By Cheril Lee
Omaha, NE – The U.S. Department of Agriculture's annual report was released last week. The data indicates one in eight Nebraskans are struggling with food insecurity.
Kate Bolz, Research and Policy Coordinator for Nebraska Appleseed, says those with food insecurity lack the resources to consistently purchase or access food. Nebraska Appleseed suggests two ways of dealing with this issue, including changes to the state's supplemental nutritional association program, also known as food stamps. She says Nebraska needs to, "alter the asset limits so that people who have modest savings or other assets can still access the assistance during hard times. And the other change would be to take advantage of the federal option to do food stamp outreach which would allow Nebraskans to learn more about the program itself and understand their eligibility."
Bolz says the other item that could really help with Nebraska's food insecurity is the passage of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act. This bill addresses federal child nutrition programs, including school breakfast and lunch as well as summer food service programs. Bolz says the bill would increase access to these programs as well as improve nutritional quality and streamline program administration.