A new report shows food insecurity in Nebraska increased in 2022 over the year before. Feeding America's latest "Map the Meal Gap" survey showed the number of Nebraskans who experienced food insecurity rose from 10% to almost 14%.

For Nebraska children, the picture was even bleaker, increasing from 12% to more than 19%.

This comes as no surprise to those at Food Bank for the Heartland, where they have been dealing with rising demand and rising costs for quite some time.

Stephanie Sullivan, assistant director of marketing and communications for the food bank, said although the report reflects 2022 data, there is no sign yet of a decline in the need for food assistance.

"We are talking to our network partners who are telling us that they're seeing more people in line than ever, even since the height of the pandemic," Sullivan explained. "They are seeing more first-timers in line; people who never thought they would need food assistance."

The report showed food insecurity percentages for every county in the country. In Nebraska, Sarpy County's 11% was the lowest in the state, and Thurston County's nearly 18% was the highest.

Sullivan emphasized Food Bank for the Heartland is advocating for "a clean and strong Farm Bill with no cut to key nutrition programs." The bill needs to include access to food assistance, she added, pointing out that for every meal provided by a food bank in the Feeding America network, SNAP can provide nine meals.

"That makes it one of the most effective and efficient tools in our fight against hunger," Sullivan asserted. "The public support of these programs and their inclusion in the Farm Bill is critical to alleviating hunger."

Food Bank for the Heartland has been responding to a huge increase in demand since 2019, starting with the flooding and not long after, the pandemic. However, Sullivan acknowledged donations have not kept pace since the pandemic ended.

"When we are dealing with a greater need on top of elevated prices in all aspects of our operations, we are not meeting the need," Sullivan stressed. "We need community support now more than ever, because we've never seen food insecurity levels this high."

With its 555 partners, Food Bank for the Heartland serves 77 of Nebraska's 93 counties and 16 counties in western Iowa. This is the second-largest service area among Feeding America's 200 food banks. In fiscal year 2023, its distribution fleet drove more than 300,000 miles, delivering more than 22 million meals.


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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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