Crossroads Mission Avenue, (Brian Neben, Central Nebraska Today)
BROKEN BOW — Crossroads Mission Avenue and Food Bank for the Heartland are pleased to announce 2026 dates for the mobile food pantry in Broken Bow.
This food distribution in Custer County has taken place quarterly in the past, but due to food needs in the area, Food Bank for the Heartland has responded by adding two additional distribution dates for the first half of 2026.
Crossroads Mission Avenue has been sponsoring the distributions throughout 2025 and has noticed a distinct difference at the Custer County distribution, seeing many elderly individuals coming for assistance with food supplies. The elderly often have limited resources and rely on this quarterly assistance with food supplies. According to https://worldpopulationreview.com/, 29% of the adult population in Custer County, Nebraska, is senior citizens. Crossroads’ data from the 2025 distributions show that, on average, 60% of food box recipients are adults with no children in the household, although exact age ranges are not tracked.
Food Bank for the Heartland’s mission is to eliminate hunger in the Heartland by ensuring consistent access to healthy foods through community partnerships. A valuable partnership has grown between the Food Bank and Crossroads Mission Avenue over the years. “We are beyond grateful for our partnership with Crossroads Mission Avenue,” said Kerry Heaton, Community & Partner Support Representative at the Food Bank. “Right now, we’re seeing an increased need for food assistance across our region, especially in rural areas. We’re grateful to collaborate with Crossroads and add additional mobile pantry dates to help families and individuals access the nutritious food they need during these challenging times.”
Crossroads’ mission is to bring glory to God through the helping of others, with a primary focus on homeless shelter services. But Crossroads has found that assisting with the basic needs of our struggling neighbors often provides the extra resources necessary to allow individuals to maintain their housing situation, keeping them from becoming homeless. With the help of Food Bank for the Heartland and community donations, Crossroads has been able to provide over 16,000 food boxes to families struggling with food insecurities so far this year alone. Crossroads also provides clothing and household goods to those in need through our Mission Avenue Thrift Stores throughout the region, supplying over $75,000 worth of basic necessities free of charge to more than 2,300 of our Central Nebraska neighbors this year.
Daniel Buller, Executive Director of Crossroads Mission Avenue, is grateful for the increased food supplies for Custer County. “We are seeing that the needs in Broken Bow are great, and they could really use more than a quarterly mobile distribution. I hear people regularly begging for more, and it just tugs at my heart. I have noticed that the majority of the folks at our Custer County distributions are elderly – one man, 93 years old, in line for a food box!
So we asked Food Bank for the Heartland if that was a possibility, and they came through for us, and for those struggling with food insecurities in Broken Bow!” The 2026 dates for the Custer County Mobile Food Pantry are: February 21, April 4, May 16, and June 13. Dates for the second half of 2026 will be announced later in the year. Each distribution begins at 9 am and continues while supplies last at the Custer County Fairgrounds. Crossroads Mission Avenue operates a non-barrier food pantry and does not discriminate – everyone is welcome! This institution is an equal opportunity provider. View the full USDA Nondiscrimination Statement here: https://foodbankheartland.org/policies/.
As Central Nebraska’s Rescue Mission, Crossroads Mission Avenue is here to help.
About Food Bank for the Heartland
Founded in 1981 and headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, Food Bank for the Heartland—a partner Food Bank of Feeding America—is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Our mission is to eliminate hunger in the Heartland by ensuring consistent access to healthy foods through community partnerships. Food Bank for the Heartland works with more than 500 network partners in 93 counties across Nebraska and western Iowa, offering multiple hunger-relief and nutrition programs, helping to break the cycle of food insecurity among children, families, seniors, and veterans. For more information, visit FoodBankHeartland.org.
About Crossroads Mission Avenue
Crossroads has been serving the homeless in Central Nebraska for 42 years. They have grown to include campuses in Hastings, Grand Island, and Kearney, which served over 1,300 individuals last year! Each location provides services that include emergency shelter, a 4-Phase Recovery program, and personalized case management, which helps their guests gain employment, financial independence, and stable housing. Crossroads Mission Avenue’s mission is to bring glory to God through the helping of people.
