1.

❤️We began transforming the former Bellevue Public Library building into the new Bellevue Pantry. This new facility will double our capacity to meet growing needs, allow us to expand supportive services and partnership, and bring more of the community closer to our work. This is the community’s pantry, and our project highlights the power of public-private partnerships. When we work together, work gets done. https://bellevuepantry.org/capital-campaign/

❤️Jude, a sophomore, is pictured with Tiffany Turner, ENCAP’s Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) Manager. Jude reached his goal of completing 300 hours of on-the-job training supported by Heartland Workforce Solutions. He assisted with onsite food distribution to our seniors and packed and moved many, many boxes. Jude is friendly, polite, and eager to learn, and he is the youngest participant we have had through the program. We know he has a bright future ahead of him and wish him the best.

There is nothing like Community Action. Every participant we walk with and community we work with makes us better at what we do.

07/27/2026

It's HOT out there! As this stretch of extreme heat continues, please take a few moments to check on the people in your life, especially older adults, neighbors living alone, friends with health concerns, families without reliable air conditioning, and anyone who may be more vulnerable to the heat.

A simple phone call, text message, or knock on the door can make all the difference.

Remember to:
💧 Drink plenty of water.
🌳 Stay in the shade or air conditioning whenever possible.
👒 Limit time outdoors during the hottest part of the day.
🐾 Don't forget to check on pets, too.

Please see the heat safety information below from the Red Cross: https://www.redcross.org/get-help/how-to-prepare-for-emergencies/types-of-emergencies/extreme-heat-safety/heat-check.html

07/03/2026

Have a safe and happy holiday everyone!

06/29/2026

A huge shout out to our friends at Quantum Workplace for their help packing 200 bags for our Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP)!

We are so grateful for this meaningful support as we prep deliveries for 1,400 low-income seniors every month across Douglas, Sarpy, and Cass Counties and Fort Calhoun.

Our deliveries are connection points for seniors who are isolated from mainstream resources, and our work helps them remain independent and have consistent, reliable, and trusted source of support.

06/18/2026

06/04/2026

Shout out to our seniors!

One ending can create an exciting new beginning, and that's exactly what happened in mid-May when our long-time group of about 20-25 seniors--who have made their home at ENCAP for many years to sew and quilt, cook and connect, make art, exercise, learn, and warm our hearts--transitioned to Apex Family Care as their new gathering spot.

Because we are selling our large building to relocate to a smaller North Omaha location, we have been searching since last year for just the right landing place for these seniors who have meant so much to us over the years. After months of planning and chatting about this change, our group made the leap and now calls Apex's beautiful space their new home.

As we told the seniors at our last meeting, ENCAP is a better agency and we are better leaders because of their presence, guidance, good questions, and feedback.

Does this mean that ENCAP has ended services to seniors? NOT IN THE LEAST! Just over 1,400 seniors rely on monthly food delivery through our Commodity Supplemental Food Program, one of the largest in Nebraska. And, for the second year in a row, five seniors are enrolled in our Matched Savings Program. We are honored to walk beside them as they prepare for a stronger, more resilient financial future.

EVERY senior deserves to have the opportunities and support they need to remain healthy, independent, active, and joyful. We love working with them and are grateful for all our peers who do the same.

05/16/2026

Today is Armed Forces Day, and Eastern Nebraska Community Action Partnership (ENCAP) would like to recognize and thank the active-duty service members, veterans, and military families who strengthen our communities every day. 🇺🇸

We are grateful for the dedication, sacrifice, resilience, and leadership shown by those who serve our country and their families who serve alongside them.

Strong communities support one another through every season of life, and we are honored to work alongside individuals and families across our region as they build stability, opportunity, and hope for the future.

To all who serve — thank you for your service and continued commitment to our country and communities.