INDIANAPOLIS – About 50,000 Hoosiers could lose food assistance in the next few months if they do not meet work requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

A federal waiver that allowed adults without dependents to forgo work requirements during the recession is expiring.

Terry Mayo, SNAP outreach coordinator with Indiana 211, says in order to get enrolled and into compliance, recipients must have an in-person assessment.

"It's crucial they be in contact with IMPACT so that they can work with them," she says. "They want to keep them from getting their benefits discontinued, so they want to make sure that they're plugging in and it's documented they're plugged into what they're supposed to be."

Indiana Manpower and Comprehensive Training (IMPACT) provides education, training, job search and placement to help SNAP recipients get back on their feet.

The change affects those on food assistance between the ages of 18 and 49 who are not receiving disability benefits and do not have children. Appointment notices were sent in the mail, and recipients need to call the Family and Social Services Administration for missed appointments.

According to the Indiana Department of Workforce Development, the state's unemployment rate fell to 4.7 percent in July, the lowest it has been since before the recession. But Jessica Fraser, program manager with the Indiana Institute for Working Families, says there are still many residents without work or in low-wage jobs who need help making ends meet.

"They can't find good jobs that pull them up out of this problem," she says. "The fact that SNAP provides employment and training opportunities is an opportunity for these folks to go in there, get these appointments, get assessed and maybe get on a training plan that could lead to self-sufficiency."

The work requirements for SNAP include opportunities through the Community Work Experience Program, which places clients into unpaid jobs or volunteer opportunities. Fraser says this allows participants to gain work experience and employment skills.

The phone number for the Family and Social Services Administration is 800-403-0864.


get more stories like this via email

Groups working to end hunger in Nebraska are reaching out to all parts of the state to train food insecure people to advocate for others facing similar issues.

The advocacy group Nebraska Appleseed's Food Access Community Advocates Cohort educates people over nine months how to build advocacy, community organizing and storytelling skills, so they are better equipped to understand policies affecting the state's most food insecure people.

Megan Hamann, senior community organizer of food and nutrition access for Nebraska Appleseed, said having experienced hunger puts them in a better position to understand and talk about policy issues affecting hungry people in Nebraska.

"They have this lived experience that is really useful, I think, when it comes to making sure that our decision-makers know the impact of the policies they are considering," Hamann explained.

Nebraska Appleseed will start taking applications for new program participants Friday.

Hamann pointed out the number of food insecure people in Nebraska is greater now than it was during the pandemic, when demand at food banks was already high.

"I think with the passage of the recent federal budget reconciliation bill, we are looking forward to a period of time where that need is going to reach new extremes," Hamann projected.

This will be the fourth year of the cohort program. Many past participants have taken leadership roles in their communities and are now leading local efforts to educate others about the best ways to address food insecurity.


get more stories like this via email

It has been about three weeks since the Rowena Fire in Oregon's Columbia Gorge was put out, and the local food bank remains vital to recovery efforts.

The fire burned 3,600 acres in Wasco County, destroying 56 homes and 100 other structures.

Breen Goodwin, executive director of the Columbia Gorge Food Bank, said they are always prepared to assist during disasters with ready-to-eat emergency food boxes and water. She added many displaced families are living with relatives, in hotels, or camping and remain uncertain about their next steps.

"It is difficult in a community of our size to absorb housing needs for that many families who have lost homes," Goodwin acknowledged. "That next step of the recovery process of truly: 'How are those families being supported with more long term recovery efforts?'"

Breen pointed out the food bank has been serving as a distribution site to hand out supplies from Adventist Health of the Columbia Gorge and other organizations who donated nonfood items, including air purifiers, generators, hygiene supplies and stuffed animals for kids.

One of the biggest challenges, Breen noted, is keeping a supply of drinking water flowing once people start to return home.

"We're able to drop full pallets of water directly into the impacted communities because most of the time the drinking water is no longer safe until enough testing has been done," Breen explained.

The Columbia Gorge Food Bank is one of 21 regional food banks in the Oregon Food Bank Network. Breen emphasized the number of people visiting the food bank rose to about 6,500 per month during the pandemic and has remained at that level. People can visit OregonFoodFinder.org to find pantry locations in their area.

Indiana families are navigating the summer without SUN Bucks, a federal grocery benefit which delivered $120 per child last summer.

Gov. Mike Braun's administration chose not to participate in 2025, citing prior planning gaps.

Mark Lynch, director of advocacy for the Indy Hunger Network, said the funding blackout hit the state hard.

"We really are feeling and seeing the impacts of not having the SUN Bucks program this year," Lynch emphasized. "That $120 per summer for those students that they had last year have created some longer lines at our food pantries."

State leaders said administrative hurdles kept Indiana out of the program. Supporters argued skipping SUN Bucks puts pressure on food banks and leaves low-income families with fewer options.

Lynch noted to help bridge the gap, Indiana expanded its summer meal sites to include prepackaged meals, which do not require daily pickups.

"But there's school starting soon and they're giving their workers some time off for the summer, so that might be ending in the next week or two," Lynch explained. "That's just an example and that happens around the state in rural, suburban, and in city communities."

The Indy Hunger Network and other partners continue to support Hoosiers through tools like the Community Compass app, which shows nearby meal sites and grocery assistance programs.


get more stories like this via email