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ONE HUNDRED NINTH LEGISLATURE
SECOND SESSION
LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION 500
Introduced by Clouse, 37; DeKay, 40; Dorn, 30; Dover, 19; Ibach, 44; Jacobson,
42; Prokop, 27; Quick, 35; Riepe, 12; Sanders, 45; Storer, 43;
Storm, 23; Strommen, 47; Wordekemper, 15.
WHEREAS, western Nebraska experienced a significant wildfire emergency in
the spring of 2026, requiring the sustained deployment of firefighters and
emergency personnel; and
WHEREAS, Hot Meals, a volunteer-driven disaster response organization,
mobilized swiftly and began delivering food to firefighters in Oshkosh on March
13, 2026, with meals prepared in Kearney and transported by dedicated
volunteers; and
WHEREAS, Hot Meals established its mobile disaster response kitchen at the
Lincoln County Fairgrounds in North Platte on March 17, 2026, and served its
first hot dinner that very evening under an open-air pavilion; and
WHEREAS, Hot Meals served two hot meals and a sack lunch daily at the
North Platte fire camp for two full weeks, simultaneously making twice-daily
meal deliveries to firefighters in Ogallala during that same period; and
WHEREAS, Hot Meals subsequently relocated its kitchen to the Keith County
Fairgrounds in Ogallala to integrate directly with the Incident Command Post
and continue uninterrupted food service to emergency personnel; and
WHEREAS, the communities of North Platte and Ogallala responded with
extraordinary generosity, with more than four hundred individual volunteers
stepping forward to serve across three daily shifts, logging over six hundred
total volunteer shifts, with each shift averaging approximately four hours; and
WHEREAS, countless volunteers demonstrated exceptional dedication and
commitment by returning to serve multiple days and multiple shifts,
exemplifying the spirit of Nebraska neighborliness and selfless service; and
WHEREAS, the nourishment and care provided by Hot Meals and its volunteers
directly supported the health, morale, and operational capacity of the brave
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firefighters and emergency responders protecting Nebraska lives and property.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE MEMBERS OF THE ONE HUNDRED NINTH
LEGISLATURE OF NEBRASKA, SECOND SESSION:
1. That the Legislature of the State of Nebraska hereby recognizes and
commends Hot Meals for its rapid and sustained volunteer disaster response
during the 2026 Nebraska wildfire emergency.
2. That the Legislature expresses its profound gratitude to the more than
four hundred volunteers who contributed over six hundred shifts of service in
North Platte, Ogallala, and the surrounding region, ensuring that Nebraska's
firefighters were fed, cared for, and supported throughout the crisis.
3. That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the leadership of Hot
Meals and to the mayors of North Platte and Ogallala in recognition of the
extraordinary civic response of their communities.
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