sell them, because they’re not packaged for retail sale,” Olsen elaborates. “So, we worked with the Department of Ag, and they allowed us to have restaurants that could sell a box of steaks, or eggs, they could sell toilet paper. It helped not only in the cities, but it helped in the smaller communities where we could get them much-needed food that they couldn’t get through their grocery stores because the grocery stores were limited on what they were receiving.” Additionally, NeHA facilitated workforce reallocation, helping restaurant employees find temporary positions in grocery stores. Their efforts were underpinned by a close working relationship with the National Restaurant Association, state health departments, and the governor’s office, ensuring that safety measures, such as mask mandates, were practical and scientifically informed. “Nebraska did not do things during COVID the way other states did, we didn’t have a statewide shutdown on anything. We are large geographically, but our population is right around 2 million.” EDUCATION INITIATIVES Beyond advocacy, NeHA places significant emphasis on education and the Nebraska Restaurant Association Hospitality Educational Foundation plays a crucial role in this mission.“We operate what we call ProStart, which is a program for high school students to learn more about a career in culinary or management. We work with educators all year long.We work with our community colleges, and we also work with the University of Nebraska Lincoln, which has the Hospitality Restaurant Tourism and Management program,” Olsen relays. Through competitions, students gain practical experience and valuable skills.“We just finished our Final Three culinary competition. That competition is a look at what it’s really like in the industry, and honing those skills, the work that the students do. They cook a three-course meal, using butane burners only, and no electricity, to make these amazing meals.” Furthermore, the educational foundation brings professional mentors into high schools, in the form of industry professionals.“We also provide scholarships 54 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 05, ISSUE 07
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