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Nevada Food at First outlines expanded meal stops and seeks staff support
Summary
A volunteer nonprofit told the Maxwell City Council it delivered 7,924 meals in 2025 to 67 identified households and is proposing to hire two half‑time contract positions to sustain expanded neighborhood meal stops serving Rolling Hills, Rock Creek and the Collins‑Maxwell school area.
Barb Whitman, community meal coordinator for the nonprofit Nevada Food at First, told the Maxwell City Council it has delivered 7,924 meals so far in 2025 to 67 households in the Maxwell area and asked for guidance as the group plans to hire two half‑time contract positions to sustain expanded services.
Whitman described three neighborhood meal stops: Rolling Hills Mobile Home Park (the program’s first Maxwell stop), Rock Creek Acres and two stops tied to school locations following Collins‑Maxwell’s move to a four‑day school week. She said Rolling Hills accounted for roughly 5,500 of the year’s meals and Rock Creek for about 1,000. Whitman said 23 of the 67 households were new to the program in 2025 and that volunteers remain the core of operations.
The presentation noted Nevada Food at First received an American Rescue Plan Act grant from the Story County Board of Supervisors in July 2022 to expand meal access in eastern Story County. Whitman said the group has also accepted donations and partner support from Nevada Dollar, Dollar General and DJ Market to supply a new school pantry, and that the City of Nevada provides funding to the Nevada Foundation, which in turn awards grants to organizations addressing housing, clothing and hunger.
Whitman said the nonprofit’s board plans to create two half‑time contract roles — executive director and food‑system manager — before July 2026 to build operational capacity and enable the current coordinator to retire. She asked council members for any questions and for help connecting to local partners and distribution channels to reach households without school ties.
Council members asked about funding sources and outreach. Whitman said the program is funded primarily by donations and grants (including the ARPA award) and that Story County, United Way and community donors have supported operations. She said volunteers deliver meals and that organizers use flyers, school communications and informal neighborhood networks to reach households; the group can add library and church distribution as needed.
The council did not take immediate formal action on staffing; staff and the nonprofit were advised to continue coordinating on grant and budget timing so that any positions could be included in future budget cycles.
