A new report shows one in seven Nebraskans experienced food hardship last year.
The report from the Food Research and Action Center shows 17 percent of households in the Second Congressional District struggled to buy enough food to feed their families.
Rebecca Gould, executive director of Nebraska Appleseed, says they’re concerned in particular about the impact of food hardship on children.“There are ripple effects to that when kids are going to school hungry, when people don’t have enough access to the food they need their health can become compromised. So there’s important ripple effects that happen when people don’t have enough access to food.”
She says Nebraska Appleseed is encouraged by a measure in the Unicameral that would provide grants for schools that might not have the resources to participate in the summer food program. While the food for the summer program is covered by federal funds, the resources needed to provide it aren’t.
Gould says renewal of the farm bill is also key to ensuring low-income families can afford enough food. The supplemental nutrition assistance program, or food stamps, is part of the farm bill.