The Gathering Place is Meeting Rising Needs
BUILDING A BIGGER TABLE FOR LINCOLN
As the day winds down in Lincoln, the lights glow on a familiar front porch and a door stands open at The Gathering Place. From 5 to 6 p.m., neighbors and others in need come together for a warm meal and a safe place to land—whether it’s because food ran short, the rent went up, or life simply took an unexpected turn. Everyone is welcomed, no questions asked.
NEEDS KEEP RISING
As Lincoln has changed over the decades, The Gathering Place has changed with it. Many readers may remember when it was a simple lunch stop for a bowl of soup and a familiar face across the table. That same spirit still guides the work today, even as the need has grown.
In 2025, the program served 55,300 meals, a number that reflects tighter household budgets and a steady rise in food insecurity.
Some guests are older adults living on fixed incomes. Others are families trying to stretch groceries through the end of the month. Guests might also be neighbors navigating disability, housing instability, or loneliness. Many live close enough to walk. A plate of food at The Gathering Place becomes a moment of relief, and a simple conversation becomes a bridge to help.
WHY MORE SPACE MATTERS
The Gathering Place is preparing to move just a few blocks west into a new home at 919 S. 12th Street. The building is twice the size of the current location, and that added space will change what’s possible. A larger kitchen means more meals can be prepared at once. It also means more variety of healthy options can be cooked side by side, making it easier to serve balanced dinners night after night. The space will offer more storage, so The Gathering Place can accept larger food donations and keep fresh produce available more often.
Yet the most meaningful change may be the one you can’t see from the sidewalk. The new building will allow private rooms for case management and supportive conversations. That means a guest can more comfortably ask for help with benefits, housing resources, and learn about next steps. It’s a small detail that protects dignity, and it opens doors for real stability.
A FAMILIAR WELCOME, IN A NEW HOME
Even as The Gathering Place grows, the experience will remain the same. A front porch will still greet guests at the end of the day. A staff member will still offer the simple choice: eat here, or take a meal to go.
“We never know the whole story of why someone is visiting us for dinner,” says Lisa Janssen, The Gathering Place Administrator.
“Our job is to make sure that for the hour they’re here, they’re safe, welcome, and fed.”
The goal is straightforward. Build a bigger table. Keep the promise.
Proposed Addition
Proposed New Dining Room
44 YEARS AND COUNTING
The Gathering Place is a program of Community Action Partnership of Lancaster and Saunders Counties. Since 1982, it has offered dinner in a house that feels like a neighbor’s home. For many guests, it’s the one place they can count on to be safe, seen, and fed.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
Community support is what makes The Gathering Place possible, and private donations play a key role in bringing the new space to life. To purchase and renovate The Gathering Place, they need to raise $3.5 million. If you’d like to contribute to the renovation of the new home—or learn how your gift can support meals and services in the years ahead—Community Action would love to hear from you.
With help from grants and private donors, The Gathering Place will break ground this year and serve its first meal out of the new space in fall 2027.
Click here to make a donation or contact Jessie Hedrick at 402-875-9338 or jhedrick@communityactionatwork.com.