Date:

December 21, 2000

For More Information Contact:

Diane Gonzolas, Citizen Information Center, 441-7831
Joanne Komenda, Community Action of Nebraska, 471-3348

Mayor Don Wesely today presented the End Hunger Awards for 2000 to five area individuals who have made significant contributions to alleviating hunger in the city, state, nation and world:

• Johnna and Emmet Snow of Bennet received the Mayor’s End Hunger Award for Individual Achievement. Every Tuesday afternoon for the past seven months, the couple has come to Lincoln to help with the perishable food program of the Lincoln Action Program (LAP). Emmet is a former LAP Board member.

  "Both Johnna and Emmet have health problems and live on a limited income, so they know what it is like to have to ask for a little help," wrote Sheryl Haas of LAP in her nomination. "They are very outgoing and friendly to the clients, as well as being patient. These qualities are appreciated by the large number of families -- sometimes as many as a hundred -- that are served during a single afternoon."

• Delta Schmidt of Lincoln received the Mayor’s End Hunger Award for Lifetime Achievement. She retired in November after ten years as Director of the Lutheran Metro Parish Food Pantry, where she spent many hours filling food baskets to be distributed through agencies such as LAP, the Mission Service Center and the Gathering Place.

  "Delta has gone above and beyond the call of duty, making sure that none go hungry," wrote Jean Scali of the Lincoln Interfaith Council in her nomination. "Delta has responded to calls from many Lutheran ministers and is always willing to go back to the pantry at night and fill one more food basket. She has worked tirelessly to ensure the pantry is always stocked and has enough funds available to feed the hungry."

• Jan Albers of Lincoln received the Mayor’s End Hunger Award for service from a private voluntary organization. For more than 11 years, she has coordinated the successful Lincoln CROP Walk for Hunger. She previously served as a member of the local CROP Walk Committee. She was nominated by the Food and Hunger Committee of the Lincoln Interfaith Council.

• Caroline Walles of Ceresco received the Statewide End Hunger Award for service from a private voluntary organization. She has been Director of the CROP/Church World Service for ten years. She was nominated by the Rev. Norman Leach of the Lincoln Interfaith Council. The Council’s Pantries System receives $3,000 to $5,000 a year from CROP. A quarter of the funds raised through the CROP Walk in Lincoln remain in the community, going to the People’s City Mission and the Lincoln Chapter of Bread for the World.

Assisting Mayor Wesely in the presentations was Joanne Komenda of Community Action of Nebraska, who is Chair of the Mayor’s End Hunger Award Committee.

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