INDIANAPOLIS - The U.S. Senate has proposed a fourth round of legislation to stave off further economic damage from the novel coronavirus pandemic. But critics say the Health, Economic Assistance, Liability Protection, and Schools (HEALS) Act fails to provide the most basic of relief for Indiana families experiencing heightened hunger, uncertainty and distress.

Emily Weikert Bryant - executive director of Feeding Indiana's Hungry - said the current proposal doesn't increase Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP benefits, a decision that could have disastrous consequences.

She said in the coming months food banks expect to see from 40% to 70% increase in demand - at a time when food donations have dropped off and volunteers are scarce.

"And in light of all of that, the Feeding America network has distributed 1.9 billion meals since March 1, so there's a heroic effort going on in the charitable sector," said Bryant. "But for every one meal that the Feeding America system distributes, SNAP provides nine."

Bryant adds that increasing SNAP benefits by 15%, a move supported by Feeding America and other anti-hunger groups nationwide, will help more families access nutritious food during the COVID-19 crisis.

Federal data shows SNAP participation among Hoosiers increased by 16% between February and May, and she said the state continues to see between four and six thousand new SNAP applications each week.

She said the SNAP program is one of the fastest forms of local economic stimulus.

"When low-income families receive their SNAP benefits to purchase groceries, these dollars are circulated within and stimulate these local economies," said Bryant.

Jessica Fraser, director of the Institute for Working Families, said she's troubled by lawmakers' holdout on continuing the additional $600 a week in federal unemployment insurance benefits set to expire this week.

She said research shows Indiana residents in minimum-wage service-sector jobs would then receive between $180 and $200 a week in unemployment benefits through the state system.

"Think about that," said Fraser. "If we don't have the boost in the federal UI, then there's no way that people can pay their bills on $180 a week in state UI."

She added the additional $600 a week is critical for preventing families from sliding further into credit-card and loan debt.

Recent census survey data reveals that since the pandemic, one in five Hoosiers has used credit cards or loans to pay regular bills, and nearly one-fourth said they've tapped into savings accounts or sold assets.

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.


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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.


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