Swanson Russell

It’s no secret that we’re pretty fond of Lincoln. Okay, we love Lincoln – especially its people! That’s why we’re happy to give our time as a company to organizations like Matt Talbot Kitchen & Outreach, a true gem in our community. 

Since 1992, MTKO, a grassroots non-profit organization, has been serving hot, nutritious meals to the homeless and working poor in the area. What began as a humble soup kitchen (sans a functioning kitchen) serving a meal one night a week, is now a major center for hunger relief in Lincoln. Last spring, the organization relocated to a new, larger facility on North 27th Street to better serve its guests.

Because hunger never takes a day off, neither does MTKO, serving lunch and dinner seven days a week, 365 days a year, with each meal prepared and served by area volunteer teams. Swanson Russell is proud to be one of them.

Once a month (the second Tuesday of each month, to be exact), we get to trade in our pencils and spreadsheets for aprons and ladles to serve up something tasty and filling to those who need it most. As a volunteer team at Matt Talbot, we prepare for the lunch crowd, serve guests and clean up the facilities for the lunch rush. 

Swanson Russell’s involvement with the organization began with former agency Vice President/Account Supervisor, Chris Raun, a regular Matt Talbot volunteer in his free time. Eventually, he added Vice President/Account Supervisor, Dick Placzek and the late Vice President Chip Hackley to his team. The popularity of helping others quickly spread around the office, and soon the necessity of creating a system to organize so many eager volunteers was obvious.

Cue Karen Deschane in Database Mailing and Shipping, our official Matt Talbot volunteer coordinator. Karen took over as coordinator a couple of years ago. Nowadays, volunteers rotate in teams of four to five people every month, with each person donating their time roughly every three months.

After ten plus years of volunteer service at an organization like Matt Talbot, you become acquainted with familiar faces. In his time with the organization, Dick Placzek has begun to recognize a few regulars. Although he doesn’t know them by name, the desire to help others becomes even stronger once a face is put on such lofty, nightly news terms like “near-homeless” and “working poor.” When cold winds return and long-awaited holidays approach, it’s easy to become stressed with the festival rush and forget everyday good fortunes like three meals a day and a warm bed at home.

By lending a helping hand, we’re taking the Swanson Russell Real Connection™ approach out of the office and into the community we live and work in. We’re proud to be associated with MTKO, and this is one tradition we plan to continue for many years to come.

If you’re interested in joining the nearly 800 monthly volunteers that keep MTKO on its feet or in giving a monetary gift to the organization, visit their website.