Relief for a nationwide baby formula shortage could be coming soon, but in the meantime, bare shelves have become a scary sight for parents.

The shortage stems from February, when Abbott Nutrition voluntarily recalled products manufactured in its Michigan plant over fears they may have been contaminated.

Tiare Sanna is the Oregon Health Authority's state director of Women's Infants and Children, a federal program that provides supplemental nutrition assistance to low-income women and children up to age five.

She said the state WIC program has been letting local agencies across the state know where formula is in stock.

"We send them out reports on which stores have redemptions for different types of formulas," said Sanna, "so that they can work with participants to know, 'OK, this store is redeeming lots of Similac or Enfamil, or store-brand products.' That means they must have some supply there, and encouraging participants to try to go to those stores."

If parents are considering formula alternatives, the OHA advises them to first call their pediatrician for recommendations. Homemade solutions or over-diluted formula can be unsafe for infants.

Sanna said people in need of financial assistance to purchase formula can contact their local WIC office.

And for people who want to help, Sanna said they should avoid buying formula.

They also can use social media, for instance, to let folks know if they find a store with a big supply. Or they can let the OHA know.

Sanna said some stores are limiting the amount of formula people can buy at one time.

"Any kind of hoarding formula we want to avoid, because the supply is going to come," said Sanna. "So, we just want to want to make sure that there's enough on the shelves so that everybody can get it - because with infants, that's either a sole source of their nutrition or a very large portion."

Oregon Food Bank says people with unused formula that is factory sealed and unexpired can use its Food Finder tool to find a food donation site nearby. But people are advised to check with the organization first to see if they can accept formula donations.

There are positive signs the formula shortage could abate soon. Sanna noted that the Abbott plant in Sturgis, Michigan, reopened last week.

"Because the Sturgis plant was just recently opened," said Sanna, "and with all of the efforts to bring in formula from outside of the United States, we're going to hopefully very shortly see a much healthier supply of infant formula."

Sanna said Oregon's WIC program has a contract with Similac but can issue other brands of formula, including from outside the country, through August 30.

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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