Meet Brian Barks
President and CEO, Food Bank for the Heartland
Brian Barks spent years in the radio broadcast industry in Nebraska and Arizona. He loved every minute of it.
Now as president and CEO of Food Bank for the Heartland in Omaha, Nebraska, he has settled into a role he loves even more. During his tenure, Brian has helped grow donated revenue, likely because he has no problem asking people to dedicate their support to a cause as important as hunger.
Food insecurity is worse today than during the COVID-19 pandemic. Food Bank for the Heartland provides food to children, families, seniors, and veterans facing hunger in Nebraska and western Iowa. Their mission is to eliminate hunger in the region by ensuring consistent access to healthy foods through community partnerships.
In 2023 Google approached Food Bank for the Heartland to collaborate on a volunteer day and invest in the organization. “It was neat to have so many Googlers in our volunteer center to package food to people who need help,” Brian said. “The Googlers were engaged in the process — a lot of activity and action that day. The support of the gift of time and treasure couldn't have come at a better time.
Now as president and CEO of Food Bank for the Heartland in Omaha, Nebraska, he has settled into a role he loves even more. During his tenure, Brian has helped grow donated revenue, likely because he has no problem asking people to dedicate their support to a cause as important as hunger.
Food insecurity is worse today than during the COVID-19 pandemic. Food Bank for the Heartland provides food to children, families, seniors, and veterans facing hunger in Nebraska and western Iowa. Their mission is to eliminate hunger in the region by ensuring consistent access to healthy foods through community partnerships.
In 2023 Google approached Food Bank for the Heartland to collaborate on a volunteer day and invest in the organization. “It was neat to have so many Googlers in our volunteer center to package food to people who need help,” Brian said. “The Googlers were engaged in the process — a lot of activity and action that day. The support of the gift of time and treasure couldn't have come at a better time.
Hunger exists in every community we serve. And with food insecurity levels at historic highs, the need to get involved has never been greater. I love talking to people who have the capacity to make a difference, want to make a difference, and are interested in what we do. And I love being able to marry all of that together.
We continue to see the community rallying around what we are trying to do. A constant here is the community support. When times are tough, it’s neighbor helping neighbor in Nebraska and Iowa. It’s rallying around a cause.
— BRIAN BARKS
